
Refine – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 90mm f/2 – “Urban Vintage Chrome”
Fuji X Weekly reader Thomas Schwab recently shared with me a film simulation recipe that he created. He calls it “Urban Vintage Chrome” because it has a classic analog aesthetic, it’s based on the Classic Chrome film simulation, and it pairs especially well with urban scenes. I tried it out and was highly impressed with the results. Thomas agreed to let me share it on this blog, and even allowed me to use some of his pictures in the article.
What the Urban Vintage Chrome recipe reminds me of is Bleach Bypass, which is a technique where, during development, you fully or partially skip the bleach. It increases contrast and grain and decreases saturation. The results can vary depending on the film used and how exactly it’s developed, but generally speaking this recipe produces a look that is similar to it, or at least the closest straight-out-of-camera that I’ve seen. It’s compatible with all Fujifilm X-Trans III and IV cameras.

Hazy Rural Sunset – Woods Cross, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm – “Urban Vintage Chrome”
Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: 0
Shadow: +2
Color: -4
Sharpening: 0
Noise Reduction: -4
Grain: Weak
Color Chrome Effect: Off
White Balance: 4300K, -1 Red & -3 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 3200
Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +2/3 (typically)
I want to give big “thank you” to Thomas for sharing this recipe and allowing me to use some of his photographs in this article. I really appreciate it! Be sure to show your appreciation in the comments!
Example photographs using this film simulation recipe:

Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany – Fujifilm X100F – Photo by Thomas Schwab

Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany – Fujifilm X-T2 & Fujinon 35mm f/2 – Photo by Thomas Schwab

Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany – Fujifilm X100F – Photo by Thomas Schwab

Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany – Fujifilm X100F – Photo by Thomas Schwab

Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany – Fujifilm X100F – Photo by Thomas Schwab

Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany – Fujifilm X100F – Photo by Thomas Schwab

Creek Ducks – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm

Green Locomotive – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm

Oil Toil – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm

Tracks By The Refinery – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm

Gate Arm Nut – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm

CF Trailer – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm

Hidden Wall Street – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm

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I like it. It tends toward the blues and greens.
Hi Thomas! So well done!!! Thank you! And thank you Ritchie!
You are welcome!
Ritchie, Thank you for always Support and so many recipes! There are JPEG lovers!
You are welcome! And thank you for this great recipe!
** RUNS OUT TO TRY THIS NEW RECIPE***
You will have to report back how you like it.
Viel Glück und tolle Ergebnisse!
I have just discovered your site, and it is wonderful! I shoot RAW + JPEG on my Fuji cameras, but to be honest, I rarely use the RAW file. I adore shooting JPEG, and I love experimenting to try and get the right look in camera. I am so happy to have found a place where shooting JPEG is not considered a lesser form of photography. To me, it feels more like my film photography days. Thank you for all your hard work and for sharing it with us! Best wishes!
You are welcome! I appreciate the kind words and feedback. I also feel connected to my film days shooting JPEGs on my Fujifilm camera.
For me it’s a little too blue tinged but it’s great that Thomas and yourself are making these presets for us to try.
Dankeschön für Deinen Kommentar. Vielleicht gefällt es Dir besser, den Weissabgleich auf 0R -3B zu stellen. Mir waren die Farben aber schon zu warm…
In England muss das Wetter vor allem aufgeheizt werden 😊
may i know what do you mean by exposure compensation? is it from zero or from the metering your comfortable with then you add it? also what metering are you using? cheers
I typically use “multi” but sometimes use Spot metering. I most often shoot in Aperture priority, or less commonly shutter priority, and only occasionally all manual, so I use the Exposure Compensation Dial regularly. So the “typical” exposure compensation is what I noticed that I most often found myself setting the exposure compensation dial to. I hope this answers your question.
bigmaster, i love this kind of simulation
thx u very much
You are welcome!