While traveling through the Texas panhandle back in May, I stumble upon an abandoned gas station in Claude, Texas—a small community outside of Amarillo. While you’d miss the town if you blinked, this old service station caught my eye with its aged pumps and metal roof. U.S. Highway 287 cuts right through town, and thousands of travelers pass by each day, yet most probably don’t notice this place, and I doubt very many stop to take a closer look. I’m drawn to abandoned buildings, so I immediately noticed, and of course stopped to capture it with my camera.
I used my Fujifilm X-E4 camera with the Fujinon 27mm f/2.8 lens to photograph the forgotten gas station. This combination is perfect for travel photography, and I used it a lot on this particular road trip—not just at this one stop, but at many, many others. I had the Fujicolor Natura 1600 Film Simulation Recipe programmed into the camera, which has quickly become one of my favorite color recipes. Because I shoot with recipes, I no longer edit my pictures (aside from some minor cropping and straightening), which saves me tons of time. I captured so many pictures on this road trip that I filled up a 128GB SD card (and then some!)—I couldn’t imagine having to post-process all of the RAW files; instead, my photographs are already finished as soon as they’re captured.
I didn’t stay long in Claude. Like many west Texas small towns, there’s a lot of photographic potential, as there is a lot of character and forgotten history. I could have captured even more while I was there, but I had somewhere to be, so I left satisfied that I documented this interesting old gas station while it still remains standing. Even in rural towns, progress eventually catches up, and relics are demolished, so opportunities are fleeting. Besides, I might never pass through Claude again, but if I do, I will definitely have a camera ready.
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Fujifilm X-E4 Black Amazon B&H
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Fujifilm X-E4 Black + 27mm f/2.8 Amazon B&H
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A superb photo-essay…and truly beautiful, naturalistic colors (which seem to enhance the subject).
Thank you for posting this, Ritchie.
Thanks so much!
Lovely images for which the recipe is perfect! I like abandoned buildings too and I’m currently working on a (long term) project documenting ruined buildings etc in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides. The problem is they’re 600 miles and at least a 12 hour drive away! Regards Richard
Sent from Richard’s iPhone
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That sounds like an amazing project!
Love the look of this film sim! Quick question if I may? On your app, it lists the sensor as Z-Trans IV, but doesn’t mention the X100V – is there a specific reason for that please? I noticed that on my X100V, I can’t adjust the highlight and shadow settings by 0.5 increments (only by whole number increments) whereas on my X-S10 I can – is that (even partly) why the X100V isn’t listed? Thanks!
^ Sorry, meant to say X-Trans IV not Z-Trans IV…!
Yes, the X100V isn’t capable of .5 Highlight and Shadow adjustments, so the recipe isn’t compatible; however, in the recipe article, I do give a suggestion on how to make it work on the X100V.
…love the look…this simulation really captures the grit and decay…safe travels !
Thanks so much!