Redscale is an analog film technique where you load a roll of color film into the camera backwards. The film is exposed from the wrong side—through the plastic backing—exposing the red layer first. The results are photographs with a predominately red color cast. Sometimes it’s yellow-ish, sometimes it’s orange-ish, sometimes it’s peach-ish, sometimes it’s purple-ish, but mainly it is red. Results can very from film-to-film, and also how the film is exposed and developed/scanned; however, a redscale photo is unmistakable—you know it when you see it.
You can buy film preloaded for redscale photography. Lomography has Redscale XR, which is an unknown Kodak emulsion loaded into the canister backwards (some have speculated it’s Ultramax 400). On Valentine’s Day, Harman released Red 125, which is backwards-loaded Phoenix 200. Harman Red 125 is what this RedScale Recipe was inspired by. Because the film is new, there aren’t a lot of examples yet. I’m not convinced that this Recipe is perfectly accurate, but it seems to be pretty close from the limited number of pictures I found online.
Redscale photography isn’t for everyone or every situation—it’s a niche lomo-esque aesthetic. But if you want to get that look straight-out-of-camera, this RedScale Film Simulation Recipe will do that very convincingly. This is compatible with Fujifilm X-Trans IV (excluding the X-T3 and X-T30; use this Redscale Recipe instead) and X-Trans V cameras. While Classic Negative renders blue more deeply on X-Trans V than on X-Trans IV, because the color blue doesn’t really come through with this Recipe, it looks the same on both sensor generations. You can also use it on most GFX cameras.
Film Simulation: Classic Negative
Dynamic Range: DR200
Grain Effect: Strong, Small
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Color Chrome FX Blue: Off
White Balance: 10000K, +9 Red & -9 Blue
Highlight: 0
Shadow: +2
Color: +4
Sharpness: -2
High ISO NR: -4
Clarity: -3
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: 0 to +2/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured using this RedScale Film Simulation Recipe on a Fujifilm X-E4, X100VI & GFX100S II:
See also: Apocalyptic Glow (an April Fool’s Day) Film Simulation Recipe
This post contains affiliate links, and if you make a purchase using my links I’ll be compensated a small amount for it.
Fujifilm X100VI in black:
Amazon, B&H, Moment, Wex, Nuzira
Fujifilm X100VI in silver:
Amazon, B&H, Moment, Wex, Nuzira
Fujifilm GFX100S II:
Amazon, B&H, Wex
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Bonkers, but I love it
Thanks! Definitely not for every person or situation, but for occasional use I think it is fun.
I love it.
I like sometimes to use extreme recipes and many times pushed colours (Velvia is my favourite film simulation and default one), so I used a lot the Pop advanced filter.
Hence always fun to use like your “The Rockwell” and more so your “Apocalyptic Glow” that I registered in your app for safe keeping 😉
Your image samples are great, especially the night one, ‘The Very Best’ and where there is pronounce dark shadows like your ‘Classic Circles’, ‘Promenade’, ‘Tall Chair’, ‘Disc’ which I like best.
I think like CineStill recipes and Serr’d 500T, this RedScale will be one of my favourite of mine for my city night shots 👍
To be tested 😉
Well done Ritchie 👏
Thanks! I’m so glad that you like it. I appreciate your kind feedback! 😀
Yeah bonkers, but I’ve photographed everything around here and it’s getting boring. Maybe this might change the equation
You definitely won’t get boring results! 😮🤣😀
I’ve lost my taste for photography, bored with it. Paul Zizka gave a presentation to our club and just happen to suggest projects. Now this RedScale recipe is giving me an idea for a project. Basically re-visit local places and shoot with ‘wild’ film like RedScale. if you have any ideas for wild ideas recipe let me know. BTW, projects can be multi year, like eclipses, night photography, things you do once in a while but come back to now and then. Grouping related photos makes it a project. BTW really like the tube parc structure done in the Charleston Day one post. The car grill one looks like one of my photos that I modified in post some years ago, how did that happen? Might have been an infrared from Nik. Thanks, all posts are appreciated and keep up the good work
Fun projects like that can help bring excitement back into photo-making. Some others to consider for are:
Vintage Bronze
Expired ECN-2 100T
Ektachrome 320T
Xpro or Xpro ’62
Old Ektachrome
Kodak GT 800-5
Analog Gold
Retro Gold
Muted Color
Expired Slide / Expired Slide v2
Vintage Negative
I’m sure there are more.
I appreciate your kind feedback and encouragement!