It's funny how events unfold sometimes. Take this blog as an example, I've noticed how several photographers have been trying to capture the golden days of film with their digital work, using software, filters, and retro cameras. Then by chance when I’m in the middle of producing a few videos on how I am trying to photograph like it’s 1973 an email from the good folks at Dehancer lands in my inbox asking me if I would care to mention their products in a blog post. The timing could not have been better.

With a product name like Dehancer, you would be right to think the software is about degrading your images.  In a way you are right, when I transitioned from 35mm film to digital in the mid-90s the tables were the other way around, film was superior. However, somewhere in the drive to improve digital photography some of the soul has been stripped out, producing images of extreme detail and low noise. Pixel peeping and the constant quest for finer detail meant digital photographs surpassed film quality many years ago.

Digital sensors and modern processing software have reached levels of precision and excellence. Many photographers, both new and veterans like myself, feel that as a result, some of the soul has been stripped out of photography. The advance of AI is accelerating the advance of the “perfect image” but maybe technology like Dehancer could also be the answer. Dehancer tries to find the sweet spot where the modern convenience of digital photography can coexist with the quaint and delightful feeling of an old darkroom print.

Dehancer is about embracing these imperfections, rolling back the digital years to create a less sterile look. However, I can also remember working studiously in the darkroom to reduce as many of these issues as possible - ironic!

Film grain is added in a beautiful way rather than a simple overlay of uniform grey micro speckles. Dehancer applies a complex and seemingly random mosaic of colour.

My first experience with Dehancer has been good, and my impressions are positive. It's also been a learning experience and a chance to reflect on whether I want to return to using real film. Or is it possible that after all this time, we are more in love with the idea of film than the reality of it? Possibly what we are seeking is a return to simpler more honest photography in a world of digital escapism and questionable truths. How and if Dehancer becomes part of my regular workflow is yet to be seen. Dehancer does indeed add the look of film to digitally produced sterile images. But already I have dialled back the effect a little to make things cleaner, and a little more digital! But this isn’t the end of the story, it is the beginning of much more experimentation to understand the software and how it could enhance the work I currently produce.

What I do know is it's a powerful tool. Whether you are a veteran of the film era, a new adopter of film, or a dedicated digital-only photographer looking for that film feel, you should try it.

The team at Dehancer would be delighted if you used this link to make a purchase or access the free trial @ BRIAN 10% Discount

Please use my offer “BRIAN” at checkout for a 10% discount

(nb. this is an affiliate link which costs you nothing, but keeps me making photographs and content, so it means a lot me - thankyou )