Black and white | FUJI X WEEKLY

Kodak T-Max P3200 — A Fujifilm Film Simulation Recipe for X-Trans IV & V

A grainy high-contrast B&W Film Simulation Recipe for the Fujifilm X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, X-T30 II, X-H2, X-H2s, X-T5, and X-S20.

*Courthouse Butte* – Sedona, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – Kodak T-Max P3200 Recipe

“Stop the presses!”

That was the subject of an email I recently received from Anders Lindborg. Longtime Fuji X Weekly readers will immediately recognize Anders, since he invented the Kodak Tri-X 400, Ilford HP5 Plus 400, Ilford Pan F Plus 50, and Ilford FP4 Plus 125 (plus co-created Kodak T-Max 400) black-and-white Film Simulation Recipes—he is, in my opinion, the guru on Fujifilm B&W Recipes. Kodak Tri-X 400 is my all-time favorite Recipe, period. Anders also created the Kodak Gold v2 Recipe, seven Fujicolor Pro 160NS Recipes, seven Fujicolor Pro 400H Recipes, and made an important D-Range Priority discovery. When Anders Lindborg says to stop the presses, I knew to stop the presses!

The story that I found in that email was absolutely incredible! Whether or not you ever use the Film Simulation Recipe that Anders sent to me, the story itself makes this article a worthwhile read. I was (and still am) just blown away by it! It’s funny how life comes full circle in surprising ways sometimes.

*Closed Umbrella* – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X100V – Kodak T-Max P3200 Recipe

“Some years back,” Anders Lindborg wrote me, “I found myself being totally photographically stuck. People liked my photos, but I could feel there was something missing from them and I thought they were still too amateurish. By chance, a photography magazine published an article called Learning How to See in which they mentioned a photographer named John Sevigny, an art teacher at a university in Mexico City. The magazine referenced Mr. Sevigny because he often talked with his students—and had also written some papers—about the subject of the article. Anyway, I started searching the internet and found many articles about him and his work. I also found some of his papers on the subject. Afterwards, I noticed that something gradually happened to my photos, and I realized that I could often see a deeper meaning in random ordinary things, people’s expressions and behavior. It really helped me, and I swore to never forget about this guy.”

“Life is funny,” Anders continued, “and I think I’m slowly starting to believe in this karma stuff. As it happens, awhile back I was contacted out of the blue by no other than John Sevigny himself! He had apparently found my stuff published on Fuji X Weekly very interesting and asked very kindly if I could help him out with the final touches on his upcoming book. The project that he had been working on was really heavy stuff, so he was temporarily burned out and needed some technical assistance, which I gladly provided. After the material for the book was finished, we continued chatting and I’m now proud to call him my friend.”

“After weeks of talking about photography, John mentioned that he really missed shooting with Kodak T-Max P3200 that he used to use all of the time while working as a news photographer. So, he said, how about making a recipe for it? I couldn’t resist, so we started developing it immediately. John provided me with all the information about the emulsion that I could possibly need, including a bunch of his own 25-year-old scans, but most important was his experience of shooting it daily for years. According to John, anytime there was a request for something that was going to be an article inside the newspaper, that’s the film they used since the available light would almost always be ranging from bad to worse. It didn’t matter if it was a sports event or a murder, they used Kodak T-Max P3200. After reading up about it (since I never shot it myself, sadly), I understood why: it was optimized to create sharp and (reasonably) detailed photos in generally bad light.”

*Now Serving Bacon* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 – Kodak T-Max P3200 Recipe

“Much care and testing has been put into this recipe by both John and myself,” Anders concluded, “and since John had all this experienced with the film, he had to be the one to officially approve it, which he did. I couldn’t be happier with the results we got from the tests! I actually put his scans in a photo album together with my test shots and the only thing revealing was the lens quality. When using the recipe with a vintage lens, I promise that you’ll have a really hard time telling your photos apart from the real film! Even some of the film’s tell-tale quirks have been replicated.”

Wow! Thank you, Anders Lindborg and John Sevigny, for creating this Kodak T-Max P3200 Film Simulation Recipe and allowing me to share it with the Fujifilm community on Fuji X Weekly—your work is much appreciated! I really love how Fujifilm cameras and Film Simulation Recipes are bringing people together across the world—it’s truly amazing! As great as this Recipe is—and it is great—the story behind it is even better.

Like Anders, I have also (sadly) never shot with Kodak T-Max P3200 black-and-white negative film (I went with Ilford Delta 3200 instead). Originally released in 1988 (the ISO 100 and ISO 400 versions were released two years prior), Kodak discontinued T-Max P3200 in 2012, but reintroduced it (with an “improved” emulsion) in 2018. It’s actually an ISO 800 (some say ISO 1000) film that labs automatically develop with two stops of push-processing, unless you tell them otherwise. But you can shoot it at ISO 800 and not push or ISO 400 and pull one stop (for less contrast) or ISO 1600 and push one stop. Some (brave? crazy? desperate?) photographers even shot it at ISO 6400 and pushed it three stops! Kodak T-Max P3200 can basically be anywhere from an ISO 400 to an ISO 6400 film, and it can go from a fairly flat and fine-grained emulsion to a punchy and gritty film, just depending on how you shot and developed it.

*Yucca Flowers* – Sedona, AZ – Fujifilm X100V – Kodak T-Max P3200 Recipe

With this Kodak T-Max P3200 Film Simulation Recipe, the higher the ISO you shoot with, the more it will resemble shooting the film at a higher ISO and push-processing, and the lower the ISO it will more resemble shooting at ISO 800 and not pushing in development. In other words, you are going to get somewhat different results at ISO 640 than ISO 6400; I especially appreciate how this Recipe looks from ISO 3200 to ISO 12800. You will need to consider if you want a cleaner or more grainy aesthetic, and choose an ISO that will produce those results.

If you have a Fujifilm X-Trans IV camera (X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, X-S10, X-T30 II) or X-Trans V (X-H2, X-H2s, X-T5, X-S20, and any other released after publication), I invite you to give this Kodak T-Max P3200 Film Simulation Recipe a try! It’s not compatible with the X-T3 or X-T30 or X-Trans III, unfortunately; however, if you ignore Toning, Grain size, and Clarity, it should still produce good results, so don’t be afraid to give it a try. This Recipe should also work with GFX cameras, although I haven’t tested it and have no firsthand experience if it will look similar or not.

Film Simulation: Acros (or Acros+Y, Acros+R, Acros+G)
Monochromatic Color (Toning): WC -1 & MG -1
Grain Effect: Strong, Large
Color Chrome Effect: Off
Color Chrome FX Blue: Off
White Balance: 5500K, +4 Red & +7 Blue
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: +1
Shadow: +3
Sharpness: +2
High ISO NR: -4
Clarity: +1
ISO: up to ISO 12800
Exposure Compensation: 0 to +2/3 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Kodak T-Max P3200 Film Simulation Recipe on my Fujifilm X-T5, X-E4 and X100V cameras:

*Tall Flower Vine* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4

*Tiny White Blooms* – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Garden Bulb* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4

*Forest Stream* – Sedona, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*38th Way* – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Palm in the Contrail Sky* – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Tall Cactus* – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Highlight & Shadow Leaves* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4

*Backyard Barrel* – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Water Wheel* – Sedona, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Castle Rock* – Sedona, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Jet Above the Rocks* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Cloud Above the Desert* – Sedona, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Arizona’s High Desert* – Sedona, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Oak Creek & Cathedral Rock* – Sedona, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4

*Rocks & Big Sky* – Sedona, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4

*Busy Parking Lot* – Sedona, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Sunlit Suburban Tree Branch* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Peaceful Pool* – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Josh by the Pool* – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Closed Umbrella 2* – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Towel on Chair* – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Empty Bench* – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Please Don’t Litter* – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilom X100V

*Hoop & Pine* – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Bus Rider* – Sedona, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Camera Fight 1* – Sedona, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Camera Fight 2* – Sedona, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Sisters in the Back of the Bus* – Sedona, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Lady with Paw-Print Earring* – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Joy’s Smile* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Girl Along a Wall* – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Preparing Hands* – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Sink Full of Dirty Dishes* – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Fake Plant* – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Table Lamp* – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Outdoor Patio Lights* – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

*Betty Elyse* – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X100V

ISO 640 vs ISO 12800:

Find this Film Simulation Recipe and nearly 300 more in the Fuji X Weekly App!

This post contains affiliate links, and if you make a purchase using my links I’ll be compensated a small amount for it.

Fujifilm X-T5 in black:  Amazon  B&H  Moment
Fujifilm X-T5 in silver:  Amazon  B&H  Moment
Fujifilm X-E4 in black: Amazon   B&H  Moment
Fujifilm X-E4 in silver:  Amazon B&H  Moment
Fujifilm X100V in black: Amazon   B&H  Moment
Fujifilm X100V in silver: Amazon B&H  Moment

Pentax Has A Monochrome Camera — Fujifilm Should, too!

Posted on April 16 by Ritchie Roesch

Pentax just announced the K3 III Monochrome DSLR. Yes, a black-and-white only camera!

I find a few things intriguing by this. First, a lot of people say that there’s no market for such a camera, that only the Leica enthusiasts with Leica-like budgets will buy a monochrome-only camera. Yet Pentax apparently disagrees. I hope they’re right. It’s certainly a risk that they’re taking, but I think it will do well enough simply based on all the initial hype, which there’s quite a bit of.

The Pentax K3 III Monochrome (such an uninspired name, right?) has a 26-megapixel APS-C sensor inside. Sound familiar? My guess is that it’s the same Sony sensor that’s found in Fujifilm X-Trans IV models, just with the color filter array removed. I could be wrong about that. Perhaps more importantly, this monochrome sensor is clearly available for camera makers to buy, because Pentax is doing so, which means Fujifilm could, too.

The price difference that Pentax is charging for the monochrome vs the regular model is $500. That seems pretty steep, but it’s a niche product, so a premium should be expected. I suspect that Fujifilm would likely charge a similar amount—$300 to $500—for a monochrome version of one of their models, if they were to make one.

I’ve been suggesting for years that Fujifilm should make a dedicated black-and-white camera, and call it the Acros Edition. Why? With an X-Trans sensor, 55% of the light-sensitive sensor elements are recording luminosity information while 45% are recording color information. With a monochrome sensor, 100% of the light-sensitive sensor elements are recording luminosity information. Because of this, you get higher perceived resolution, as pictures will appear more richly detailed, and there’s more shadow latitude, which improves dynamic range and high-ISO capabilities. You can also use color filters just like with black-and-white film. It’s definitely not a camera that everyone will want, but some—myself included—will line up for it the day it is announced.

Basically, it will have only the Acros film simulation, and the same JPEG options as other X-Trans cameras (except no Color or White Balance). I can imagine Fujifilm offering a stronger Grain option than what’s currently available on the other models, and perhaps an Acros Hi and Acros Low, for higher or lower contrast rendering. I’d also like to see a lifted shadow option for a faded look. The X-Pan aspect ratio should absolutely be included. Otherwise, I don’t think too many modifications will be required to the menu.

Hopefully Fujifilm is already working on this. They should be, anyway, but they’re probably not. Ideally, it would be an X-Pro or X100 model, but at this point I’d take any, except for the X-S or X-H lines. Seriously, a Fujifilm X-Pro3 Acros Edition or X100V Acros Edition would be simply incredible! It would definitely catch people’s attention. If Fujifilm wants a WOW product, this is it right here.

Ilford FP4 Plus 125 — Fujifilm X-T5 (X-Trans V + X-Trans IV) Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on December 28 by Ritchie Roesch

*Gift Giving* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – “Ilford FP4 Plus 125”

Anders Lindborg is, in my opinion, the guru on Fujifilm black-and-white Film Simulation Recipes. After all, he invented the Kodak Tri-X 400, Ilford HP5 Plus 400, and Ilford Pan F Plus 50 recipes, and co-created the Kodak T-Max 400 recipe. These are some of my favorite monochrome options, and Kodak Tri-X 400 is my all-time favorite recipe, period. Anders also created the Kodak Gold v2 recipe, seven Fujicolor Pro 160NS recipes, seven Fujicolor Pro 400H recipes, and made an important D-Range Priority discovery. This Ilford FP4 Plus 125 recipe was invented by Anders Lindborg, too, so I know that you will love it! It’s a real honor to publish it on Fuji X Weekly, and I appreciate his willingness to share it with all of you.

The story doesn’t end there. Recently, Fuji X Weekly reader Dan Allen wanted to help create an Ilford FP4 Plus 125 recipe, and he purchased some rolls of the film to shoot side-by-side with his Fujifilm camera. When he told me this, I sent him Anders’ recipe to try. After he did his experiment, Dan shared with me the results, which were quite fascinating. It turns out that Dan’s Ilford frames and his Fujifilm digital pictures (using Anders’ recipe) looked similar, but the Ilford frames had less contrast, with softer highlights and shadows, so I made a few small modifications to Anders’ recipe to better match Dan’s pictures. Of course, one film can have many different looks, depending on how it was shot, developed, printed, and/or scanned. “This particular film stock,” Anders told me, “is highly tunable, ranging from super clean to ultra gritty.” No single recipe will ever recreate every possible aesthetic from the film.

“Just like the real thing,” Anders explained to me, “a slight underexposure protects the highlights and improves contrast. Centered around the upper half of the grayscale, this recipe ranges from soft and dreamy to sharp and almost graphic with pencil-like lines. It will almost never go entirely black and is great for shadow details.” Ilford originally introduced FP4 Plus 125 way back in 1968, and in 2014 they improved the emulsion, which is what’s currently available.

*Bougainvillea Grey* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – “Ilford FP4 Plus 125”

If you want to use Anders Lindborg’s recipe as he created it, set Dynamic Range to DR100, Highlight to 0, and Shadow to -1. He says that you can “really go crazy” with Clarity and Grain—try Clarity anywhere from -2 to +4, with Grain Weak/Small when using less Clarity (for a cleaner look) and Grain Strong/Large when using more Clarity (for a grittier look). Also, feel free to use the different faux filter options (+Ye, +R, +G) with this recipe.

The Ilford FP4 Plus 125 Film Simulation Recipe is compatible with X-Trans V cameras, which (as of this writing) are the Fujifilm X-T5, X-H2, and X-H2S, and newer X-Trans IV cameras: X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II. If you have an X100V or X-Pro3, you can use Anders’ unmodified version (explained above); for the X-T3, X-T30, plus X-Trans III, additionally ignore Clarity and Grain size. This recipe is especially well suited for mid-to-high contrast scenes, paying careful attention to the highlights so as to not clip them.

Film Simulation: Monochrome
Grain Effect: Weak, Large
Color Chrome Effect: Off
Color Chrome FX Blue: Off
White Balance: Daylight, +6 Red & -8 Blue
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: -0.5
Shadow: -1.5
Monochromatic Color: 0 WC & 0 MG
Sharpness: 0
High ISO NR: -4
Clarity: +2
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: -1 to -1/3 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this “Ilford FP4 Plus 125” Film Simulation Recipe on my Fujifilm X-T5:

*Projector Light* – Surprise, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Fog Lights* – Surprise, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Disco Ball* – Surprise, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Christmas Concert* – Surprise, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Light Lines* – Surprise, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Window Shade Pull* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Window Light on a Small Rug* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Call it a Fuji X Weekly Holiday* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Christmas Gift* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Legos for Christmas* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Was a Rose* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Backlit Petunia* – Goodyear, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Dark Bougainvillea* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Lizard on a Wall* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Block Wall* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Waiting by the Pool* – Goodyear, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Butcher* – Avondale, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Tamale TV* – Avondale, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Reading the Morning Paper* – Goodyear, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Coffee Sugar* – Goodyear, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Hydrant Top* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Geometric* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

*Suburban Rooftop* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5

This post contains affiliate links, and if you make a purchase using my links I’ll be compensated a small amount for it.

Fujifilm X-T5 in black: Amazon B&H
Fujifilm X-T5 in silver: Amazon B&H

Find this Film Simulation Recipe and over 250 more on the Fuji X Weekly — Film Recipes App!

A Chance Encounter on a Rainy Day in May

Posted on November 10 by Ritchie Roesch

*Chuck Drummond* – Pawhuska, OK – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Tri-X 400“

I just learned that Chuck Drummond passed away this last Friday at 79-years-old. I met him once, and he was very kind. My deepest sympathies go out to the Drummond family, who I’m sure are still mourning.

This last summer my family and I embarked on an epic roadtrip that took us through Oklahoma. Pawhuska was a little out of the way, but we made sure to detour through it so that we could visit The Mercantile, the restaurant/coffee shop/bakery/gift store owned by Ree Drummond, who is also known as The Pioneer Woman.

For those unfamiliar, Ree Drummond became famous for her cooking blog, where she shared recipes used to feed her family and the hungry ranchmen, which turned into books, television shows, product lines, and The Mercantile, among other things. She lives on a large ranch in rural Oklahoma. Pawhuska was barely on the map before Ree became famous—now it’s still barely on the map, although it certainly has seen a significant resurgence, and it can become quite busy with tourists. Yes, for The Pioneer Woman fans, Pawhuska is a destination.

I’ve written about Pawhuska before, and I don’t want to rehash that; instead, I want to share a serendipitous encounter while in the small town, which I’ll remember for some time to come.

We awoke to steel grey sky and light rain. After getting ourselves put together, my family and I strolled around the small town of Pawhuska, which was almost deserted—the weather seemed to scare people off, or at least keep them indoors. We explored the streets, and I captured photographs with my Fujifilm X100V using the Kodak Tri-X 400 Film Simulation Recipe—black and white seemed especially appropriate for the weather. Eventually we made our way inside The Mercantile for breakfast, something that everyone should experience at least once in their lives—to say that it’s good is as big of an understatement as saying the Grand Canyon is big; both are true, but neither truly describe it.

*Mercantile* – Pawhuska, OK – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Tri-X 400”

While waiting for our food, an old man wearing a cowboy hat walked in by himself. He appeared weathered and worn, but in good spirits, with a smile on his face. My wife stated in a whisper just loud enough for our children to hear, “Look, there’s a real cowboy.” A true ranchman. An iconic stature of the American west. He sat at a small table near ours.

My wife knew right away who he was. This was Chuck. Ladd’s dad. Ree’s father-in-law. When the waitress came by, my wife asked if it would be alright to say hi to him. “Oh, sure,” she answered with a wink, “he loves the attention.” So my wife stood up, walked to his table, and introduced herself.

Chuck grinned, and he, too, stood up. He shook my wife’s hand, then he shook mine. He noticed my little girl’s cowboy boots, and made a comment to her about how nice they were and that he liked them. The waitress asked if she could take our picture, so with my wife’s phone she snapped one with Chuck, myself and my wife standing together. It was all very quick. Then we sat back down. Our food came, and we ate. His food came, and he ate alone, although other people also recognized him and he would pause to shake their hands and maybe take a picture. Chuck was a celebrity of sorts.

Our encounter was brief, but memorable. His kindness was obvious. His cheerfulness contagious. We met a genuine cowboy in rural Oklahoma. Just now I showed my daughter the picture I captured of Chuck Drummond (at the top of this article), and asked if she remembered him. “Oh, yeah,” she stated without hesitation, “that man said he liked my boots.” We’ll forever remember this chance encounter on a rainy day in May.

I’d yet to share any of these pictures, which were all captured on that drizzly morning in Pawhuska. I hope that you enjoy them!

*Open All Year* – Pawhuska, OK – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Tri-X 400”

*Zoltar & Aliens* – Pawhuska, OK – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Tri-X 400”

*Empty Cup of Tea* – Pawhuska, OK – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Tri-X 400”

*Smoking Area* – Pawhuska, OK – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Tri-X 400”

*Do Not Lock* – Pawhuska, OK – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Tri-X 400”

*Gas Pipes* – Pawhuska, OK – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Tri-X 400”

*Rooftop Access* – Pawhuska, OK – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Tri-X 400”

*Now Open Windows* – Pawhuska, OK – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Tri-X 400”

*Reserved for Ree* – Pawhuska, OK – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Tri-X 400”

*Raindrop Windshield* – Pawhuska, OK – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Tri-X 400”

*Tree & Wet Seats* – Pawhuska, OK – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Tri-X 400”

*Empty Crosswalk* – Pawhuska, OK – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Tri-X 400”

*Mercantile Parking* – Pawhuska, OK – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Tri-X 400”

*Charlie’s* – Pawhuska, OK – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Tri-X 400”

*Inside Looking Out* – Pawhuska, OK – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Tri-X 400”

*5¢ Biscuit Co* – Pawhuska, OK – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Tri-X 400”

*Love Mugs* – Pawhuska, OK – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Tri-X 400”

*Coffee* – Pawhuska, OK – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Tri-X 400”

*Super Easy* – Pawhuska, OK – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Tri-X 400”

*Mercantile Shoppers* – Pawhuska, OK – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Tri-X 400”

*Jo & Charlie* – Pawhuska, OK – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Tri-X 400”

*Ranch Truck* – Pawhuska, OK – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Tri-X 400”

*Power Wagon* – Pawhuska, OK – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Tri-X 400”

*Bull* – Pawhuska, OK – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Tri-X 400”

*Dog & Table* – Pawhuska, OK – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Tri-X 400”

*Chair & White Table* – Pawhuska, OK – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Tri-X 400”

*Couch by Windows* – Pawhuska, OK – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Tri-X 400”

*MMM MMM MMM* – Pawhuska, OK – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Tri-X 400”

*Yum!* – Pawhuska, OK – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Tri-X 400”

*Yum, Too!* – Pawhuska, OK – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Tri-X 400”

*Jitter Juice* – Pawhuska, OK – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Tri-X 400”

*Breakfast* – Pawhuska, OK – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Tri-X 400”

Fujifilm X70 (X-Trans II) Film Simulation Recipe: Monochrome Red

Posted on September 6 by Ritchie Roesch

*Houses, Reflected* – Litchfield Park, AZ – Fujifilm X70 – “Monochrome Red”

Back when I shot black-and-white film, I usually used a color filter to manipulate the shades of grey, and for landscape photography the Red filter was my most-used option. You cannot use these filters on your Fujifilm camera, but Fujifilm does provide you with three faux filters: +Y, +R, & +G. These mimic the aesthetic of using a Yellow, Red, or Green filter (sort of). In my opinion, +R doesn’t actually replicate the use of a Red filter very well; it’s more like an Orange filter. This recipe is intended to produce a look more similar to a Red filter on black-and-white film, which means that it will darken blues and lighten reds.

I actually created this “Monochrome Red” Film Simulation Recipe several months back on my Fujifilm X-T1, but that camera has a dirty sensor in need of a cleaning, so I never shared the results. Then I moved, and the X-T1 got packed away for awhile. Just recently I purchased a different X-Trans II camera—an X70—so I plugged this recipe into it and began shooting. This is an excellent option if you are looking for a black-and-white recipe, and is especially good for landscape photography.

*Sunlit Flowers* – Litchfield Park, AZ – Fujifilm X70 – “Monochrome Red”

The “Monochrome Red” recipe is compatible with all X-Trans II cameras. If you have an X-Trans I or Bayer model, the results will be ever slightly different, but very similar, and you can definitely use it—if you have an X-Pro1 or X-T200 or anything like that, feel free to give this recipe a try.

Monochrome+R
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: -1 (Medium-Soft)
Shadow: +2 (Hard)
Sharpness: +1 (Medium-Hard)
Noise Reduction: -2 (Low)
White Balance: Fluorescent 1, -4 Red & +7 Blue
ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: 0 to +1 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured on my Fujifilm X70 using this “Monochrome Red” Film Simulation Recipe:

*Josh Intently Gaming* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X70

*Jonathan with a Smile* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X70

*Backlit Jo* – Litchfield Park, AZ – Fujifilm X70

*Boy Fishing* – Litchfield Park, AZ – Fujifilm X70

*Dock Abstract* – Litchfield Park, AZ – Fujifilm X70

*Lock & Chain* – Litchfield Park, AZ – Fujifilm X70

*Pole & Chain* – Litchfield Park, AZ – Fujifilm X70

*Fishing Pole on Dock* – Litchfield Park, AZ – Fujifilm X70

*Young Boy Fishing* – Litchfield Park, AZ – Fujifilm X70

*Lakeside Tree* – Litchfield Park, AZ – Fujifilm X70

Find this Film Simulation Recipe and nearly 250 more on the Fuji X Weekly — Film Recipes App!

Help Fuji X Weekly

Nobody pays me to write the content found on fujixweekly.com. There’s a real cost to operating and maintaining this site, not to mention all the time that I pour into it. If you appreciated this article, please consider making a one-time gift contribution. Thank you!

$2.00

Creative Collective 024: Going Long

Posted on July 27 by Ritchie Roesch

*Fujifilm X-H1 + Fujinon 100-400mm @400mm + “Acros Push Process“*

I recently visited a vista in Arizona that overlooks The Valley of the Sun, which is the nickname given to the Phoenix metropolitan area (beginning back in the 1930’s); the official name is The Salt River Valley. I brought along my Fujifilm X-H1, plus my Fujinon 90mm f/2, Vivitar 135mm f/2.8, and Fujinon 100-400mm lenses. Programmed into the X-H1 was my Acros Push Process Film Simulation Recipe. I thought it would be interesting to use these longer lenses to capture the views of the vast valley, plus the desert bluff behind me—never forget to check behind you when photographing, because it can be easy to miss something great when you’re not focused on it.

When I was a kid, my friends and I often played “catch” with a football. Sometimes whoever the quarterback was would shout, “Go long!” You’d run as fast as you could for a good distance, turn around to see the ball wizzing through the air—maybe you’d catch it and it would be amazing, maybe you ran too far or not far enough and the ball hit the ground.

Let’s see what happens when you “go long” with your lenses.

Subscribe to get access

Read more of this content when you join the Fuji X Weekly Creative Collective today! Click here to learn more.

Photographing Panguitch — Fujifilm X100V + Kodak Tri-X 400

Posted on May 20, 2022 by Ritchie Roesch

*Empty Lumber Yard* – Panguitch, UT – Fujifilm X100V

The first stop on the epic road trip that I’m currently on was Panguitch, a small town in southern Utah. Panguitch is close to Bryce Canyon National Park, not too far from Zion National Park, and within reach of Capital Reef National Park. Tourism is the main reason Panguitch is even on the map. People eat, sleep, and get gas here, while visiting the various natural wonders of the region. That’s why we were there.

I only stayed one night in Panguitch, but I was able to get out with my camera and photograph the quaint town. It’s obvious that Panguitch has seen better days—it seems to be just hanging on. The town has a lot of character, though. It was a great location for photography—if I had a few weeks, it would make for an incredible photo project—but alas I only had one night, as we left early the next morning.

For the pictures in this article I used my Fujifilm X100V loaded with the Kodak TRi-X 400 Film Simulation Recipe. I also had a 5% CineBloom filter attached to the camera. The X100V is such the perfect travel tool (and my “desert island” camera), and I always make sure that I have it with me. I love black-and-white photography, and the Kodak Tri-X 400 recipe is my favorite. The camera and recipe combo were ideal for Panguitch, and I’m quite happy with this set of pictures; however, I realize that I need to go back. This town (and so many others) are yearning for the camera’s attention. There is so much photographic potential, and I barely scratched the surface.

*Thanks For Shopping Local* – Panguitch, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Auto Entrance* – Panguitch, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Chairs Along A Fence* – Panguitch, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Fake News* – Panguitch, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Folding Chairs* – Panguitch, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Window Canopy* – Panguitch, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Souvenir & Gift* – Panguitch, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Delicious Dinner* – Panguitch, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Condiments* – Panguitch, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*The Duke* – Panguitch, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Henrie’s* – Panguitch, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Old Sign* – Panguitch, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*House Roof* – Panguitch, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*One Way Garage* – Panguitch, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Motel* – Panguitch, UT – Fujifilm X100V

This post contains affiliate links, and if you make a purchase using my links I’ll be compensated a small amount for it.

Fujifilm X100V Black Amazon B&H
Fujifilm X100V Silver Amazon B&H
CineBloom 5% Filter 49mm Amazon B&H

An Open Letter To Fujifilm… In B&W

Posted on April 12, 2022 by Ritchie Roesch

Dear Fujifilm,

Please make a black-and-white-only camera. I’m writing this because I want one, but—more importantly—it has become quite obvious to me that many Fujifilm photographers want one, too.

How do I know this? A few days ago I published a Creative Collective article entitled Introducing the Fujifilm X100V Acros Edition, and the response that I’ve received has been overwhelming (in a good way). If Fujifilm made a monochrome model (which I propose is called “Acros Edition”), people would buy it. I have zero doubts about this. I’d buy one. A number of Fuji X Weekly readers would buy one. I’m not suggesting that it would do as well as the X-T3, but it would get a lot of attention. People would talk about it. There is a real interest and demand for a black-and-white-only Fujifilm camera.

I know that it’s not as simple as just removing the X-Trans color array from the filter and—presto!—a B&W-only camera. It’s far, far more complicated than that. Because of this, it’s understood that the camera will cost more than the X-Trans version. I personally think that the X100V or X-Pro3 would be the best base for an “Acros Edition” model, but the X-E4 could also work if you want to reduce the cost of the camera. Even if it was in an X-T3 or X-T30 body, I’d definitely still buy one—just don’t put it into a body with a PASM dial and I’ll be happy.

*Unneeded Boat Cleat* – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Moody Monochrome”

There needs to be some schtick, too, because people will say, “I’ll just use the Acros film simulation, and it’s basically the same thing, yet I can still get color pictures if I want.” There are advantages to monochrome-only, and while it might seem that making such a camera would be enough on its own, it isn’t—there has to be at least one more trick that makes the camera unique, in my opinion. Something that not only further separates it from other Fujifilm models, but other monochrome-only models. What exactly? I have a few ideas. Perhaps a new film simulation: Neopan (based on Neopan 400 Pro, Neopan 1600 Pro, or Neopan 400CN)—the “Acros Edition” camera would have Acros, Neopan, Monochrome, and Sepia (I suppose) as the four film simulation options. I think it would also be cool if there were push and pull process options for these simulations, where the pictures become more or less contrasty and grainy (much like push and pull processing film), depending on the settings selected. Another idea is to have a removable IR filter like Sigma did with their SD Quattro cameras, allowing photographers to easily use their cameras for full-spectrum B&W photography whenever they want. How about built-in colored filters? Since there would be no +Y, +R, & +G faux filters, it would be interesting to have real color filters built into the camera, sort of like the ND filter on the X100V. Adding some sort of extra uniqueness would give the camera even more buzz and would make it even more desirable.

My only point here is that I know for certain that there is an interest in a black-and-white-only camera made by Fujifilm. So, if there’s anyone at Fujifilm who happens to read this, please pass it up the chain that such a demand exists. People would pay a premium for a monochrome model. I personally would.

Sincerely,
Ritchie Roesch
Fuji X Weekly

Now it’s your turn! Would you be interested in an “Acros Edition” Fujifilm camera? Which body would you want it in? What special feature should it have? Leave a comment! I don’t know if Fujifilm will ever read it, but they might, so it’s worth a try!

Creative Collective 021: Introducing the Fujifilm X100V Acros Edition

Posted on April 7, 2022 by Ritchie Roesch

I’ve said for awhile now that Fujifilm should make a black-and-white only camera. There’s actually an advantage to a monochrome sensor. With a typical Bayer color array, only 50% of the light-sensitive sensor elements are recording luminosity information, while the other 50% are recording color information. With an X-Trans sensor, 55% of the light-sensitive sensor elements are recording luminosity information while 45% are recording color information. With a monochrome sensor, 100% of the light-sensitive sensor elements are recording luminosity information. Because of this, you get a higher perceived resolution, as pictures will appear more richly detailed, and there’s more shadow latitude, which also improves high-ISO capabilities. You can also use color filters like with black-and-white film.

Fujifilm has said that they have no plans currently to make a monochrome camera. You can actually convert any Fujifilm camera to be black-and-white only, but it is expensive and extreme. I’ve wanted a monochrome-only Fujifilm camera for awhile, but I’m not willing to convert one, and I’m impatient waiting for an official model to come out. So what did I do? I made my own.

Introducing the Fujifilm X100V Acros Edition!

Subscribe to get access

Read more of this content when you join the Fuji X Weekly Creative Collective today! Click here to learn more.

Fujifilm X-Trans IV Film Simulation Recipe: Moody Monochrome

Posted on April 5, 2022 by Ritchie Roesch

*Apocalyptic Pavillion* – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Moody Monochrome”

Of the different faux filter options for Acros, +Y is the one I use the least. I think it goes back to my film days when I used color filters with B&W film. I would select Orange or Red before Yellow, because Yellow is fairly subtle, but the advantage of the Yellow filter is that it doesn’t block as much light. Of course, the faux filters on Fujifilm cameras don’t affect the exposure like real filters with film. Anyway, recognizing that I infrequently use Acros+Y, I set out to make a Film Simulation Recipe that uses +Y and produces an aesthetic that I like. I think it is important to challenge myself sometimes, so if there’s some setting or gear or option that I don’t use often, forcing myself to use it helps me to grow as a photographer. That’s why I made this recipe.

I wanted something with an overall darker curve, so that it would produce a moody look. Maybe deep blacks reminiscent of Tri-X, and maybe a push-process feel. I didn’t have any specific film in mind, but I’m reminded of this time that I push-processed a roll of Ilford Delta 400, but inadvertently got it wrong—I underexposed two stops, and only had the lab push it by one stop, so the pictures were largely underexposed, and they were darker and moodier (yet less contrasty and grainy) than I had intended. This isn’t exactly the same as that, but not too dissimilar, either, so that’s why I call this recipe Moody Monochrome.

*Early Blossoms* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Moody Monochrome”

Because this film simulation recipe uses Clarity, it is compatible with the Fujifilm X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II cameras. If you have an X-T3 or X-T30 or X-Trans III camera, ignore Clarity and Grain size, and use a diffusion filter, like a 10% CineBloom or 1/4 Black Pro Mist, to get similar results.

Acros+Y
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: -1
Shadow: +4
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpness: -2
Clarity: -3
Grain Effect: Strong, Large
Color Chrome Effect: Off
Color Chrome Effect Blue: Off
White Balance: Fluorescent 3, -4 Red & -9 Blue
ISO: 3200
Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +1 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this “Moody Monochrome” Film Simulation Recipe on my Fujifilm X100V:

*Stop West* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Watch For Falling Bikes* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Sun Beams* – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Tower in the Middle of Nowhere* – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Path Through The Grass* – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Wetland Boardwalk* – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Wetland Grass* – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Creek in the Trees* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Creek, Stick & Vines* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Log Above The Water* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Grey Brush* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Cat on a Log* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

This post contains affiliate links, and if you make a purchase using my links I’ll be compensated a small amount for it.

Fujifilm X100V Black Amazon B&H
Fujifilm X100V Silver Amazon B&H

Find this film simulation recipes and over 200 more on the Fuji X Weekly — Film Recipes App!

Help Fuji X Weekly

$2.00

Fujifilm X-H1 (X-Trans III + X-T3 & X-T30) Film Simulation Recipe: Analog Monochrome

Posted on January 5, 2022 by Ritchie Roesch

*Old Tractor 15* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1 – “Analog Monochrome”

This film simulation recipe began as an attempt to fulfill a need. You see, there are many Fujifilm cameras (like the X-H1) that are not capable of saving the White Balance Shift within Custom Presets, but there’s a solution: if each Custom Preset uses a different White Balance type, the camera will remember one White Balance Shift per type, and you won’t have to remember to adjust the shift when switching presets. This makes the camera experience more enjoyable.

The problem is that most film simulation recipes use the Auto, Daylight, or Kelvin White Balance types, and you have seven Custom Preset slots. The remaining White Balance types have a limited number of choices. Prior to this recipe, Incandescent had only one option: Eterna Bleach Bypass. Now, if you are using this solution, you can choose either this Analog Monochrome recipe or the Eterna Bleach Bypass recipe—one color and one B&W—for one of your C1-C7 slots.

*Doll* – Bountiful, UT – Fujifilm X-H1 – “Analog Monochrome”

I didn’t model this Analog Monochrome recipe after any specific film. Instead, I simply set out to create some settings that look good. This recipe has nice contrast with deep blacks, and whites that are bright yet don’t easily clip. I set Grain to Weak for a clean look, but feel free to try Strong for a grittier look. I feel that it has a very nice classic B&W film aesthetic that some of you will really appreciate.

Acros+G
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: +1
Shadow: +3
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: -1
Grain Effect: Weak
White Balance: Incandescent, -8 Red & -8 Blue
ISO: Auto up to ISO 12800
Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +2/3 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured using this “Analog Monochrome” film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-H1:

*Minolta SRT303b* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1

*Car Console* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1

*Jon Smiling for the Camera* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1

*Joy Laughing at a Funny Message* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1

*Horse Close Up* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1

*You Shall Not Pass* – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-H1

*Jesus Loves You!* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1

*Friendly Neighborhood Snowman* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1

*Winter Walking Path* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1

*Farmington Creek in Winter* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1

*Three Ducks in the Creek* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1

*Snow and Creek* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1

*Winter Tree* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1

*Stump In Snow* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1

*Wild Grass in Snow* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1

*Melting Snow In The Tall Grass* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1

Find this film simulation recipe and over 200 more on the Fuji X Weekly — Film Recipes App!

Help Fuji X Weekly

$2.00

Fujifilm X100V Film Simulation Recipe: Ilford Pan F Plus 50

Posted on January 2, 2022 by Ritchie Roesch

*Santa’s Bed* – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Ilford Pan F Plus 50”

Anders Lindborg (Instagram) sent me a black-and-white film simulation recipe to try, which he modeled after Ilford Pan F Plus 50 film. Anders, you might recall, created the Kodak Tri-X 400 recipe, teamed with Thomas Schwab to create the Kodak T-Max 400 recipe, made seven Fujicolor Pro 160NS recipes, created seven Fujicolor Pro 400H recipes, and made an important D-Range Priority discovery. His contributions to the Fujifilm community are significant! The Kodak Tri-X 400 recipe is a favorite of mine that I use frequently, so I’m personally very grateful to Anders for his hard work on this recipe and all the others.

And hard work it was! Anders sent me a lengthy note on his process to create this recipe, and I want to share with you a short snippet just so you get an idea of the effort put into this. “I checked the spectrum sensitivity chart and looked for any significant bumps in the wavelengths,” he wrote. “For the largest bump, I checked what color it represents to try to match it as close as possible with the white balance shift. This recreated the bump in the recipe to make the simulation a bit extra sensitive to that specific color.” This was point four of seven in his process, and shows the kind of effort that can go into creating film simulation recipes.

Ilford Pan F 50 Plus is a low-ISO, contrasty, sharp, detailed, fine-grain, black-and-white negative film. It has the punchiness of a mid-ISO film, but is very clean, and can be printed large and still appear crisp and fine-detailed. Of course, how a film is exposed, developed, scanned and/or printed will affect the exact aesthetic. Ilford Pan F 50 Plus is one of the best black-and-white films you can buy today, and this recipe is a pretty darn good facsimile of it.

*Sugar House Traffic District* – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Ilford Pan F Plus 50”

“This one needs some care,” Anders wrote of this recipe, “and really soft light is recommended for portraits, but the reward is wonderful! If you’re looking for drama, this is it. Great in studio where lighting can be controlled, but can sometimes also work nicely for certain kinds of street photography. High contrast with a really classic black and white look, emphasis on the black.”

I modified Anders recipe a little. His version calls for Shadows to be +2 and Clarity set to 0, but he says that +2 Shadow can sometimes be too strong, and that +1 is not always strong enough, but +1.5 (for those cameras that are capable) is probably just right. I wanted to use this recipe on my Fujifilm X100V, which isn’t capable of .5 Shadow adjustments, so I set Shadow to +1 and Clarity to +2 (to increase the contrast, similar to what +1.5 Shadow might be)… alternatively, Shadow +2 and Clarity -2 is an option, too, but I didn’t like it quite as much. Because of Clarity, I decreased Sharpening to 0 from +1 (what the original recipe calls for). Instead of -3, I set Noise Reduction to -4, which is my preference. If you want to use Anders full recipe, set Shadow to +2 (or +1.5 if your camera is capable), Clarity to 0, Sharpness to +1, and Noise Reduction to -3. Otherwise, you’ll find my slightly modified version below. This recipe is compatible with the Fujifilm X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4 and X-T30 II cameras.

Monochrome
Dynamic Range: DR100
Highlight: 0
Shadow: +1
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: 0
Clarity: +2
Grain Effect: Weak, Large
Color Chrome Effect: Off
Color Chrome Effect Blue: Off
White Balance: Daylight, +1 Red & -6 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 (for best results, try to limit the ISO to 1600 and lower when able)
Exposure Compensation: -1/3 to +1/3 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this “Ilford Pan F Plus 50” film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X100V:

*Item Number* – Bountiful, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Snow on Seat* – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Wheelchair Shopping* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Face Masks For Everyone* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Can, Baskets & Baby Seats* – Bountiful, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Watching Her Brothers Catch Carp* – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Boots* – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Salty Pavement* – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Street Puddle* – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*To Cross* – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Open* – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Central Book Exchange* – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Parley’s Creek in Winter* – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Find this film simulation recipes and over 200 more on the Fuji X Weekly — Film Recipes App!

Fuji Features: Fujifilm X Monochrome

Posted on June 2, 2021 by Ritchie Roesch

I’ve been saying for awhile now that Fujifilm should make a dedicated black-and-white camera, kind of like the Leica M10 Monochrom. I would absolutely love that, and would shell out gobs of money for it, assuming that I actually have the funds available to do so. Of course, Fujifilm X cameras are already great at capturing black-and-white photographs straight-out-of-camera, but a true monochrome camera would be on a whole other level.

For this week’s Fuji Features post, I found some articles and videos on the web related to this topic is some way. I hope you enjoy!

SLR Lounge

Fujifilm X

The Phoblographer

Fujilove Magazine

Fujifilm X-M1 (X-Trans I) Film Simulation Recipe: Monochrome

Posted on October 7, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

*Broken View* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-M1

Fujifilm introduced the world to the X-Trans sensor in January of 2012 with the announcement of the X-Pro1 camera. Later that same year the X-E1 became the second camera with this new sensor, and a year later the X-M1 became the third and final camera to have the original X-Trans sensor. Even before the X-M1 was released, Fujifilm had begun selling cameras with the X-Trans II sensor, so the original sensor was already old news by the time the camera was released. It seems that, more-or-less, Fujifilm had some spare X-Trans I sensors laying around, so they put them inside of the X-A1, a Bayer sensor camera, and renamed it X-M1. There never was an X-M2.

Even though only three cameras have an X-Trans I sensor, I’ve had many requests for film simulation recipes that are compatible with the X-Pro1, X-E1 and X-M1. I used to own an X-E1 (two, actually), but I mostly shot RAW with it and never developed any film simulation recipes for it. Some X-Trans II and Bayer recipes are technically compatible, but produce slightly different results. I purchased a cheap, gently used X-M1 to create some recipes with, and this is the very first one!

*White Trees* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-M1

The X-M1 only has one black-and-white option. There’s no B+Y, B+R and B+G. There’s just standard B, which is the abbreviation for the Monochrome film simulation. I wanted to create a B&W recipe that produces dramatic results, but the JPEG options are limited on this camera compared to the newer models, so I had to get creative with the white balance to get the look that I wanted. This recipe is intended for X-Trans I cameras, but those with Bayer and X-Trans II cameras can use it, too, but the results will be slightly different.

Monochrome
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: +2 (Hard)
Shadow: +2 (Hard)
Sharpness: +1 (Medium-Hard)
Noise Reduction: -2 (Low)
White Balance: Incandescent, -5 Red & +9 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 3200
Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +2/3 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs made using this Monochrome film simulation recipe on a Fujifilm X-M1:

*Old Phone* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-M1

*Dark Chocolate* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-M1

*Ice Cream Bowl* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-M1

*Countertop* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-M1

*Steel Deck* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-M1

*Good Sam* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-M1

*Tool Ghosts* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-M1

*Timesaver* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-M1

*Saw Table* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-M1

*Abandoned Workshop* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-M1

*Buy American* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-M1

*Anchor Screw Drawer* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-M1

*Open Drawers* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-M1

*Indoor Hoop* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-M1

*Window with Broken Glass* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-M1

*Abandoned Garage* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-M1

Fujifilm Noir

Posted on September 9, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

Photographer Omar Gonzales made a video about turning your Fujifilm X camera into the Fujifilm Noir, a dedicated black-and-white camera. This post will make much more sense if you watch the video first, so take a moment to do that right now if you haven’t already done so.

Did you watch it? Don’t read anything below until the video is finished!

Done? Okay, let’s move on.

I made my own Fujifilm Noir camera using my X-T30. I have the silver version, so gaffer tape didn’t make a whole lot of sense for the new label that I wanted to attach to the front. I asked my daughter to create something using paper and pencils that might better match the camera. For those wondering, these labels are available for $25 each (only kidding, of course). And, yes, gluing a paper label to a camera is much less heart-stopping than sandpapering a camera.

My Fujifilm Noir is an X-T30 with an Asahi Super-Takumar 55mm f/2 attached to the front. I screwed an 1/2 Black Pro Mist filter to the lens (not pictured, sorry) to further enhance the film-like aesthetic. I shot the camera in manual mode using a black-and-white film simulation recipe that I created just for this project. What’s the film simulation recipe? Well, you’ll find it below!

Acros+G
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: +4
Shadow: +1
Grain: Strong
Color Chrome Effect: Off
Toning: 0
Sharpening: -4
Noise Reduction: -4
White Balance: 2500K, +9 Red & +9 Blue
Exposure Compensation: -2/3 to +2/3 (typically)
ISO 3200

This film simulation recipe was actually an experiment (from when I was creating my B&W IR recipe) that I didn’t love, but I thought it was good enough to use here. I won’t make it an official recipe, this is simply a bonus for you. Feel free to use it in your own photography, as it’s compatible with all X-Trans III and IV cameras. It reminds me of Kodak BW400CN, a black-and-white film that used the C-41 (color) development process. These settings weren’t intended to look like that film, but that’s what it reminds me of.

Kodak BW400CN was not likely ever a popular choice for Noir photography. Noir is French for Black, and Noir photographs are often dark and moody, inspired by 1940’s through 1960’s monochrome crime movies. This recipe isn’t especially Noir, but I used it anyway. There are probably ten different film simulation recipes that are more appropriate for Noir than this one.

I didn’t follow all of Omar’s rules. I shot RAW+JPEG, but only because I used a 2GB memory card, which has enough space for 27 exposures. On a 24-exposure roll of film, you could typically get 25 or 26 frames on it if you were careful. 27 exposures was possible but not commonly achieved (outside of disposable cameras). To make this more of a film-like experience, I used the 2GB SD Card to limit myself to a maximum of 27 exposures, and I refused to change the “film” (recipe) until I had exposed the card. I deleted the RAW files and just used the out-of-camera JPEGs. I got the memory card idea from Fuji X Weekly reader Josh Gagnon.

All of the pictures below were from the first 27-exposure “roll” of “Kodak BW400CN” that I captured using my “Fujifilm Noir” camera. Yes, they’re all camera-made JPEGs, unedited except for some minor cropping here and there.

*Smile* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm Noir

*Lamp Top* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm Noir

*Girl, Drawing* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm Noir

*Tortilla Flour* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm Noir

*Drink* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm Noir

*Top Ten* – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm Noir

*Building Stack* – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm Noir

*Building Tree* – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm Noir

*The* *Nature of Structure* – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm Noir

*Campus Skateboarder* – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm Noir

*One of You* – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm Noir

*$5 Pizza Bus* – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm Noir

*Fallen Tree at the Capital* – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm Noir

*Fallen Tree* – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm Noir

*Tree & Stormy Mountain* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm Noir

Not bad for one “roll” of “film” on my “Noir” camera, right?

Now the ball is in your court! Turn your Fujifilm X camera into a Fujifilm Noir camera and shoot some black-and-white pictures with it! I don’t have any specific rules, but try to give yourself some limitations because limitations improve art. I enjoyed the 2GB card thing. Share with me your Noir pictures using #fujixweekly on Instagram. Let me know in the comments if you like this project and what you think of this “Kodak BW400CN” film simulation recipe!

Help Fuji X Weekly

Nobody pays me to write the content found on fujixweekly.com. There's a real cost to operating and maintaining this site, not to mention all the time that I pour into it. If you appreciated this article, please consider making a one-time gift contribution. Thank you!

$5.00

Fujifilm X100V Film Simulation Recipe: Kodak T-Max 400

Posted on August 31, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

*Tree Behind Bars* – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak T-Max 400”

Kodak introduced T-Max black-and-white negative film back in 1986, and they dubbed it “the finest-grained black-and-white film in the world.” While it certainly has fine-grain, particularly the low-ISO version, I don’t know how accurate Kodak’s proclamation was. It’s available in ISO 100, 400 and 3200 variants. This film simulation recipe is intended to resemble the ISO 400 version.

T-Max 400 is a popular B&W film. I’ve used it, although it has been many, many years. Kodak updated the film in 2007 to be sharper and have finer grain; it’s the old version that I have personal experience with. With any film, but perhaps especially with black-and-white negative film, so much can be altered in the darkroom to customize the aesthetic, and one film can produce many different looks, so creating a recipe can be controversial because it might not look exactly like what someone thinks it should. Still, I hope that you will recognize this as T-Max-esque.

You might find that this recipe looks familiar. Actually, it began as Kodak Tri-X 400. Fuji X Weekly readers Thomas Schwab (who has helped with several recipes) and Anders Linborg (who invented the Tri-X recipe) worked together to modify that recipe into this one. I added a couple of small revisions, and now we have Kodak T-Max 400! It really was a group effort, but mostly Thomas and Anders. Thanks, guys!

*Night Clouds* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak T-Max 400”

This Kodak T-Max 400 film simulation recipe is intended for the Fujifilm X100V, X-Pro3 and X-T4 cameras; however, with a couple small modifications, it can be used on any X-Trans III or IV camera. First, if your camera doesn’t have Clarity, consider using +1 Highlight and +4 Shadow instead, although you can certainly keep those settings as they are in the recipe below. If your camera doesn’t have the option for Grain size (only strength), set it to Strong. I used Toning on this recipe, which is completely optional, but on the X-T3 and X-T30, which has a different Toning menu, consider using +1 (warm). Back when I shot film I would often give my prints a quick Sepia bath, both for warmth and archival reasons, and the Toning option on your X-Trans IV camera does a good job of mimicking that.

One difference that you might notice between this recipe and Tri-X is ISO. On that recipe I suggest using ISO 1600 to 12800. I think for this recipe the best results are found between ISO 1600 and 3200, but anything from ISO 320 to 6400 looks good. I feel like ISO 12800 is a bit too much, but feel free to try it and see what you think.

Monochrome (+Y, +R, +G)
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: 0
Shadow: +3
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: +2
Clarity: +3
Toning: WC +2, MG 0
Grain Effect: Strong, Small
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Color Chrome Effect Blue: Off
White Balance: Daylight,+9 Red & -9 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +1 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Kodak T-Max 400 film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X100V:

*Hanging Leaves Silhouette* – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Light Through The Dark Forest* – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Ghosts* – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Tree Trunks & Ground Cover* – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X100V

Tree at Forest Edge – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Paved Forest Path* – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*People Shadows* – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Happy Jon* – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Fish in the Net* – Hyrum Reservoir, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Tired Old Dock* – Hyrum Reservoir, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*A Boy & His Fishing Pole* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Lake Water* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Flower Photo* – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Monochrome Wildflower* – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X100V

*Photo by Thomas Schwab* – Husum, Germany – Fujifilm X100V

Making Color Pictures Using Acros, B&W Toning & Multiple Exposures

Posted on June 19, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

This is a combination of 8 B&W Exposures with different color toning applied to each.

The Fujifilm X100V, X-Pro3 and X-T4 cameras have a new tool for toning black-and-white pictures in-camera. I mentioned in my article about this new toning feature that there’s the potential to get creative with it, especially when combined with multiple exposure photography. I thought that it might be possible to create color pictures using the Acros film simulation, B&W toning and multiple exposures. This is certainly an unusual use of those tools! A sturdy tripod is a requirement for this experiment.

On my X100V, there are 1,368 possible colors to tone B&W pictures, but I concentrated on the more bold options. To make this work, the best results are found in the +/- 15-18 range. My camera has four multiple exposure options: Additive, Average, Bright and Dark. Additive and Average won’t work for this project because it muddies the colors. Bright and Dark will work, and they work similarly. For Bright, the camera compares the exposures and chooses only the brightest pixel at each location; for Dark, it chooses the darkest pixel. I found that one option typically works better than the other, depending on the scene. You could get creative and adjust the exposure of each image to control which colors are chosen; however, I didn’t do that for these pictures.

At first I tried using just three exposures: one with Toning set to WC -18 MG 0 (Blue), one set to WC +18 MG -18 (Red), and the other set to WC 0 MG +18 (Green). This worked alright, but there are not any in-between colors. The transitions from one color to the next are harsh. Still, I was able to create color pictures this way.

After a little experimenting, I decided that eight exposures worked better (you can combine up to nine). In addition to the Toning described in the previous paragraph, I added one with WC 0 MG -18 (Magenta), WC -18 MG -18 (Purple), WC -18 MG +18 (Teal), WC +18 MG +18 (Yellow), and WC +18 MG 0 (Orange-Red). This made the color transitions a little less harsh, but it’s still not ideal. The pictures look strange and nothing like “normal” color photographs. I also tried reducing some colors to as low as +/- 15 (instead of 18) in an attempt to control the outcome a little, but it’s hard to know what you’ll get until you’ve made all eight exposures.

The results remind me of some cross processing experiments that I did a number of years ago. You can get weird results, depending on the film and process. The toned B&W multiple exposures on my X100V loosely resemble the “worst” cross-processing results from those analog experiments years ago. This isn’t something that I’d want to do all of the time, but it was fun nonetheless. Most people will never try this, but a few of you will. I can see someone doing an abstract photography project using this technique.

I used three exposures for this picture.

Another three exposure picture.

This is an eight exposure image.

Another eight exposure picture.

I used eight exposures for this picture.

Another eight exposure picture.

Eight exposures. The wind moved the grass between exposures.

This is another eight exposure image.

I never really thought that I’d be creating color images from black-and-white in-camera. The results aren’t especially great, so it’s not really a practical thing, more gee-whiz. I do believe, with practice and experimentation, it’s possible to get better results. I hope that you found this article interesting, and perhaps even a few of you were inspired to do your own experiments.

This post contains affiliate links, and if you make a purchase using my links I’ll be compensated a small amount for it.

Fujifilm X100V Black Amazon B&H
Fujifilm X100V Silver Amazon B&H

Fujifilm X100V Film Simulation Recipe: Kodak Tri-X 400

Posted on June 18, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

Leaves in the Forest – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – ISO 3200 – “Kodak Tri-X 400”

The number one black-and-white film simulation recipe that I’ve been asked to create is Kodak Tri-X 400, but I’ve never been satisfied with my own attempts. Thankfully for you, Fuji X Weekly reader Anders Lindborg (Instagram) was able to do it! This is brilliant, and I’m sure you’ll love it. It’s the only B&W recipe I’m using on my Fujifilm X100V right now.

Kodak introduced Tri-X in the early 1940’s, and in the 1950’s they began selling it in 35mm format. Ever since, it has been the “standard” high-ISO black-and-white film for photographers. It’s been made in ISO 160, 200, 320 and 400 versions; this recipe is based on Tri-X 400. Kodak re-engineered Tri-X 400 in 2007 with finer grain and lower contrast, but it’s still nearly identical to the old stock.

Anders actually made three recipes in one: low-contrast, mid-contrast, and high-contrast. Tri-X, like most films, can be made more contrasty or less contrasty based on how it’s developed (chemicals used and/or development times) or printed (contrast filters). The recipe further down this article is the mid-contrast version. For low contrast, set Highlight to -1 and Shadow to +2. For high contrast, set Highlight to +1 and Shadow to +4. This film simulation recipe was designed for the X-T3 and X-T30, but I changed a couple of things for the X100V: I set Clarity to +4 (which isn’t available on the X-T3 and X-T30) and Grain to Strong & Large (on the X-T3 and X-T30, Grain is set to Strong). Because it adds contrast, setting Clarity to +4 actually makes this look more like the high-contrast version. If you are using this on the X100V, X-Pro3 or X-T4, feel free to try all three contrast versions, with or without Clarity, to see which you like better. For X-Trans III cameras, which don’t have Color Chrome Effect, you can still use this recipe; while it won’t look exactly the same, it will still look very similar. In other words, even though the title says “Fujifilm X100V Film Simulation Recipe” you can actually use it on any camera with the Acros film simulation—I’ve tried it on an X-T30 and X-T20, and it looks great!

Forest Edge – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X100V – ISO 1600 – “Kodak Tri-X 400”

I found that this recipe looks best when set to ISO 1600 or higher. From ISO 1600 to 3200, the results more resemble newer Tri-X 400 film. From ISO 6400 to ISO 12800, the results more resemble older Tri-X 400 film. I want to give a big thank-you to Anders Lindborg for creating this recipe, sharing it, and allowing me to publish it here—you are appreciated! Thank you!

Acros (+Y, +R, +G)
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: 0
Shadow: +3
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: +1
Clarity: +4
Grain Effect: Strong, Large
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Color Chrome Effect Blue: Off
White Balance: Daylight,+9 Red & -9 Blue
ISO: ISO 1600 – 12800
Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +1 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Kodak Tri-X 400 film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X100V:

Fallen Trunk – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X100V – ISO 1600

The Forest – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X100V – ISO 1600

Light in a Dark Canopy – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – ISO 1600

Sunlight & Leaves – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – ISO 12800

Monochrome Backlit Leaves – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – ISO 1600

Drops on a Window – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X100V – ISO 1600

Half Leaf In The Road – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – ISO 1600

Footstep – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – ISO 1600

Barrier – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – ISO 1600

Corner Benches – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – ISO 6400

Drinking Fountains – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – ISO 1600

Feel Like A Kid Again – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – ISO 1600

Walking at an Amusement Park – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – ISO 1600

Waiting at the Exit – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – ISO 3200

Diagonal Light Boy – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – ISO 12800

FED 5c Film Camera – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – ISO 3200

Coffee Grounds in a Filter – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – ISO 3200

Rainbow Feet on the Floor – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – ISO 3200

Girl in Zebra Shirt – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – ISO 12800

Rainy Day Siblings – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – ISO 3200

Level Up – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – ISO 12800

Wet Leaf in the Grass – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – ISO 5000

Wet Tree Leaves – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – ISO 3200

Leaf of a Different Color – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – ISO 3200

Emptiness – Roy, UT – Fujifilm X100V – ISO 3200

Empty Boxes in an Abandoned Home – Roy, UT – Fujifilm X100V – ISO 12800

Nobody’s Home – Roy, UT – Fujifilm X100V – ISO 3200

White Truck – Roy, UT – Fujifilm X100V – ISO 3200

Dead End Night – Roy, UT – Fujifilm X100V – ISO 12800

Trolley Bus – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – ISO 12800

Wrong Way – Centerville, UT – Fujifilm X100V – ISO 12800

This post contains affiliate links, and if you make a purchase using my links I’ll be compensated a small amount for it.

Fujifilm X100V Black Amazon B&H
Fujifilm X100V Silver Amazon B&H

Help Fuji X Weekly

$5.00

Fujifilm X100V New Feature: B&W Toning

Posted on June 14, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

49901968537_6fb5c9b2fd_c

With the X-T3 and X-T30, Fujifilm introduced black-and-white toning. With the X100V, X-Pro3 and X-T4, Fujifilm took B&W toning to a whole new level! On the X-T3 and X-T30, you have the option of 0 (for neutral), +1 through +9 for warm, and -1 through -9 for cool. On the new cameras, toning is set up more like white-balance-shift, except you can move as many as 18 spots up or down and left or right. Yes, on the X100V, there are 1,368 possible colors to tone your black-and-white pictures! You can even tone B&W video.

The up-and-down option is called “WC” for warm/cool; plus is warm, minus is cool, and 0 is neutral. The left-and-right option is called “MG” for magenta/green; plus is green, minus is magenta, and 0 is neutral. The further you get from 0, the stronger the color, and the closer you get to 0, the more subtle the color. Most people will likely use subtle toning, but some will appreciate the bold options.

I think there is the potential for some very creative uses of this new feature, especially when paired with multiple exposure photography. I haven’t explored the possibilities yet, but I will! If you are a fan of toning your black-and-white pictures, you’ll love this new option. The only thing missing is split-toning, which Fujifilm very well might add on future models—I hope so, anyway! In the meantime, I’ll explore the potential of this new toning feature on the X100V.

Examples of black-and-white toning on the Fujifilm X100V:

WC 0 MG 0

WC +5 MG 0

WC +5 MG +5

WC 0 MG +5

WC -5 MG +5

WC -5 MG 0

WC -5 MG -5

WC 0 MG -5

WC +5 MG -5

WC +18 MG 0

WC +18 MG +18

WC 0 MG +18

WC -18 MG +18

WC -18 MG 0

WC -18 MG -18

WC 0 MG -18

WC +18 MG -18

This post contains affiliate links, and if you make a purchase using my links I’ll be compensated a small amount for it.

Fujifilm X100V Black Amazon B&H
Fujifilm X100V Silver Amazon B&H

Help Fuji X Weekly

$5.00

Film Simulation Review: Changing Light, Part 2: Ilford HP5 Plus

Posted on May 26, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

Clouds On Top – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 90mm

Changing Light, Part 1: Velvia

I get asked sometimes how do I decide between color and black-and-white. I don’t remember where I heard this, but a long time ago somebody told me that if color is important to the scene then it should be a color picture, and if it’s not it should be black-and-white. Back then you had to make this decision before loading your camera with 24 or 36 exposures. Nowadays you can wait until after capturing the picture before deciding, although I find it best to choose before making the exposure.

Color pictures are (primarily) about three things: light, shadow and color. Black-and-white pictures are (primarily) about two things: light and shadow. It’s easy to see that if color isn’t an essential element to the picture, then it only serves as a distraction to light and shadow; however, that’s an oversimplified way of looking at it. There are many different color theories, and whether color is important or unimportant is highly subjective. One thing is for certain: black-and-white pictures are about light and shadow and those in-between grays.

Whenever I photograph in monochrome my mentality changes. They way that I look at the scene is different. When I photograph in color, I look for color. When I photograph in black-and-white, I look for tones. That’s why it’s important for me to decide before capturing the picture whether it will be color or not. For the pictures in this article, I decided that they needed to be monochrome. I chose my Ilford HP5 Plus film simulation recipe because I thought it would offer me the right amount of contrast. It’s not my most contrasty black-and-white recipe, but it has a good amount of contrast—not too much or too little. I think it was a great choice for these scenes.

I captured these pictures over the last several days from my house. I didn’t go anywhere. There were a lot of clouds and the light on the mountain was constantly changing. Oftentimes it was rather dull, but sometimes it was amazing! The camera I used was a Fujifilm X-T30. Most often I used a Fujinon 100-400mm lens, but occasionally I used a Fujinon 90mm. These longer focal lengths allowed me to “bring close” the mountain, making it appear as though I was in them, and not at a distance. Sometimes you don’t have to go anywhere to capture interesting pictures. That’s especially true if you have a great view where you are.