Nightcall
Dramatic tungsten-balanced night film with bold red halation and strong bloom for cinematic night photography
Nightcall Example 1
Color Palette
Cool Blue
#1B3A5F
Warm Orange
#FFA040
Red Halation
#FF4D6D
Electric Cyan
#4ECDC4
Deep Magenta
#C73E85
Why Choose Nightcall?
Iconic red halation around bright lights—the signature Cinestill 800T characteristic
Tungsten white balance creates dramatic warm-light, cool-shadow cinema look
Strong bloom (80%) makes neon signs and street lights glow cinematically
Optimized for night photography with lifted shadows and protected highlights
ASA 800 grain adds gritty, authentic film texture to dark scenes
Perfect for urban nightscapes, neon-lit portraits, and street photography after dark
The city awakens after dark. Neon signs ignite, street lights cast golden pools on wet pavement, and every bright point explodes with cinematic energy. Nightcall transforms urban darkness into dramatic art with the bold halation and tungsten balance of Cinestill 800T. This isn't subtle—it's dramatic, moody, electric night photography.
The city awakens after dark. Neon signs ignite, street lights cast golden pools on wet pavement, and every bright point explodes with cinematic energy. Nightcall transforms urban darkness into dramatic art: bold red halation around lights, tungsten white balance that renders warm sources golden while shadows fall into deep blue-cyan, and that unmistakable warm-light-cool-shadow cinema aesthetic that makes night photography electric.
Nightcall transforms urban nights into cinematic gold through authentic tungsten film characteristics. It's designed for mixed city lighting (neon, sodium vapor, LED, fluorescent) and celebrates bright lights rather than fighting them.
Tungsten white balance at 3200K creates the signature warm-light-cool-shadow aesthetic: street lights shift golden-orange while shadows fall blue-cyan. Strong bloom (80%) creates dramatic glow around every light source. The defining characteristic is bold halation: 25% strength creates visible red-orange halos around neon signs, street lamps, and car headlights. 75% skin protection with enhanced hue correction prevents faces from going too blue or orange despite extreme color shifts.
Film grain emulates pushed 800T stock, visible and gritty especially in shadows. Lifted shadows (+5) preserve night detail while compressed highlights (-5) control bright signs without clipping.
When Nightcall Shines
Perfect Scenarios
- •Neon-lit night streets – Halation makes signs glow with red halos; tungsten balance creates dramatic warm-light-cool-shadow cinema look
- •Urban nightscapes and skylines – City lights become cinematic points of interest; mixed lighting chaos becomes cohesive
- •Concert and music venue photography – Stage lights, colored gels, and spotlights render dramatically; strong bloom adds energy
- •Automotive photography at night – Car headlights and taillights develop strong halation; wet pavement reflections glow cinematically
- •Night portraits in city environments – Skin tone protection maintains flattering faces despite extreme tungsten balance
- •Bars, restaurants, indoor tungsten spaces – Warm incandescent lighting renders golden; intimate interior scenes gain moody atmosphere
- •Twilight and blue hour shooting – Pre-sunrise or post-sunset when artificial lights dominate creates perfect warm-cool contrast
- •Wet reflections after rain – Rain-soaked streets with reflected lights showcase bloom and halation at their most dramatic
Lighting It Loves
Nightcall thrives when artificial lights dominate. That's where tungsten balance and halation create magic. Sodium vapor street lights are especially beautiful, rendering golden-orange against deep blue shadows. Mixed city lighting (tungsten, LED, fluorescent, neon) that would confuse other presets becomes cinematic through consistent color treatment. Look for scenes with bright point light sources to showcase the halation effect, and wet surfaces that double the drama through reflections.
How to Get the Look
Starting Point Settings
- •Exposure: Expose to preserve highlights; neon signs and bright lights should retain detail; the preset will lift shadows naturally
- •White balance: Lock to Tungsten (3200K) or use preset default; never Auto WB, which will fight the signature color shift
- •Camera approach: Use higher ISO (800-3200) for authentic grain matching the ASA 800 character; enables faster handheld shutter speeds
- •Scene selection: Hunt for bright point light sources (neon signs, street lights, car lights) where halation and bloom showcase their strength
Quick Adjustments
If overall image is too blue/cool
Shift temperature warmer by +200K to +500K (toward 3500-3700K). This maintains the tungsten character while reducing the cool cast on neutral areas.
If halation is too strong or distracting
Reduce halation strength from 25% down to 15-20%. This maintains the signature red glow around lights but with more subtlety.
If bloom overwhelms the image
Reduce bloom intensity from 80% to 60-70%. Keep enough glow for cinematic character but dial back when shooting scenes packed with lights.
If shadows are too dark or crushed
Lift shadows +10 to +15 to reveal more detail in darker areas. This maintains the moody character while opening up shadow regions.
If neon signs or lights are clipping
Increase highlight protection by +10-20% or pull highlights slider down -10. The enhanced protection compresses brightest tones while preserving detail.
If skin tones look too orange or blue
Increase hue correction by +10% to shift skin toward more neutral peachy-pink, or adjust temperature ±100-200K to compensate for dominant light source.
Film Stock Inspiration
Primary Inspiration
Cinestill 800T
Resembles / Inspired By
- •Cinestill 800T – The primary inspiration; tungsten-balanced with distinctive red halation from removed anti-halation backing
- •Kodak Vision3 500T – The cinema film stock that Cinestill 800T is based on; professional cinematographers use it for night scenes
- •Cinestill 400D – Daylight-balanced variant with similar halation characteristics from removed remjet backing
Style Notes
Nightcall is a direct homage to Cinestill 800T, the legendary tungsten-balanced film stock that revolutionized night photography for the accessible film community.
Cinestill created their stock by removing the anti-halation backing from Kodak Vision3 500T cinema film. This removal creates the distinctive red halation effect around bright lights. Nightcall captures this signature characteristic at bold 25% strength, giving you that instantly recognizable red-orange glow around every light source.
The tungsten white balance (3200K) matches how 800T is designed to render light: calibrated for tungsten/incandescent sources as 'neutral,' which shifts daylight and ambient shadows toward blue. The ASA 800 grain and strong bloom mimic how 800T behaves when shooting in low light, especially when slightly overexposing bright light sources for that cinematic glow.
Nightcall captures the bold halation, tungsten color shift, and cinematic glow you'd get from shooting these films at night—without the cost ($18-20 per roll), the wait time (weeks for development), or workflow complexity.
"Direct homage to Cinestill 800T—the legendary tungsten film with distinctive red halation from removed anti-halation backing"
Who Nightcall Is For
Choose Nightcall if you...
- •Shoot urban nightscapes, neon-lit streets, or city environments after dark and want that dramatic cinematic rendering with halation glow
- •Love the Cinestill 800T aesthetic (bold red halation, tungsten color shift, warm-light-cool-shadow contrast) and want it accessible for every shot
- •Photograph concerts, venues, or events at night where mixed artificial lighting needs cohesive cinematic treatment
Skip Nightcall if you...
- •Want balanced, natural film look for daytime or well-lit conditions—try Daydream for versatile everyday film rendering
- •Prefer warm, dreamy golden hour aesthetics without extreme color shifts—Nostalgia offers sun-soaked warmth with gentler character
- •Need pure black and white without color or tungsten effects—Noir delivers classic monochrome with rich tonal contrast
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I adjust Nightcall or is it fixed?
Every parameter is adjustable. The defaults are calibrated for dramatic night photography, but you can tweak tungsten temperature (warmer/cooler), halation strength (bolder/subtler), bloom intensity (more/less glow), grain level, shadow lift, highlight protection, everything. Once you've dialed in your perfect night look, save it as a custom preset.
What's the best lighting for Nightcall?
Nightcall excels when artificial lights dominate: neon signs, sodium vapor street lights, tungsten interiors, mixed city lighting at night. The preset is specifically designed for after-dark shooting where tungsten white balance creates warm-light-cool-shadow cinema aesthetics. Twilight and blue hour are especially beautiful.
Which film stocks inspired Nightcall?
Nightcall is a direct homage to Cinestill 800T, the tungsten-balanced film with distinctive red halation from removed anti-halation backing. It also draws from Kodak Vision3 500T (the cinema stock 800T is based on) and Cinestill 400D. The preset captures the bold halation, tungsten color shift, and cinematic glow you'd get from shooting these films at night.
Why does Nightcall make everything blue?
That's the tungsten white balance (3200K) working as designed. Tungsten-balanced film is calibrated to render tungsten/incandescent lights as 'neutral' or golden-orange, which means daylight, ambient light, and shadows shift toward blue-cyan. This creates the iconic warm-light-cool-shadow cinema aesthetic. If the blue cast is too strong, warm the temperature by +200-500K.
How is Nightcall different from Daydream?
Nightcall is specialized for dramatic night photography with tungsten white balance (3200K vs 5500K daylight), bold halation (25% vs 5%), and strong bloom (80% vs 60%). It creates warm-light-cool-shadow cinema aesthetics perfect for neon and urban nights. Daydream focuses on balanced, versatile film rendering across all lighting conditions.
Ready to shoot with Nightcall?
Join the waitlist to be the first to access Nightcall and all our film presets when Daydream launches on iOS.