I’ve been asked many times over the last couple of weeks which Film Simulation Recipes are the best for autumn photography. Sometimes the Recipes that work really well for the endless sunshine of summer aren’t quite as good for photographing fall foliage. I live in the desert; for the most part, the leaves here don’t change colors until November and December, and the show is rather mundane compared to most other places. Because of that, whenever I do get to experience the brilliant colors of the changing season, I’m learning as I go which Recipes work well and which ones don’t.

Last year I traveled a few hours up the road to the mountains near Flagstaff, Arizona, where there is an impressive autumn display. I tried seven different Recipes that I thought might do well, and it was interesting to compare the results. As you’d probably expect, some did better than others. If you are trying to figure out which Recipes to try this fall, I definitely recommend taking a look at that article (click here). I also published an article two years ago with some fall Recipe suggestions (click here), which is also worthwhile. Between those two posts, there are 17 potential options for your autumn photography.

Last week I was up in New York and Connecticut. It might be “peak fall” right now—or maybe next week—for those up that direction. It was absolutely gorgeous when I was there, despite not being quite peak colors. I was thrilled not only for the opportunity to photograph the incredible scenery, but to also try out different Film Simulation Recipes for autumn photography. Specifically, I wanted to use ones that were not included in those two articles I mentioned in the last paragraph—between all three posts, you should now have a pretty good selection of potential options.

Everyone has different tastes, and the light and subject will be different wherever you go. That’s why it’s good to have options. My hope is that a few of these Recipes—or maybe some from those other two articles—will stand out to you to try for yourself. The idea here is not that you’ll use all 11 of these on your next fall foliage outing, but that you might try some. You might even decide that some of these are definitely not for you—knowing which ones to avoid can also be valuable.

For myself, I did find a few that I will certainly use again whenever I have the opportunity to photograph fall foliage in the future. And I also found a few Recipes that I probably won’t. Just because I like (or don’t like) something doesn’t mean that you’ll agree with that assessment. Hopefully, though, if you are unsure which ones to program into your Fujifilm camera, this will give you some direction.

Without any further delay, below are 11 Film Simulation Recipes that I tried for fall photography in New York and Connecticut last week.

Velvia Film

Velvia Film was one of the Recipes that I was most excited to try out for fall photography. I had high hopes for it, and it didn’t disappoint. In retrospect, I only wish that I had used it more—a lot more, actually. I will definitely utilize this one on my next autumn adventure!

This Recipe is quite vibrant, slightly warm, and fairly low contrast. If you want to emphasize the vivid colors of the changing leaves, this one will do it. Velvia Film is one of the Film Dial Recipes, and you are likely to get good results with Provia, Astia, PRO Neg. Hi, Reala Ace, Classic Chrome, Classic Negative, and Nostalgic Negative (and maybe others); however, Velvia is top-notch for this type of photography, and what I most recommend. It is compatible (as of this writing) with the Fujifilm X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, X-T30 II, X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, X-T50 and X-M5 cameras.

Vibrant Velvia

I thought that I was going to love Vibrant Velvia for autumn, but I didn’t. Not that it was bad (because it wasn’t), but it didn’t quite emphasize the colors like I hoped it would. Green and blue stand out, but the warm colors of the changing leaves surprisingly get a little deemphasized. Situationally specific, it could still be a good choice for fall photography; however, I think there are several better options.

Where I think this Recipe works best is in a situation like the photo directly below this paragraph. The fall foliage add pops of warmth to the green and blue, which are the two most prominent colors in the scene. As of this writing, this Recipe is compatible with the Fujifilm X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, X-T30 II, X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, X-T50 and X-M5 cameras.

Appalachian Negative

I like Appalachian Negative in general, so I thought I might also appreciate it for fall. Sure enough, I do! It has the right retro Kodak-like vibes to trigger nostalgia. This is another Recipe that I wish I had used more, because I like the results. I can imagine it being especially appropriate for photographing a pumpkin patch or fall decor or things like that.

Because this Recipe uses the Nostalgic Neg. film simulation, it is only compatible with the latest cameras, which (as of this writing) are the Fujifilm X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, X-T50 and X-M5. Of the three Recipes in this article that use the Nostalgic Neg. film simulation, Appalachian Negative is my favorite for autumn pictures.

1976 Kodak

I had pretty high hopes for 1976 Kodak when I programmed it into my X-T5, but ultimately I decided that it is just a bit too warm and contrasty for my tastes. It definitely does make the pictures look like they were captured in another era, but it just feels like too much warmth, particularly whenever the scenes are already especially warm. Situationally specific it might be a good choice—such as low-contrast cool light scenes—but overall it was not my favorite for fall photos.

If you are going for a 1970’s magazine vibe, you might consider this Recipe; otherwise, I would instead recommend the one directly below this or especially the one directly above. As of this writing, 1976 Kodak is compatible with the Fujifilm X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, X-T50 and X-M5 cameras.

Kodak Negative

As far as the Nostalgic Neg. Recipes that I tried, I feel that Kodak Negative sits in-between Appalachian Negative and 1976 Kodak; however, it is divergent enough that I could see having it programmed as a companion to one of those Recipes. For fall photos, I like this one much more than 1976 Kodak, but not quite as much as Appalachian Negative.

In the right light, this Recipe is phenomenal for capturing autumn colors. Next opportunity, I will definitely have this one programmed into my camera. Kodak Negative is compatible (as of this writing) with the Fujifilm X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, X-T50 and X-M5 cameras.

Kodak Portra 160

I didn’t expect to like this Recipe for fall foliage because it is soft with muted colors; however, I ended up liking it for that very reason. The Kodak Portra 160 Recipe produces results that are somewhat the antithesis of what one expects from fall photos, which is what makes it work.

This isn’t a Recipe that I would use for all of my autumn images, but, as occasional relief to the vivid pictures that dominate this season, it is quite excellent. This Recipe is compatible with the Fujifilm X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II cameras; for fifth-generation models, simply set Color Chrome FX Blue to Weak instead of Strong.

Kodak Portra 400 v2

Kodak Portra 400 v2 is one of my absolute favorite Recipes, so it should be unsurprising that I appreciate the results for fall photographs. Interestingly, there are some similarities between this and Appalachian Negative, so perhaps having both Recipes programmed into the camera is a bit redundant; however, they are definitely divergent enough to justify both.

This particular Recipe is the version for the fifth-generation models, which (as of this writing) are the Fujifilm X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, X-T50 and X-M5. There is also a version for X-Trans IV cameras, and one for the X-T3 and X-T30.

Asita Azure

Astia Azure is a Fuji X Weekly App Patron-only Early Access Recipe, which means that only App subscribers have access to it at this time. Eventually it will be made available to everyone once a different Early Access Recipe replaces it. I found it did alright in certain light situations (such as the above photo), but was mediocre in others.

While I didn’t necessarily dislike it, Astia Azure wouldn’t be my top choice for autumn photography—I think it’s more of a summertime Recipe, especially if there’s a lot of blue sky… it’s pretty good for nighttime, too. As of this writing, the Astia Azure Recipe is compatible with the Fujifilm X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, X-T30 II, X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, X-T50 and X-M5 cameras.

PRO Negative 160C

I liked the PRO Negative 160C Recipe a lot for fall photographs. It combines a somewhat soft tonality with vibrant and slightly warm colors, producing anologue-like results. This is another one that I wish I had utilized more, and will use again for autumn images at the next opportunity.

Because this Recipe uses the Reala Ace film simulation, it is only compatible with fifth-generation models, which (as of this writing) are the Fujifilm X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, X-T50 and X-M5 cameras. There is a version that uses the PRO Neg. Hi film simulation, which is compatible with the X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II.

Ektachrome E100

This is another Fuji X Weekly App Patron-only Early Access Recipe, which means that only App subscribers have access to it at this time. Eventually it will be made available to everyone once a different Early Access Recipe replaces it. I like this one, although it can be a bit too contrasty in high-contrast situations, so it isn’t for every scenario.

While I would certainly consider having this as one of my seven C1-C7 Recipes, I’m not certain if it would make the cut or not. It’s close, and it definitely can be useful, so if it didn’t, it would be a tough cut. The Ektachrome E100 Recipe is compatible (as of this writing) with the Fujifilm X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, X-T50 and X-M5 cameras.

Pacific Blues

Last but certainly not least is Pacific Blues. This is another of my favorite Recipes, so it should not be surprising that I also like it for fall photography. This one has a lot of contrast, so it can be challenging to use, and is clearly not for every fall image. Even if the situation where it works well is only encountered occasionally, I would still have this as one of my C1-C7 Custom Settings presets.

This particular version of the Pacific Blues Recipe is for X-Trans IV cameras, which are the Fujifilm X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II cameras; for fifth-generation models, there’s a version for your camera.

Of these 11 Film Simulation Recipes, which seven would I program into my Fujifilm X-T5 or X100VI? Velvia Film, Appalachian Negative, Kodak Portra 160, Kodak Portra 400 v2, PRO Negative 160C, Ektachrome E100, and Pacific Blues—I think, anyway. Kodak Negative was a tough cut in that scenario, so I would probably take a longer look at it, and really consider if that’s what I want to do. In any event, that seems like an excellent set of seven for fall photography that covers most subjects and situations. But, don’t forget, there are also the seven I used in Flagstaff last year, and I would certainly consider including some of those, namely CineStill 400D v2, Kodak Ektar 100, Fujicolor Superia 100, and The Rockwell. This would be a lot easier if we had more than seven slots. More likely, the next opportunity to capture the autumn leaves, I will have different Recipes programmed into two or three cameras, so that I can use more than just seven.

The fall colors won’t last long. If you’ve been wanting to photograph them, don’t procrastinate. Grab your Fujifilm camera, program in a few of these Recipes, and head out the door. The time is now, so make sure that you don’t miss out.

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