Chemlooks, a fusion of “chemistry” and “LUTs” (Look-Up Tables), emerged from the creative minds of motion picture professionals deeply immersed in color processing and fueled by their personal passion for photography.
The Genesis
It all began with Tim, who grew increasingly dissatisfied with existing film inversion options. After some research and tinkering, he came up with a rough version of what you now see as Chemlooks. Tim had laid the groundwork for negative inversion, starting entirely from scratch. Enter Brent, Tim’s friend, who caught a glimpse of the app during a joint project in Mississippi. Brent offered, “I can help you make this look better” A few months later, Chemlooks resembled a website straight out of 1997—rudimentary yet fully functional and intuitive.
Evolving Features
Over the next two years (and then some), Tim continued to add features. Brent would occasionally challenge him: “Can you make it do __?” Somewhere between 2 hours and several months later Tim would come back and say, “I figured it out,” and Brent would put it in place. And so, this iterative process snowballed, shaping Chemlooks into what it is today.
The Journey Ahead
After a long and winding road, Chemlooks continues to evolve, driven by our love for the craft and the boundless possibilities that lie ahead.
Join us on this exciting journey, where chemistry meets creativity, and pixels transform into art. 📸✨
Tim Sutherland is an International Cinematographer’s Guild Cinematographer and Steadicam Operator.
Recently, Tim was an alternating DP on season 3 of the ABC drama Big Sky. He currently lives in Nashville with his wife and two daughters.
Brent is known for his work as a filmmaker and photographer–as well as a carpenter, mechanic, and musician. His rich professional history includes creative and technical contributions to numerous television networks, various feature films, as well as record labels such as Matador Records and Goner Records.