I was challenged by Thomas Schwab to create a Film Simulation Recipe that mimics the aesthetic of the picture in the background of Dan Bailey’s YouTube video discussing the Eterna Bleach Bypass film simulation. There were indeed some challenges, including limited samples (which were viewed on a YouTube video), and the fact that I now live in Arizona and not Utah (no access to majestic snow-capped mountain scenes), but I do believe that I got in the ballpark. This is essentially a “black-and-white” Recipe for color photography—capable of producing dramatic near-monochrome images.

This Film Simulation Recipe uses Eterna Bleach Bypass, and it does, in fact, produce a bleach-bypass look. Bypassing the bleach step is a darkroom technique that produces an aesthetic similar to a black-and-white image superimposed over a color image. It’s more common in motion picture cinematography than still photography, but it’s a technique that has been utilized in still photography for a very long time. It can be done with any color film, but is more frequently done with slide film than negative film. If you are desiring a bleach-bypass look, this Recipe will produce that for you.

This Eterna Bleach Bypass Film Simulation Recipe was a Fuji X Weekly App Patron Early-Access Recipe since last year, but it has been replaced by a different Early-Access Recipe, so now it’s available to everyone. Because it uses the Eterna Bleach Bypass film simulation, it is only compatible with those X-Trans IV cameras that have it, which are the Fujifilm X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II. For those with fifth-generation models—X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, and X-S20—because blue is rendered more deeply on this film sim, you’ll want to set Color Chrome FX Blue to Weak instead of Strong. Those with newer GFX cameras can also use it, although it will likely render slightly different.

Film Simulation: Eterna Bleach Bypass
Grain Effect: Weak, Small
Color Chrome Effect: Off
Color Chrome FX Blue: Strong
White Balance: Daylight, 0 Red & 0 Blue
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: +2.5
Shadow: -1.5
Color: -4
Sharpness: 0
High ISO NR: -4
Clarity: +2
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: -2/3 to -1 1/3 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured using this “Eterna Bleach Bypass” on my Fujifilm X-E4:

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