10 Film Simulation Recipes For Fall

Road Through the Autumn Trees – Bountiful, UT – Fujifilm X100F – Velvia

Autumn officially arrived yesterday. I didn’t notice because I moved to the Phoenix metropolitan area, and in this part of Arizona it is still summer, as far as the weather and trees are concerned. Besides, this area isn’t known for its fall colors, anyway. But I used to live in Utah, and loved watching the autumn colors descend on the Wasatch, beginning at the mountain peaks in late-summer and working their way to the valley by October. I will miss that this year, for sure.

A common question I’m asked around the Autumn Equinox is which Film Simulation Recipes are best for photographing fall colors. There are many that could work well, much more than merely 10. I think, generally speaking, any recipe that uses Velvia or Astia could be solid options. Classic Chrome and Classic Negative recipes can be good, too. I don’t believe any film simulation is inherently “bad” for fall colors, but obviously some are better than others. I think oftentimes the recipes that are more vibrant will do better, so perhaps look for those. Download the Fuji X Weekly App (if you haven’t already), browse through the sample pictures, and see which recipe stands out he most to you. Or, if you’re brave, use the new Random Recipe selector to choose one for you!

If you are not sure which Film Simulation Recipe to use on your Fujifilm camera and are looking for some ideas, I have suggested 10 below, which I believe will do well for photographing fall colors. Best of luck this autumn season!

5 Tips For Fall Foliage Photography with Fujifilm X Cameras

Processed with RNI Films. Preset 'Fuji Provia 100F'

Vibrant Autumn Forest – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Fall is one of my favorite times of the year for photography. The weather gets cooler, the coffee turns pumpkin flavored, and the leaves change to vibrant colors. Autumn is the season of change, perhaps more than any other season. Autumn begins almost summer-like, yet ends wintry cold. The trees begin green, but quickly turn yellow, orange and red, before becoming bare and dormant. It’s a vibrant season, that is until winter begins to grab hold. You can’t let time slip away from you or else you’ll miss the annual autumn show, as it never seems to last long enough.

If you don’t have much experience photographing fall foliage, you might not know how to get the most out of it. Since autumn officially began a couple of days ago, and I’ve already seen a few leaves begin to colorfully transform, I thought this would be a good time to share with you some tips for photographing the season of change with your Fujifilm X camera. Below you’ll find five tips for fall foliage photography.

1. Light

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Color – Wasatch Mountain SP, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2

You need quality light to capture good autumn pictures. All great photographs begin with great light, because, after all, without light there is no photograph. Fall foliage pictures feature trees, so you’ll often find that a certain type of light situation works especially well: back-lit. I think, generally speaking, the best light to capture dramatic tree photographs is when the sun is behind the tree. This is even more true in the autumn, as the sunlight illuminates the colorful leaves, displaying them in their most vibrant fashion.

I find that early morning or late evening, when the sun is low to the horizon, provides the best light for fall foliage photographs. Sometimes when the weather is changing, you might find low clouds or fog, which could provide a softer quality of light that can be especially beautiful. While I highly recommend seeking back-lit opportunities, don’t limit yourself strictly to that, but also try to find those fleeting moments of diffused sun.

2. Location

Processed with RNI Films. Preset 'Kodak E 100G'

Yellow Tree Against Red Rock – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Not everyone has a brilliant autumn display near where they live. Those colorful fall landscapes aren’t found everywhere. When I lived in California, I had to drive several hours to find a good show, but I would still try to capture the small amount of colorful leaves that were nearby. There would be a tree at the park, or in someone’s front yard, and even at my own house, that would have a less-than-spectacular display, but nevertheless the leaves would change colors. There were times that by really isolating the subject with a tight crop, I could create a decent picture with what was there. Don’t overlook the small opportunities that are nearby.

Oftentimes, unless you happen to live in the heart of fall leaves, such as one of the New England states, you’ll have to travel to photograph a grand display. Do a little research and plan your trip wisely. You’ll want to find out where a good location is, when the leaves are at their colorful peak, and what the weather will be, so that you can make the most of your photographic adventure. Pre-planning goes a long ways, and as the saying goes, “Location, location, location!”

3. Leaves

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Sycamore Autumn – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Robert Capa famously said, “If your pictures aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough.” That’s not always true, but often it is, and you might find it to be helpful advice for your autumn pictures. Get close to the leaves, capturing their shapes and patterns. Don’t be afraid to use a macro lens and get super close. Make the leaves the main subject, and don’t even show the rest of the scene in your composition.

Some of the best autumn pictures that I’ve seen have a narrow focus. Isolate the scene with a tight crop. Make the scene a bit abstract. Oftentimes less is more. The vibrant leaves are what make this season so colorful, so don’t hesitate to make that the clear subject of your pictures.

4. Lenses

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Yellow & Green Trees – Wasatch Mountain SP, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2

You can use any lens to photograph fall foliage, but I find that telephoto lenses are especially useful. The Fujinon 90mm f/2 is a good one for creating tight compositions. The Fujinon 60mm f/2.4 Macro is another good one for this, plus it’s a macro lens, so you can focus close to the leaves. Another strategy is to go wide-angle, and showcase the larger scene. It’s a little trickier, but the results can be very rewarding. The more wide-angle, the more dramatic, but also the more difficult. The Fujinon 16mm f/2.8 might be a good option for this.

My recommendation is to have a few lenses in your bag, if you can. If you’re only going to have one, consider a telephoto lens instead of a wide-angle. Best case is that you have a telephoto, a wide-angle and a “standard” prime. A zoom lens, like the Fujinon 16-55mm f/2.8, would be a very good alternative, especially if you don’t want to carry a bunch of gear around.

5. Lively

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Red Leaves In The Forest – Wasatch Mountain SP, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2

Go bold when capturing the vivid colors of the season. My favorite film simulation recipes for autumn pictures are ones that use Velvia, either my original Velvia recipe, the new Velvia, or my Ektachrome 100SW recipe. Astia can work well, too, and my Ektar recipe, which utilizes Astia, is a good option. I’ve even had good luck with my Vintage Kodachrome recipe, so don’t be afraid to try different settings, but, generally speaking, the lively colors of Velvia deliver the best results for fall foliage pictures.

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Photoessay: 20 Fall Foliage Photographs

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Fall Again – Bountiful, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Autumn officially ended a little over two weeks ago. It was a good season for fall foliage photography, with plenty of opportunities to capture the autumn colors. The leaves began to change in September here in Utah, and the leaves were still colorful when I visited Seattle in late November.

This was my first year photographing the season of change using my Fujifilm X100F. The camera is a great all-around photography tool, and (no surprise) it did just fine capturing autumn leaves. For these photographs I used Velvia, Astia, Classic Chrome and “Vintage Kodochrome” film simulations.

The 20 photographs below are some of my favorites that I captured this last autumn. I obviously made a lot more images than these, but the ones below are what I decided to share, they’re the ones that I like best. Even though winter has fully taken hold, I hope you enjoy these fall foliage photographs, and perhaps the bright colors will bring you a little unexpected warmth today.

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Temple Square – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X100F

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Zions Bank Building – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X100F

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Leaf On The Windshield  – Bountiful, UT – Fujifilm X100F

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Country Leaves – Bountiful, UT – Fujifilm X100F

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Leaf In The Stream – Bountiful, UT – Fujifilm X100F

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Floating Yellow Leaves – Bountiful, UT – Fujifilm X100F

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Fall Leaves, Wet Road – Richland, WA – Fujifilm X100F

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Red Autumn Leaf – Uintah, UT – Fujifilm X100F

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Golden Forest – Uintah, Utah – Fujifilm X100F

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Autumn Forest Light – Bountiful, UT – Fujifilm X100F

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Orange & Yellow – Bountiful, UT – Fujifilm X100F

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Wasatch Dressed In Fall Colors – American Fork Canyon, UT – Fujifilm X100F

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Timpanogos September – American Fork Canyon, UT – Fujifilm X100F

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Alpine Autumn – American Fork Canyon, UT – Fujifilm X100F

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Vibrant Forest – Bountiful, UT – Fujifilm X100F

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Highway 158 Junction – Ogden Canyon, UT – Fujifilm X100F

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Yellow Bush & Red Berries – Edmunds, WA – Fujifilm X100F

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Autumn Hike – Bountiful, UT – Fujifilm X100F

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Forest Trail – Bonney Lake, WA – Fujifilm X100F

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Road Through The Autumn Trees – Bountiful, UT – Fujifilm X100F