Mastin x Aftershoot
Mastin Labs & Aftershoot are together now
Bringing Kirk Mastin's approach to color and film-inspired editing together with Aftershoot's workflow.
About this chapter.
In 2013, Kirk Mastin started scanning real film — Portra, Fuji, Ilford — one stock at a time, matching the scans to digital RAW files by hand until the color, the grain, and the roll-off felt right. That process became Mastin Labs.
What grew from it wasn't just a preset library. It was a community of photographers who cared about the same thing Kirk did — getting a look that felt human, not manufactured. The more that community grew, the more Kirk kept hearing the same thing: the look was right, but getting it exactly right across a whole wedding, five hundred frames in changing light, still took hours, one slider at a time.
Kirk knew AI could fix that. He also knew what AI usually does to something built by hand — it flattens it. So instead of chasing technology, he went looking for people who'd actually respect what photographers do. That's what he found in Aftershoot — co-built by a working photographer, and aligned with what Mastin has stood for since day one.
What doesn't change.
Mastin is still Mastin. The look, the care behind it, and the belief that photographers should always be the ones making the creative decisions aren't going anywhere.
For existing Mastin photographers, the goal isn't to make you learn a completely new way of working. It's to give you a better way to get from the thousands of frames you shoot to the gallery you're proud to deliver.
What this chapter makes possible.
Mastin has always been about making digital work feel less digital. Aftershoot brings the technology to make that process faster, more consistent, and easier to carry across an entire gallery.
Start by bringing in a full shoot. Let Aftershoot help you find the best images, flag the duplicates and blinks, and reduce the repetitive work of sorting through thousands of frames. Then bring the Mastin look across your gallery — consistently, even as the light changes.
Less time culling. Less time matching exposures. Less time adjusting the same sliders, frame after frame, trying to get image 437 to feel like image 12. More consistency, more time to refine the images that need your eye, and more freedom to spend your time shooting & creating.
The promise.
These are the three things Mastin was built on — Kirk's non-negotiables — and they'll stay true, even after the acquisition.
Your work stays yours.
Full stop. Nothing you shoot, edit, or upload is ever used to train a look for anyone else.
The look holds.
Every Mastin AI Style comes straight from Kirk's own film scans — not an AI's best guess at film — and looks the same on the five-hundredth frame as the first.
You're still deciding.
Every edit stays non-destructive, reviewable, and yours to adjust or override. The tool does the repetitive part, not the deciding part.
This is the beginning of a new chapter, not the end of Mastin.
Mastin brings the look. Aftershoot brings the workflow. Together, we're building a way to get the best of both — without asking you to compromise on either. Your eye stays yours. Your work stays yours. The look stays Mastin.
Frequently asked questions
What does this mean for Mastin Labs?
Mastin Labs is now part of Aftershoot. The goal is to bring together the Mastin look and Aftershoot's editing workflow, while keeping the things photographers have always trusted about Mastin intact.
What happens to the Mastin products I already own?
Nothing changes about the products you've already purchased. You can continue to use them as you do today.
Will Mastin presets still be available?
Yes. Existing Mastin products and workflows will continue to be supported. If you're already using Mastin presets, you can continue using them as you do today.
What are Mastin AI Styles?
Mastin AI Styles bring the Mastin look into Aftershoot's AI-powered editing workflow. They're built from Kirk's original film scans, so the look comes from the same source that has always defined Mastin Labs.
Do I have to start using Aftershoot?
No. You can continue using Mastin in your existing workflow. Joining Aftershoot doesn't mean you have to change the way you work overnight. For photographers who want to explore Aftershoot, the benefit is an opportunity to use Mastin looks alongside tools designed to make the rest of the workflow faster.
Will I have to change the way I edit?
Not unless you want to. Aftershoot gives you a faster way to work through a full gallery, but you remain in control of the final edit. You can review, adjust, and override any edit.
Are my photos used to train AI?
No. Your work stays yours. Your images are not used to train a look for anyone else. Nothing you shoot, edit, or upload is used to create another photographer's style.
Will Mastin still be Mastin?
Yes. The name behind the look may now be part of a bigger workflow, but the principles behind Mastin remain the same: authentic film-inspired color, careful craft, and giving photographers the final say in their work.
