Inspiration can come suddenly and unexpectedly, and it’s important to be open to it when it comes.

I was at the grocery store the other day, waiting in line to checkout, standing right next to the magazine stand. My wife points out the latest issue of Arizona Highways, which I previously subscribed to, but (with my move from Utah) I let the renewal lapse. She says, “Wanna get it?” I shake my head no, then begin to load the groceries onto the belt. I didn’t want to get it because the subscription price for a year is the same price as four issues at the stand, and because I’m pretty busy right now (still unpacking boxes and such) and I might not read it anyway.

“Do you mind getting me an iced coffee?” My wife asked a moment later. Then, pointing at the stuff on the belt, she stated, “I’ve got this.” There’s a Starbucks in the grocery store, and I was happy to jump out of the line and get a couple of coffees. A few minutes later, just as the barista was done with our order, my wife walks up with the basket of bagged groceries. Sitting right on top was the Arizona Highways magazine.

When we got home, after unloading the car and putting everything away, I thumbed through the August issue. On page 10 was a photograph by Scott Baxter of a rancher wrangling cattle, which was in a small article called Sierra Bonita Ranch (the picture can be seen if you click the link—click on the picture to see the whole thing—I find it interesting how different it appears on my screen vs in the magazine). I grabbed my Fujifilm X-E4 and threw in some settings that I thought might be close.

I snapped a few photos in the yard, then showed my wife. “Those look good,” she said. “This is where I got the inspiration,” I stated as I showed her Scott’s picture in the magazine. She viewed the picture, then gave me a puzzled look. “We’ve only been home 10 minutes. You made this recipe from that picture?”

“Yes!” I replied with a smile. “Wow,” she said, “that’s really amazing!”

This recipe isn’t a 100% accurate match to Scott’s picture—it’s pretty close, but not perfect. Not surprising, it’s closer to the printed aesthetic than the digital look, as I hadn’t yet seen it online when I created the recipe. I considered attempting to more closely replicate the aesthetic of the picture, but I really like the look of this recipe—accurate or not—so I decided not to change it. I have no idea what Scott used to capture his picture… apparently he shoots a mix of film and digital.

Thanks to Scott Baxter, Arizona Highways, and my wife’s thoughtful gesture, the inspiration for this recipe came quickly. It was one of the fastest recipes that I’ve ever created. Certainly it’s not for every person or every situation, but I’m sure for some of you in the right situations, you’ll appreciate the aesthetic that this “Arizona Analog” Film Simulation Recipe delivers. It’s compatible with the Fujifilm X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II cameras—I assume the new X-H2s, too, but I haven’t yet tested it on X-Trans V.

Eterna
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: -1
Shadow: +3
Color: -2
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpness: -2
Clarity: -3
Grain Effect: Strong, Small
Color Chrome Effect: Weak
Color Chrome Effect Blue: Weak
White Balance: Daylight, +6 Red & -3 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +1 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this “Arizona Analog” Film Simulation Recipe on a Fujifilm X-E4:

Find this film simulation recipes and over 200 more on the Fuji X Weekly — Film Recipes App!