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The first time I tried DxO FilmPack I came to it with a strong preconception: I didn’t see the need to make digital images look like they were taken with a film camera. And if there’s no need for that, then that makes DxO FilmPack a superfluous piece of software.
Turns out, I was wrong. After playing around with DxO FilmPack I realized that the main purpose of this plugin is that it lets you have fun. It’s an opportunity to get creative with your photos in ways that you can’t with Lightroom Classic and Photoshop.
The plugin challenge
But first, the plugin challenge.
Download the trial version of a plugin that you haven’t used before. It can be DxO FilmPack, Exposure X, ON1 Photo Raw or whatever you like.
Then have a play with some of your favorite images and see what you can do with them. Does the new software give you creative options that you had never considered before?
Above all, have fun. Don’t hold back – get creative with color, black and white conversions, borders, textures, light leak effects and lens blur. Do things you wouldn’t normally do.
Tip: You’ll get the best results using your best photos. Plugins are for making your best photos better – go for strong images with simple, graphic compositions.
How to use DxO FilmPack
To get started, go to this page on the DxO website and enter your email address to get access to the 31 day trial.
You can also visit this DxO website page to learn more about the plugin and its features.
Once you’ve downloaded and installed the trial, there are two ways to use it.
The first is to select a photo in Lightroom Classic and go to Photo > Edit In > DxO FilmPack 7 (you can also access this option through the right-click menu). Set File Format to TIFF and Bit Depth to 16 for the best result.
You can also use DxO FilmPack as a standalone application. That means you can export your photos using the TIFF format and open them directly in DxO FilmPack.
DxO FilmPack layout
DxO FilmPack has a simple, easy to use layout. The opening view displays the photo that you’re working on and a panel with nearly 300 presets.
You can click Filter at the top of the Presets panel to filter out the presets you don’t want to see. Check as many of the boxes as you like.
Click a preset thumbnail to apply it to your photo, and click it again to remove the effect. Take some time to explore the options. There’s some great presets here for both color and black and white.
To help you out, when you click on a preset, DxO FilmPack displays a description that explains the story behind it. Most of the presets have a description, and some have suggestions for the type of photo the preset could be used with. This is particularly helpful when you explore the film emulation presets.
When looking at presets remember that the effect isn’t final. It’s a starting point. You can adjust everything in the Customize panel.
For example, if you like a film emulation preset but you’re not a fan of grain, you can apply the preset and remove the grain. You can also adjust the preset’s intensity and add or remove features like borders, textures and light leaks.
To show you what DxO FilmPack can do, here’s the above photo with the Found in the Attic (left) and Teal and Orange (right) color presets applied.
And with the Pure Gold (left) and New Selenium (right) black and white presets.
Effects in DxO FilmPack
Once you’ve explored the presets, it’s time to move to the Customize panel and explore the effects. You’ll find them at the bottom of the Customize panel, under the headings Graphical Effects and Lens Effects.
Creative Vignetting. This effect applies a vignette to make the background darker. You can center it anywhere and adjust the shape, intensity and size.
Creative Blur Vignetting. Applies a lens blur effect to the background that you can center anywhere.
Texture. Adds texture to the image. There are several types to choose from, including scratches, stains and paper effects.
You can adjust the intensity, and use the Randomize button to change the effect’s appearance.
Light Leak. Light leaks are part of the image in some analog toy cameras, like those made by Holga and Diana, and have found their way into plugins like DxO FilmPack.
The Randomize button and Intensity sliders let you adjust the strength and appearance.
Frame. DxO FilmPack comes with a selection of frames for your images. If you miss negative borders, then you’ll love this feature.
A nice touch is that you can apply most of the frames outside the image so that the edges aren’t cropped. It’s the only plugin I know of that does that.
Naturally, you can combine effects, as I did here to come up with this final version of the photo.
There are a lot of texture, light leak and frame effects to choose from, so go ahead and have some fun with them. This is your time to play in the sandbox.
Summing up
Sometimes I’m so busy making photos and writing about photography that I forget to have fun developing my images. Photography is about enjoyment, and giving yourself the gift of freedom to play with your photos is incredibly satisfying.
Using plugins like DxO FilmPack is a great way to have fun and get your creative juices flowing. So go ahead, try the plugin challenge and enjoy the process.
Mastering Lightroom Classic: Book Two – The Develop Module
Learn more about Generative Remove and all aspects of developing photos in Lightroom Classic in my ebook Mastering Lightroom Classic: Book Two – The Develop Module
