Copenhagen Negative | FUJI X WEEKLY

7 Fujifilm Recipes to Replace RAW Editing

*Sailboat at Nyhavn* – Copenhagen, Denmark – Fujifilm GFX100RF – Vivid Velvia

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.

*Low Clouds Over Manhattan* – New York City, NY – Fujifilm X100VI – Kodak Tri-X 400

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.

Kodachrome 64

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

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.

Pacific Blues

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

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.

Fujicolor PRO 160C Warm

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

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.

Kodak Tri-X 400

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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Comparing Three Fujifilm Recipes for European Travel Photography

Posted on May 20 by Ritchie Roesch

*White Boat at Nyhavn* – Copenhagen, Denmark – Fujifilm GFX100RF – Copenhagen Negative

Early this year Fujifilm asked if I would make a brand-new Film Simulation Recipe to be unveiled at Fujikina Copenhagen. I created three Recipes that I thought could be good candidates, but only one would be selected to be the very first Fujifilm Recipe to be introduced at a Fujikina event. I used all three extensively on an adventure through southern California, and, after reviewing the pictures, one emerged as the obvious winner. That Recipe, which I called Copenhagen Negative, was first revealed a week-and-a-half ago (on my birthday!) in Copenhagen. After returning home, I published it on this website and added it to the Fuji X Weekly App.

The other two Recipes—the ones that didn’t win—are also very good. I published them already, well before Fujikina. Even though I like one best (and used it a ton), I also had the other two—Avalon Ace and Vivid Chrome—programmed into my cameras, and used them occasionally, too. If I had never invented Copenhagen Negative, and it was between Avalon Ace and Vivid Chrome, I would have been happy unveiling either at the event, but between those two, I would have gone with Avalon Ace. In other words, Avalon Ace placed second and Vivid Chrome placed third, but they are all good in their own way.

*Red Boat in Nyhavn Canal* – Copenhagen, Denmark – Fujifilm GFX100RF – Avalon Ace

*Nyhavn Canal* – Copenhagen, Denmark – Fujifilm GFX100RF – Vivid Chrome

I thought it would be fun to compare the three Recipes that were intended for use in Copenhagen—Copenhagen Negative, Avalon Ace, and Vivid Chrome—using images that were created in Denmark. Did I choose the winning Recipe wisely? Was Copenhagen Negative actually the best of the three options for European travel photography? Let’s find out!

The three pictures above were captured using each individual Recipe, while the examples below were reprocessed in-camera to show all three Recipes using the same exposure. I chose three very different light situations to better gage how the Recipes perform: bright midday sun, evening sun peeking through overcast sky, and sunset. Take a look:

In the first set above (the windmill photo), all three Recipes do a great job. Each brings its own character to the image, and I’m happy with each. It’s difficult for me to choose a winner, but I’d give a slight edge to Avalon Ace. In the second set (Kultorvet from a second-floor window), Copenhagen Negative has the right character for my tastes (and is the winner), but Avalon Ace is really good, too; however, Vivid Chrome is clearly third. In the last set (the bridge photo), it’s a tough call between Copenhagen Negative and Avalon Ace, but I’m leaning towards Avalon Ace, while Vivd Chrome is in a close third. What do you think? Which of the three pictures in each set above do you prefer?

Of all the photos that I made of my trip to Denmark, I used the Copenhagen Negative Recipe by far the most, and I’m really happy with how those images turned out. If I had used Avalon Ace instead, I think I would have been happy, too. Vivid Chrome seems to work really well in some situations and only so-so in others, so it’s more of a now-and-then type Recipe rather than for every picture.

Left: Vivid Chrome Recipe; Top Right: Avalon Ace Recipe; Bottom Right: Copenhagen Negative Recipe

Interestingly, each of these three Recipes has a film-like character to them, but they each have a different aesthetic. Vivid Chrome is in the general ballpark of Fujichrome Velvia 100 (although not a faithful facsimile), so it’s more like slide film. Avalon Ace was inspired by some film scans of Kodak Gold and Portra that were captured in Denmark (by a different photographer), so it has a negative feel. Copenhagen Negative is a variant of Avalon Ace, but with more of a Fujicolor Superia aesthetic. None are a perfect match for a specific emulsion, but the analog aesthetics of each are easy to appreciate.

If I were traveling to Europe again, I would consider programming all three of these Recipes into my C1-C7 Custom Settings presets. That leaves four other slots available for other Recipes. Actually, on my Fujifilm X-E5, I had these set to FS1, FS2, and FS3, which meant that each C1-C7 slot was available for other Recipes. These three are great options for many subjects and situations, so you don’t need a lot more—perhaps a B&W Recipe like Kodak Tri-X 400, a nighttime option like CineStill 800T, and fill in the rest with whatever are your go-to favorites.

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