I published the Pacific Blues Film Simulation Recipe just four months ago, and it has already become one of the most popular on Fuji X Weekly. The aesthetic is intended to emulate Lucy Laucht‘s Spirit of Summer series, particularly the Positano Blues photographs. While it is intended for a summer day at the beach, the recipe works great for many different subjects and situations. Foggy mornings? Yes! Dreary overcast? Yep! Desert landscapes? Sure! Garden flowers? Autumn leaves? Dramatic portraits? Absolutely. And lots, lots more. I’ve even seen some really interesting night photographs with it. Try this recipe for many different light scenarios and different subjects—you’re bound to love it!
Pacific Blues was made for X-Trans IV cameras, and I discovered that a slight tweak is needed for X-Trans V models, because the new sensor renders blues just a little deeper on some film simulations. For X-Trans IV recipes that use Classic Negative, Classic Chrome, Eterna, or Eterna Bleach Bypass and calls for Color Chrome FX Blue Strong, you’ll need to adjust it to Weak on X-Trans V; if it calls for Color Chrome FX Blue Weak, you need to adjust it to Off. If it calls for Color Chrome FX Blue Off, well, you just have to know it will render differently on X-Trans V and there’s nothing you can do about it. For Pacific Blues, setting it to Weak instead of Strong makes it compatible with X-Trans V.
If you have an X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, or X-T30 II, you’ll want to use the original Pacific Blues Film Simulation Recipe. For those with an X-T3 or X-T30, unfortunately Fujifilm never gave your camera the Classic Negative film simulation, so you cannot use Pacific Blues. For those with GFX, if it’s an older model, I think the X-Trans IV version is likely most compatible, and for newer models, this version is likely most compatible; however, I have not tested either version on any GFX model to know for sure. If you have an X-H2, X-H2S, or X-T5 (or any other X-Trans V camera that is released after publication), this is the Pacific Blues recipe that you want to use.
Film Simulation: Classic Negative
Grain Effect: Strong, Large
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Color Chrome FX Blue: Weak
White Balance: 5800K, +1 Red & -3 Blue
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: -2
Shadow: +3
Color: +4
Sharpness: -2
High ISO NR: -4
Clarity: -3
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +2/3 to +1 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this “Pacific Blues” Film Simulation Recipe on my Fujifilm X-T5:
See also:
Fujifilm X-Trans V Film Simulation Recipes
Fujifilm X-Trans IV Film Simulation Recipes
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That’s fast! When I get a new camera it’ll be the first recipe to be set up. Waiting to see what’s going to become of the XP/X-E/X-Txx/X100x next year(s). Not keen on SPASM dial and camcorder screen so the X-H line is not really an option but I really need its viewfinder.
Meanwhile Pacific Blues has a permanent custom slot on my T30ii since you posted it!
Awesome! Pacific Blues was one of the first few recipes I programmed into my X-T5… because I like it that much. 😀 I’m glad that you like it, too.
I’m interested to see what becomes of those lines, too—hopefully a few fun surprises but mostly I hope they don’t mess with it very much. Thank you for your comment!
Pacific Blues renders the fog in an otherworldly way, it makes me recall photos by Steve McCurry in the India, with that kind of fog that insinuates a vast and soon to discover country. Also in your photographs with fog the trees seem a glimpse into an infinite series. Thank you, Ritchie for sharing both your photographs and your recipe.
Wow, what an observation! It is indeed quite similar to those pictures. And what a compliment! Thank you so much! 😀
Even Aqueduct of Padre Tembleque is quite similar, too.
One of my favorite film recipes of yours! I’ll need to buy or rent the X-T5 to try this out now!
😀 😀 😀
On my X-T30 II I didn’t really dig this recipe because I think it is too characteristic. But after change to X-T5, somehow it became my go-to recipe when I think the photo is to plain. Really appreciate your great work!
Will you develop/update some B&W recipes for X-Trans V soon? E.g. ilford HP5 Plus, it’s my favourite B&W film. Really looking forward to it.
Thanks so much for your feedback! Yeah, I definitely plan to publish many more recipes for X-Trans V, including B&W. 😀
Hello, I am new to the Fuji world and just got the XT5. Upon finding your articles and then this beautiful recipe I had to give it a try. I have only one issue setting the recipe which is my camera won’t let me change the DYNAMIC RANGE. Any suggestions on that ? Thank you
You have to have a minimum ISO of 500 for DR400, and ISO 250 for DR200. They’re ISO dependent, if that makes sense.
My T5 arrives tomorrow! 😀 Compiling a collection of your X-Trans5 recipes as we speak. I hope you have time to develop new/more recipes in the coming months and years. Fuji cameras are so thin on the ground nowadays (not to mention the RIDICULOUSLY high price they want for older Fuji cams!) I decided to snap one up (for 200 less than launch price) today. Am still pining for a P4, though.
Cheers
Congrats on your new camera!
The best photo with the Pacific Blues recipe, that I think it deserves the right to be on the cover (although I don’t know if it looks the same on version 5 of the sensor), is “Pacific Poppies”, the one on the very top of the article Travel: Central Coast of California “En Plein Air” — w/Ken Rockwell & Dave Wyman — Day 4, Part 2, I won’t post a link, to avoid moderation.
That color of those poppies is amazing and to be honest, I like that flower very much, I had an envelope with some seeds that I planted in Romania (from a relative of mine from California), my country, and I enjoyed them an entire summer. I lost them in the next year 🙁 . So I am somehow biased 😛
I appreciate your kindness! That’s definitely one of my absolute favorite pictures captured with this Recipe… if not number one, then definitely Top 5.
https://fujixweekly.com/2023/06/24/travel-central-coast-of-california-en-plein-air-w-ken-rockwell-dave-wyman-day-4-part-2/