12 Fujifilm Recipes for Rainy Days
I get asked fairly regularly which Film Simulation Recipes are good for overcast days, perhaps when it’s rainy or foggy. I live in Arizona where the sunshine seems endless, and dreary weather only occurs every now and then. Like film, the majority of Recipes are intended for sunny daylight conditions. When the sun is hidden by clouds, which Fujifilm Recipes should you use?
There are definitely a lot of great options. Much will depend on the lighting (thin or thick clouds?), photographic subject, and desired aesthetic. I might like a certain Recipe for rainy days, but you might not, and vice versa. Everyone has their own tastes. Having a large number of options allows you to discover what works best for you, but where do you even find them?
A recently added feature to the Fuji X Weekly App is Categories. One way to use Categories is—if you are a Patron subscriber—to Filter By Category, and one of the Categories is Cloudy. So I did just that: I selected Fujifilm X-T5 as my camera and Cloudy as a Category (you can select as many Categories as you’d like, to really narrow it down). When I did this, I was presented with 40 results. You might not like all 40, and that’s ok—different strokes for different folks—but there’s a good chance that a few will match well with your light, subject, and desired aesthetic.
I went through the 40 results—Recipes that are good for cloudy situations and are compatible with my Fujifilm X-T5—and picked my favorite 12, which you’ll find below. If you are unsure which Recipes to use on rainy days, these 12 are ones to strongly consider. Surely one or two will be a good fit for you and your specific situation and style. Or, open up the Fuji X Weekly App, and Filter By your camera and whatever Categories you’d like. For example, if you choose X-Pro3 plus Cloudy, Film-Like, and Street, you’ll get 10 results.
The PRO Negative 160C Recipe, which uses the Reala Ace Film Simulation, produces slightly vibrant and warm pictures that are overall pretty true-to-life, with a color negative film aesthetic. Because it uses Auto White Balance, it’s very versatile, making it an excellent choice for dreary days.
Another Reala Ace-based Recipe, Kodak Pro 400 has a Portra-like look that’s a little less warm than the other Portra-like Recipes. While it’s daylight balanced, it does quite well in rainy weather.
Chrome City is found in the Universal Negative Recipe set. Really, any of the 14 Recipes within that set are good for cloudy days, but Chrome City, which uses Eterna Bleach Bypass, is my personal favorite.
Despite the name, the Reala Ace Recipe does not use the Reala Ace Film Simulation; instead, it’s based on Classic Negative. Because it uses Auto White Balance, it’s highly versatile, and does well in overcast light.
Emulsion ’86 is based on the Nostalgic Neg. Film Simulation. While it uses Daylight White Balance, it is quite good for cloudy situations.
Another Daylight White Balance Recipe, Kodachrome 25, which uses Classic Chrome and produces a sharp slide-film aesthetic, is a good option for overcast days.
Thommy’s Ektachrome is intended for sunny daylight, but its overall cool cast combined with the warmth of the Nostalgic Neg. Film Simulation make for an excellent rainy day Recipe.
While the Nostalgic Americana Recipe, which uses the Nostalgic Neg. Film Simulation, is warmer and intended for sunny daylight situations, it can produce good results on dreary days; however, it definitely depends on the situation, as this one can easy be a little too warm.
One of my personal favorites for overcast light is Kodak Vericolor VPS, which uses the Nostalgic Neg. Film Simulation. Even though it’s intended for sunny daylight, I love how it looks when the sky is covered with clouds.
Another Nostalgic Neg.-based Recipe that is daylight-balanced, I have had good luck using the Appalachian Negative Recipe on overcast days.
While Superia Xtra 400, which uses the Classic Negative Film Simulation, is the warmest of the Superia-like Recipes, because it uses Auto White Balance, it’s also the most versatile, and is great for use on rainy days.
My overall favorite Recipe to use on foggy or dreary days is Pacific Blues. Even though it was made for a sunny day at the beach, I just love how it works in the rain. It’s not a Recipe that everyone will appreciate for those situations, but I do, and I know some of you will, too.
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