How to Achieve a Vintage Analog Film Look Using Adobe Lightroom and Dehancer Plugin

Today, we’re diving into the realm of vintage analog film aesthetics and exploring how to imbue your digital photos with that classic look. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the process using Adobe Lightroom in conjunction with the Dehancer plugin. This tutorial is perfect for those who miss the subtlety and texture of film prints or those who want to experiment without the cost and hassle of traditional film cameras.

Embracing the Vintage Vibe

It might seem ironic to recreate the print or vintage film look from a digital image, but sometimes, nostalgia or a penchant for the old ways drives us. Plus, it’s a more cost-effective alternative to sourcing film cameras and expensive media. So, let’s dive in and uncover how to achieve that desired vintage aesthetic.

Setting the Stage

Before we begin, ensure you’ve downloaded and installed the Dehancer plugin. You can download the plugin from here. While we won’t delve into the installation process here, detailed instructions are available on their website. Remember to adhere to the recommended 16-bit color profile and ensure your image is in the sRGB color space.

Crafting the Vintage Look

1. Preparing the Image in Lightroom: Start by adjusting exposure, contrast, and black levels to -1, -40, and +60, respectively. The contrast profile should be linear, and your sharpening should be reduced to zero. Any lens distortion should be corrected.
2. Entering Dehancer: Once your image is prepped, navigate to the Photo menu and select “Edit in Dehancer.” Choose the appropriate file format and color space before proceeding. 16-bit color profile in sRGB and setting TIFF files to 300 dpi. This setting is ideal for print but can be adjusted depending on your needs.
3. Fine-Tuning in Dehancer: Within Dehancer, begin by adjusting exposure and temperature to your liking. Experiment with film profiles and push/pull settings to emulate the desired film characteristics. For example choose a film profile, such as Kodak Gold 200, and play with the push and pull to adjust exposure and development. (Push, the film is underexposed and then it’s over developed in what you would have done in the darkroom. Pull, it’s the opposite. So it’s overexposed as a film and underdeveloped in the darkroom. This is kind of how you adjust it for things like bringing up shadows or not blowing your highlights).
4. Then, tweak the black and white points in the expand settings.
5. Customizing Print Options: Select your preferred paper type and tweak tonal contrast and color density to enhance the vintage feel. Consider enabling effects like Halation and Bloom for added authenticity. Halation creates a red-orange halo near contrasting boundaries of over-exposed areas, and Bloom adds a glow effect to contrasting image areas. 
6. Final Touches: Fine-tune color print head filters to adjust color balance and intensity. The color print head allows you to filter out different colors. Experiment with additional effects like Halation and Bloom to add depth and character to your image.
7. Saving and Applying Presets: Once satisfied with your adjustments, click ‘OK’ to save your unique print look, this will also save the settings as a preset for future use, which is a great way to speed up your workflow if you’re editing a batch of images.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you can seamlessly transform your digital photos into nostalgic masterpieces reminiscent of vintage film prints. While Dehancer offers precise control over the analog aesthetic, it’s essential to familiarize yourself with its nuances to maximize its potential. The good new is that for all our loyal readers, you can get 10% discount of all Dehancer plugins using the promo code NIFTYFIFTY head to Dehancer.com to take advantage of this offer. Whether you’re a seasoned enthusiast or a newcomer to the world of vintage photography, the Dehancer plugin, coupled with Adobe Lightroom, opens up a realm of creative possibilities. So, unleash your inner artist and let your images evoke the timeless charm of analog film.