One of the biggest creative decisions made by film photographers, was the choice of film.  Photographers had a choice of various ISO speeds, slide film, negative film, and even different processing techniques. But when you buy a digital camera, you’re stuck with one type of sensor.  While you can change the ISO and even edit the photo later on your computer, the use of complicated photo editing programs like Photoshop was somewhat daunting and time consuming.

But some clever solutions evolved in marketplace and now, you can easily get the look of your favorite film stock with the click of your mouse. Here’s a guide to some of the best software to get you started.

• Exposure by Alien Skin Software: Exposure is now at version two. It’s a Photoshop plugin with over 300 presets. Alien Skin lauds the software’s ability to reproduce grain as one of its key features.  ”It all comes down to grain,” they say, ” Exposure 2 gives you the most realistic grain on the market.” Alien Skin set up a cool Web page with before and after images to help you visualize the effects.  Check out their example images.
• Silver Efex Pro by Nik Software: Black and White photography is one of the most popular creative outlets for photographers. With digital photography, you get the best of both worlds – an original color photo and the option to make it monotone. But that used to be hard to achieve, especially if you wanted the grainy, high-contrast look. Nik Efex Pro makes that simple. Their site includes tutorial videos, demo software and excellent image samples. Silver Efex Pro is compatible with Adobe Photoshop and Apple Aperture software.
• Color Efex Pro by Nik Software:  Another option from Nik Software is this package which includes a few film effects including Polaroid Transfer, Infrared Film and over 30 different types of film. As with Silver Efex Pro, you can download a free 30-day trial. Color Efex Pro is compatible with Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom, and Apple Aperture and Capture NX.

With these tools, you’ll have access to hundreds of built-in filters, but each filter gives you a great level of control over specific settings, so it’s even better than the options available in the days of film.  With free downloads and even money back guarantees, there’s nothing stopping you from at least experimenting with these new creative options.