Neurapix tasked Markus Thoma with developing a new SmartPreset that captures the iconic look of vintage Kodak films. The German photographer accepted the challenge and created the "Nostalgic Glow" SmartPreset, which photographers could obtain during various special promotions. In this interview, he talks about his approach and shares tips for using this exclusive AI preset.

Markus usually spends his summers shooting wedding stories in northern Bavaria and dedicates the winter months mainly to business portraits. In his workshops on creative photography and on his blog MT Foto Journal, he regularly discusses Lightroom editing, breaks down photographic styles into their components, and provides practical insights into his workflow — experiences that made him an ideal partner for Neurapix.

So, in spring 2025, the German company approached Markus with the task of creating a new SmartPreset in the legendary Kodak look. Unlike static Lightroom presets, the Neurapix Lightroom Classic plugin uses artificial intelligence to give photographers even more time in post-processing. Markus didn’t just design another preset, but an AI style that delivers lightning-fast, consistent results — regardless of the lighting in the photo.

From Kodak Gold memories to a fresh AI film look

Markus wanted to capture the warm charm of Kodak Gold 200 — creamy skin tones, gentle saturation, timeless warmth — without compromising modern sharpness. His starting point was his minimalist "One" preset. Building on this, he manually adjusted the red, green, and blue curves to create subtle warmth, increased color density, and a hint of green in the shadows. These edited photos served as reference for the Neurapix AI. “We didn’t want a museum piece, but a vibrant color palette,” Markus explains.

Because a SmartPreset automatically adjusts exposure and white balance for each individual photo, Markus could focus on fine nuances rather than strong slider changes. The AI reads each histogram, applies his curve adjustments proportionally, and ensures that highlights remain clean, shadows keep their depth, and skin tones shine evenly in all light.

The creation: a new AI style from 500 images 

Neurapix recommends about 500 fully edited photos for creating a SmartPreset. For this, Markus compiled a special Lightroom catalog:

• 200 wedding photos — from golden evening light to candlelit atmospheres

• 200 business portraits — in the studio and on location

• 100 travel photos — with challenging mixed-light situations

All images contained the same fine adjustments — curve corrections, HSL changes, and targeted masks — so that the AI could truly understand what defines his editing style. After uploading the photos, the creation process began, and just a few hours later Markus received his finished SmartPreset. "Nostalgic Glow" was born. A practical test on a complete wedding reportage with 2,000 images showed: Only minimal exposure corrections of ±0.3 EV were needed here and there.

Why "Nostalgic Glow" excels in daily use 

Weddings: The SmartPreset keeps wedding dresses neutral, tuxedos crisp, and skin glowing in the sunset — perfect for wedding photographers working with constantly changing light conditions. Because the AI adjusts each image individually, there are no banding effects or overly harsh contrasts, as sometimes happens with one-click LUTs.

Portraits: In the studio, it adds warmth without destroying contrast. Outdoors, it reduces unwanted green tones on the skin — an effect Markus specifically built into the training by including many images with foliage backgrounds.

Travel & Landscapes: Blues remain clear, greens natural, and earth tones gain an analog charm. Markus describes the look as “film-like,” but never muddy — a benefit of AI-scaled curves compared to fixed slider values.

Speed & Consistency: With Neurapix, images are processed extremely quickly while maintaining a very consistent look across the entire shoot. Especially with large volumes, this is a real time-saver.

"Nostalgic Glow" shows that classic film emotions and AI efficiency can blend seamlessly. With 500 carefully edited reference images, Markus Thoma has created a SmartPreset that delivers Kodak-inspired warmth and intelligently adapts to each new photo. If you’re looking for a faster workflow, consistent colors, and a timeless look, you should try this AI-powered Lightroom solution — and experience how your editing time can be drastically reduced.

Where to find Markus and his work 

• Blog (DE): Tutorials, gear reviews, preset packs – https://journal.markusthoma.com 

• YouTube – MT Foto Journal: Live edits, Lightroom deep dives – https://www.youtube.com/@mtjournal 

• Neurapix SmartPreset Store: Browse AI styles by top pros – https://neurapix.com/smartpresets