By moving the creative process from the computer to the camera, Fujifilm Recipes can effectively replace RAW editing for many photographers. Instead of spending hours adjusting curves and sliders after the fact, you make the aesthetic decisions before even pressing the shutter. The colors, contrast, grain, white balance, and overall mood become part of the act of photography itself. Some people—gatekeepers—insist that RAW editing is the only serious path because it offers maximum flexibility, but maximum flexibility isn’t always the best path. Sometimes, limitations improve art.
One of the great benefits of Recipes is freedom—freedom from the computer and Lightroom (or other RAW editing software), freedom from indecisive aesthetic choices, freedom from unfinished work (such as RAW files just sitting around waiting to be edited). Most photographs that are created using Recipes are finished the moment that they’re made, making the journey from vision to finished image dramatically shorter. Perhaps the greatest freedom that Recipes bring is time.
Another benefit of using Recipes is that it aligns with how a large number of people actually want to do photography. Not everyone desires photography to be half-camera and half-computer. Some simply want to capture meaningful moments, compelling scenes, and beautiful light without turning every outing into a post-processing project. There is no rule that says a photographer must shoot RAW and edit in Lightroom to be legitimate. If a Recipe delivers the look you want straight-out-of-camera, then you’ve already reached the destination. This is not to say that RAW has no place, only that it isn’t a prerequisite or requirement. There’s no right or wrong way to do photography, only whatever works best for you. That could be JPEGs, that could be RAW, it could be film, it could be all of those at different times, or something else entirely. Do whatever is best for you and your photography.
If you are looking for some Fujifilm Recipes to try that might convince you to stop editing RAW, I’ve picked seven that I think could do just that. Of course everyone has their own tastes and styles. You might like some of these and not others, or all of them, or none of them. The Recipes that could become your favorites might not even be in this list. But, if you are looking for some great ones to try, these are seven that I highly recommend.
The Kodachrome 64 Recipe is modeled after the iconic film. It’s intended for sunny daylight photography, so it works best in those conditions, although I have had good results in some other situations, too. This particular version of the Kodachrome 64 Recipe is for fifth-generation Fujifilm cameras, which are the X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, X-T50, X-M5, X-E5, X-T30 II, GFX100 II, GFX100S II, and GFX100RF. There’s also a version for fourth-generation models, one for the X-T3 and X-T30, as well as an X-Trans II iteration. You might also appreciate the McCurry Kodachrome Recipe.
Kodak Portra 160 V2 is another Recipe intended for sunny daylight conditions. Interestingly, a photographer recently loaded a roll of Portra 160 into his film camera and used this Recipe on his Fujifilm camera, and shot them side-by-side. The results? The images were nearly identical, difficult to distinguish from each other. This Recipe, which is a modification by Thomas Schwab of my old Kodak Portra 160 Recipe (which was made with some help of Piotr Skrzypek), is for fifth-generation Fujifilm cameras, which are the X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, X-T50, X-M5, X-E5, X-T30 III, GFX100 II, GFX100S II, and GFX100RF. Also, those with fourth-generation cameras should try my Kodak Portra 160 Recipe.
While intended for a sunny day at the beach, the Pacific Blues Recipe is surprisingly excellent in a variety of conditions and for diverse subjects. It’s one of my all-time favorites. This particular version is for fifth-generation Fujifilm cameras, which are the X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, X-T50, X-M5, X-E5, X-T30 III, GFX100 II, GFX100S II, and GFX100RF. There is also a version for fourth-generation models. Another Recipe to consider is Fujicolor 100 Gold.
Copenhagen Negative is one of the newest Recipes on Fuji X Weekly, and it’s already one of my favorites. This is for fifth-generation Fujifilm cameras, which are the X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, X-T50, X-M5, X-E5, X-T30 III, GFX100 II, GFX100S II, and GFX100RF. You might also appreciate the 1-Hour Photo Recipe.
A part of the Film Dial Recipe set, Fujicolor PRO 160C Warm is highly versatile, and can be used anytime of the day or night. This is for fifth-generation Fujifilm cameras, which are the X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, X-T50, X-M5, X-E5, X-T30 III, GFX100 II, GFX100S II, and GFX100RF. An alternative to consider is the PRO Negative 160C Recipe.
Vivid Velvia is a bold Recipe for vibrant pictures. It’s best for landscape photography, or anytime you want to emphasize vivid colors. This Recipe is for fifth-generation Fujifilm cameras, which are the X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, X-T50, X-M5, X-E5, X-T30 III, GFX100 II, GFX100S II, and GFX100RF, as well as some fourth-generation models: X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, X-T30 II, and GFX100S. You might also like The Rockwell Recipe.
Last but far from least is Kodak Tri-X 400, the only black-and-white Recipe in this list. Created by Anders Lindborg, this is my all-time favorite B&W option. It can be used with any fourth or fifth-generation camera. Agfa Scala is another Recipe to consider.
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See also:
Fujifilm Recipe Starter Pack — 7 Recipes to Try First on Your X-Trans V Camera
The first 7 Film Simulation Recipes to use in your Fujifilm X100VI
7 Fujifilm Recipes for Midday Retro Americana Photography
10 Fujifilm Recipes for a 1970’s Aesthetic
10 Grainy Fujifilm Recipes
Three of these recipes never leave the first three C# slots: Kodachrome 64 in C1, Kodak Tri-X 400 in C2, and the film dial recipe in C3!