Film Simulation recipe | FUJI X WEEKLY

My Fujifilm X-T30 Kodak Portra 400 Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on May 10, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

Around The Bend – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Kodak Portra 400”

Portra 400, which is a color negative film, was introduced by Kodak in 1998. It was redesign in 2006 and again in 2010. As the name implies, it’s intended for portrait photography, but can be used for many other types of photography. It’s similar to Portra 160, but with more contrast, saturation and grain. Believe it or not, ISO 400 was considered “high ISO” by many photographers back in the film days, and Portra 400 was one of the absolute best “high ISO” color films ever made. Like all films, results can vary greatly depending on how it’s shot, developed and printed or scanned, and even which version of the film you’re talking about. Interestingly, Kodak briefly made a black-and-white version of Portra 400!

I’ve been meaning to revisit Kodak Portra 400 for some time now. As you may know, I already have a Kodak Portra 400 recipe, which I created two years ago, but it requires a difficult-to-achieve custom white balance measurement. I was never really satisfied with that recipe, even though it can produce interesting results. I have been eager to create a new Portra 400 recipe, and, In fact, I’ve tried a couple of times, but without success.

Blue Sky Day – Syracuse, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Kodak Portra 400”

A Fuji X Weekly reader suggested to me that if I use my Kodak Portra 160 recipe, except increase Shadow, Highlight and Color by one, that should be pretty close to Portra 400. Indeed it is! I liked what I saw, but I played around with the settings more to see if I could improve on it. Turns out not much needed to be tweaked. I liked the results better with Color Chrome Effect set to Strong, but if you have an X-Trans III camera, which doesn’t have that feature, you can still use this recipe, but it will look slightly different. The only other change that I made was I set Grain to Strong.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR-Auto
Highlight: -1
Shadow: -1
Color: +2
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: -2
Grain Effect: Strong
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
White Balance: Daylight, +4 Red & -5 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +2/3 to +1 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Kodak Portra 400 film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30:

Mountain in the Evening Light – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Reeds To The Sky – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Jensen Pond – Syracuse, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Water Beyond The Trees – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Paved Trail – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Spring Green & White – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Fries in the Sky – Syracuse, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Royal Lunch – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Evening Suburban Home – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Boy in the Striped Light – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Boy Sitting – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Sunlight Through The Pink Blooms – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Pink Tree Bloom – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

See also: Film Simulation Recipes

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My Fujifilm X-T30 Kodacolor II 126 Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on April 28, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

Blooming Pink – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Kodacolor II 126”

A Fuji X Weekly reader asked me to recreate the look of some old family prints from the 1970’s that he found. After some investigating, it was determined that the pictures were captured on an Instamatic camera using 126 film (also called Kodapak). 126 film was basically 35mm film, except with a paper back and no sprockets (like 120 film), and in a cartridge that didn’t need to be rewound (similar to 110 film). It was intended for low-budget point-and-shoot cameras, and the cartridge made loading and unloading film easier. Basically, Instamatic was Kodak’s attempt to open up photography to the masses, as it required little to no skill or photographic background. It was very popular in the 1960’s and ’70’s, and became less popular in the 1980’s. A quirk of Instamatic cameras and 126 film is that it captured square pictures.

It’s unknown what film was used on the pictures in question, but most likely it was Kodacolor II, which was by far the most popular color 126 film during the time that these pictures were captured. Kodacolor is a name that Kodak gave to a number of different color negative films going back to the 1940’s. Kodacolor II was the very first C-41 process film. It was introduced in 1972 and discontinued in 1981, replaced by Kodacolor VR, which is the film that my Kodacolor film simulation recipe resembles. The prints likely have some fading and color shifts due to age, but they appeared to be in good condition overall.

Instamatic – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Kodacolor II 126”

This film simulation recipe, which I’ve called Kodacolor II 126, is a bit unusual in that it is supposed to mimic a look that came from cheap cameras. It calls for Image Quality to be set to Normal instead of Fine (I normally use Fine). The only other recipe that I’ve done this with is my Kodak Elite Chrome 200 Color Fade. I keep the ISO high on this recipe to make it look more grainy. While I’ve done that with several black-and-white recipes, this is the first time I’ve done it with color. This is also the only recipe that calls for the 1:1 aspect ratio, although feel free to use 3:2 or 16:9 if you’d like. These settings pair well with vintage lenses, and if you “miss” focus a little sometimes, well, that just makes it resemble Instamatic even more.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: -1
Shadow: +3
Color: -4
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: -4
Grain Effect: Strong
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Image Quality: Normal
Aspect Ratio: 1:1
White Balance: 6300K, +6 Red & +3 Blue
ISO: 3200 – 6400
Exposure Compensation: 0 to +2/3 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this “Kodacolor II 126” film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30:

Polaroid Girl – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Lizard, Boy & Wall – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Boy in the Alley – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Two Cans – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Suburban House & Tree – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Suburban Trees & Distant Mountain – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Tree Top & Mountain Top – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Suburban April – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Robot in the Window – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Heart & Soul – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Wreath & Flowers – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

White Paper – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Bowl on a Trike – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Hose & Elephant – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Concrete Path – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Little Colorful Chair – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Summer Chair – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Day Dreaming – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

See also: Film Simulation Recipes

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[Not] My Fujifilm X-T30 Ilford Delta Push-Process Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on April 24, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

Boy in a Chair with a Phone – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Ilford Delta Push-Process”

When I shot film, Ilford Delta was my go-to for black-and-white photography. Sure, I used other films, but Ilford Delta was what I most often loaded into my camera. For fine-grain, I used Delta 100. For situations other than bright daylight, or if I wanted more contrast and grittiness, I would choose Delta 400. For dim light, I would on a rare occasion use Delta 3200. Sometimes I would push-process the Delta 100 and Delta 400 a stop or two. I actually still have a couple rolls of Delta film sitting around, although I haven’t shot much film in the last few years. The last roll of Ilford Delta that I shot was Delta 3200.

Something that people might not be aware of is that Delta 3200 is actually not an ISO 3200 film, it’s actually rated at ISO 1000, but has “built-in” push-processing to ISO 3200 (labs know to increase the development time unless you specify otherwise). Ilford Delta films have a lot of latitude and flexibility. There’s a lot that one can do in the lab with any of the Ilford Delta films to customize the contrast and grain.

Fuji X Weekly reader K. Adam Christensen shared with me his film simulation recipe for Ilford Delta 3200, and I really like the way that his recipe looks. It’s a great black-and-white recipe! I made a couple of small tweaks to it, nothing big. Adam uses this recipe on his X100V, and he sets Grain to Large, which is an option on that camera, as well as the X-Pro3 and X-T4, but not on my X-T30. If I could set Grain to Large I would, as that would better mimic Delta 3200. Without it, perhaps these settings more resemble Delta 3200 shot and developed at ISO 1600. It reminds me of Delta 400 pushed one stop or maybe a stop and a half.

White House Beyond the Thistle – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Ilford Delta Push-Process”

I have the ISO on this recipe set at 12800, which makes it difficult (but not impossible) to use in daylight situations. It’s a little easier on X100 cameras that have a built-in neutral density filter. If you need to drop the ISO, you can go as low as ISO 3200 and still get good results, but for best results keep the ISO at 12800 as much as possible. All of the pictures in this article were shot at ISO 12800.

Monochrome (+Y, +R, +G)
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: 0
Shadow: +3
Grain: Strong
Color Chrome Effect: Off
Toning: 0
Sharpening: -3
Noise Reduction: -4
Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +2/3 (typically)
ISO 12800

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Ilford Delta Push-Process film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30:

FED 5C & Industar 69 – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Phone Numbers – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Girl, Smile – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Broccoli – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Faux Leaves – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Glass Bottles with Stems – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Flowers Waiting to Pot – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Potted Tulip – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

White Tulips at Night – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Outdoor Shelf – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Dirty Feet – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Roller Skating – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Skates – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Girl Outdoor – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Two Feet – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Chair Shadow – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Blackberry Vine on Concrete – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Watering Plant – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Wet Handlebar – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Raindrops on a Window – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

See also: Film Simulation Recipes

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My Fujifilm X-T30 Kodak Gold 200 Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on April 16, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

Crown Burger – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Kodak Gold 200”

I’ve been asked countless times to create a Kodak Gold film simulation recipe. I’ve tried several times to make one, but I couldn’t get it quite right. Last week I was scrolling through Instagram and I saw a picture that I thought at first glance was captured using my Portra 160 recipe. It’s not unusual to see pictures that were captured using my different recipes, as some of them have become quite popular. It was an interesting picture, so I took my time looking at it, and as I did I thought that there was just too much saturation, contrast and grain for it to be my Portra recipe, yet it was still very similar. When I read the description I realized that the picture was captured with actual Kodak Gold 200 film! At that moment I knew that I could create a Gold recipe simply by modifying the Portra recipe.

Kodak Gold, which was introduced in the late-1980’s and is still around today, is a general purpose color negative film. It was originally called Kodacolor VR-G, then Kodacolor Gold, and finally Gold. It replaced Kodacolor VR. While the film has been improved a few times over the years, it still looks pretty much the same today as it did in the 1980’s. The film is prone to color shifts, and results can vary significantly depending on how the picture was shot, developed and printed or scanned.

Flowing Farmington Creek – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Kodak Gold 200”

Even though this Kodak Gold film simulation recipe is very similar to my Portra recipe, it took many experiments to get it right. I tried different combinations of Highlight, Shadow and Color before settling on these settings. I adjusted the white balance shift several times before returning to the same shift as Portra 160. I feel that this recipe is a good facsimile to actual Gold film, although, like all recipes, it will never be exact, as it cannot account for all the variables. It’s pretty close, though, in my opinion. I want to give a special thank-you to Fuji X Weekly reader Piotr Skrzypek for creating the original Portra 160 recipe for X-Trans II, which allowed me to make one for X-Trans III & IV cameras, which in turn made this Kodak Gold 200 recipe possible. This recipe is compatible with X-Trans III & IV cameras.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR-Auto
Highlight: -2
Shadow: +1
Color: +3
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: -2
Grain Effect: Strong
Color Chrome Effect: Off
White Balance: Daylight, +4 Red & -5 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +2/3 to +1 1/3 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Kodak Gold 200 film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30:

Space Communication – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Sky Traffic – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Little Grass Runner – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Pear Tree Top – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Spring Tree – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Tree Blossom – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Backlit Pear Blossoms – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Pear Blossom Day – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Boy in Spring – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Branch & Sky – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Pear Blossom Reflection – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Phragmites – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Easy Feelin’ – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Girl in the Backyard – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Stages of Tulip Blooms – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Crescent Tulips – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Floral Decor – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Cheese – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Grill & Chill – Centerville, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

No Door Dash in the Drive Thru – Centerville, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Corner – Centerville, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

KFC – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Everette Brown – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Outside 7-Eleven – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Sunlight Through The Trees – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Tree Trunk Above the Pond – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Boulder Above the Pond – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Father & Son Fishing in Farmington Pond – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Fishing in Farmington Pond – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Staircase Down to the Water – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Flowing Creek – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Creek in the Woods – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Rocky Farmington Creek – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Winter is Nearly Over – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Red Car in Green Grass – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Bug in the Dirt – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Sunset on Burger Customer Parking – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

My Fujifilm X-T30 Polaroid II Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on April 12, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

Pear Blossom – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Polaroid II”

I was recently viewing vintage Polaroid pictures online while conducting research for my “original” Polaroid film simulation recipe, and I stumbled across one picture in particular that caught my attention. It was dark, contrasty, with low saturation and a blue-purple color cast. I really liked the way that this picture looked. After digging a little deeper I discovered that this wasn’t a real Polaroid, but a digital image given a Polaroid aesthetic using a VSCO preset (I’m not sure which one). I set out to recreate that look in-camera, and that’s how this “Polaroid II” recipe came to be.

This isn’t a recipe that I would use all of the time, but it’s interesting sometimes. It’s actually somewhat similar to my Expired Eterna recipe. It’s not terribly far off from my Bleach Bypass recipe, either. If you like those two, you might also appreciate this one. In the right situations, this recipe will give you a vintage analogue look with just the right range of expression. This recipe is compatible with all X-Trans IV cameras.

Eterna
Dynamic Range: DR100
Highlight: +4
Shadow: +4
Color: -3
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpness: -4
Grain Effect: Strong
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
White Balance: Shade, +4 Red & +6 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: 0 to -1 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this “Polaroid II” recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30:

Buildings in Park City – Park City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Directv – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Roofs in a Row – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Slope – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Pine Tree & Cloud – Park City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

White Tree – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Pear Bloom – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Veiled Peak – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

You – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

You II – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Kitchen Succulent – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Map & Leaves – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Young Barista – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

The Joy of Writing – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Girl with Blue Bow – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

See also: Film Simulation Recipes

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My Fujifilm X-T30 Polaroid Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on April 11, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

Red Benches & Post Office – Park City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Polaroid”

I get asked frequently to create film simulation recipes for all sorts of different looks. Sometimes I’m successful, oftentimes I’m not. I received one such request recently that was a little unusual: the stills from the television series True Detective. The set photographer for this show is Michele K. Short. The show itself was shot using Kodak Vision3 50D and 500T film. Michele likely photographed the stills with her Leica M10-P, and edited them to look like analog pictures. Honestly, I have no idea what specific film they’re supposed to resemble, but I was able to pretty quickly create something that is in the ballpark of those stills.

I looked and looked at different films to figure out what this aesthetic might be close to. I didn’t find anything that I was satisfied with. There were a couple of films that I thought, “Well, you can make an argument, but it’s a stretch.” I decided that it most reminds me of Polaroid peal-apart film, perhaps 669. It’s not intended to resemble Polaroid, and perhaps it doesn’t do so very well, but I needed a name, and I wasn’t going to call this recipe “True Detective” so I went with “Polaroid” instead. Whether this does or doesn’t resemble Polaroid, I think you’ll find it produces interesting results. Some of you are going to really appreciate this film simulation recipe!

Abstract Architecture – Park City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Polaroid”

You can get good results with this recipe when you over, under or correctly expose, but some of my favorite pictures were overexposed. There’s a lot of latitude with this recipe. It’s fun to play around with. It seems especially well suited for high contrast scenes, although it can still be used in mid and low contrast scenes. It’s compatible with all X-Trans IV cameras and the Fujifilm X-H1.

Eterna
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: +4
Shadow: -2
Color: -2
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpness: -1
Grain Effect: Strong
Color Chrome Effect: Off
White Balance: Auto, +5 Red & -5 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: -2/3 to +1 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this “Polaroid” recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30:

Red, White & View – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Storm Behind Rural Neighborhood – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Thistle Evening – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Girl Unsure on Path – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Dormant Branches & Half Moon – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Reeds & Mountain – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Evening Light at Francis Peak – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

House Roof – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

House – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Garage Rooftops – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Bicycle Boy – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Hooded Boy – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Joyful Girl – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Smile – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Girl with Curls – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Happily Running – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Paw Patrol – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Shoe on a Red Tricycle – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Wilting Flower – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Lots of Luck – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Lamp – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Leafy Indoor Decor – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Lamp in Daylight – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Empty Ski Lift – Park City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Trees & Lift – Park City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Pine Tree & Clouds – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Snow At The Fuel Stop – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Unused Snow Bridge – Park City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Park City’s Empty Street – Park City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Downtown Park City, April 2020 – Park City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Park City Buildings – Park City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Flag U – Park City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Center Street Lamp – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

See also: Film Simulation Recipes

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My Fujifilm X-T30 Kodak Portra 160 Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on April 3, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

Summer Waves Hello – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Kodak Portra 160”

This is the film simulation recipe that you’ve been waiting for! One of the top films that I’ve been asked to create a film simulation recipe for is Portra 160. I’ve tried many times, and I felt that I got close a couple of times, but I was never able to get it quite right. Fuji X Weekly reader Piotr Skrzypek recently created a Portra 160 film simulation recipe for his Fujifilm X-E2, which he gave me permission to share. I modified his settings very slightly, and published that Portra 160 recipe for X-Trans II cameras last week. Using those settings as a starting point, and understanding how X-Trans II is different than the newer sensors, I was able to make a Portra 160 film simulation recipe that is compatible with X-Trans III & IV cameras.

Portra is a line of films that Kodak introduced in 1998. As the name implies, it was designed for portrait photography, although it has been used for many different genres, as it’s good for more than just portraits. Kodak made Portra in three different ISOs: 160, 400 and 800. The ISO 160 and 400 versions originally had two options: Neutral Color (NC) and Vivid Color (VC). In 2011 Kodak redesigned Portra, and they did away with the Neutral and Vivid versions, making instead only one option in each ISO. Portra has been a popular film since its introduction.

Horizontal Ladder – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Kodak Portra 160”

This recipe looks great when you turn the exposure compensation dial up. You don’t want to clip highlights, but if you keep the highlights just below clipping you can get excellent results. This recipe is especially good for high-contrast scenes. Really, this is a good all-around recipe that you’ll want to keep programmed in your camera’s Q Menu. I imagine that for some of you, this will be the top film simulation recipe that you use most of the time. Don’t be afraid to use Auto-White-Balance instead of Daylight, or to adjust Color up to +2 or down to 0, depending on your tastes.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR-Auto
Highlight: -2
Shadow: -2
Color: +1
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: -2
Grain Effect: Weak
Color Chrome Effect: Off
White Balance: Daylight, +4 Red & -5 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +2/3 to +1 1/3 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Kodak Portra 160 film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30:

Last Light Roofline – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Yellow House – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Rooflines – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Garages – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Blue Dumpster – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Stop – Kaysville, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Elevator Trucks – Kaysville, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Bird Over Grain Elevator – Kaysville, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Autumn Leftovers – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Sky Reed – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Boy in Thought – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Blue Wall Boy – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Girl by the Fence – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Bike Seat – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

First Pear Bloom – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Goosenecks – Goosenecks SP, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Satellite Dish – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Grey Sky Over Roof – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Red Barn Day – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Sky Blooms – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

See also: Film Simulation Recipes

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[Not] My Fujifilm X-T1 (X-Trans II) Kodak Portra 160 Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on March 29, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

Mitchell Mesa – Monument Valley, AZ – Fujifilm X-T1 “Kodak Portra 160”

Kodak introduced Portra film in 1998. As the name implies, this film was designed for portrait photography, as it produces pleasing skin tones. It came in three ISO options: 160, 400 and 800. The ISO 160 and 400 versions came in two varieties: Neutral Color (NC), which was less saturated, and Vivid Color (VC), which was more saturated. In 2011 Kodak did away with the Neutral Color and Vivid Color options, making a new version that was more-or-less in-between the two.

One of the top films that I’ve been asked to create a film simulation recipe for is Portra 160. I’ve tried many times, and I felt that I got close a couple of times, but I was never able to get it quite right. Fuji X Weekly reader Piotr Skrzypek recently created a Portra 160 film simulation recipe for his Fujifilm X-E2, and he gave me permission to share his settings with you! When I first looked at his pictures, I immediately thought that they resembled Portra, and I continued to think so as I used his recipe on my X-T1. Piotr has a lot of experience shooting film, and the main film that he uses is Portra 160. I’ve shot Portra before, but it’s been many years. How the film is shot, developed, and printed or scanned effects the way that it looks, so results can vary, but this recipe is overall an excellent facsimile of actual Portra 160 film. Great job, Piotr Skrzypek!

Portra – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 “Kodak Portra 160”

I did alter Piotr’s recipe a little. I have Color set to +1, but he has Color set to +2, which I think more mimics Portra 160VC. Whether you set Color to +1 or +2, you are still getting a Portra look, and you can try it both ways and decide which you like better for your photographs. You can even try setting color to 0 to get a Portra 160NC look. The other change I made is to white balance, which I set to Daylight, while Piotr uses auto-white-balance. In many outdoor circumstances Daylight and AWB will produce identical results, so for the most part it doesn’t matter which you choose. I like Daylight a little more than AWB, but you can decide which you prefer for yourself. This recipe is intended for X-Trans II cameras, but there will be a Portra 160 recipe for X-Trans III and IV cameras coming soon!

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR-Auto
Highlight: -2 (Low)
Shadow: -2 (Low)
Color: +1 (Medium-High)
Sharpness: -2 (Low)
Noise Reduction: -2 (Low)
White Balance: Daylight, +3 Red & -4 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 3200

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Kodak Portra 160 recipe on my Fujifilm X-T1:

Snow on the Roofs – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Roof Snow – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Faux Green – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Beside the Window – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Silver & Green – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Green Stems – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Bright Blossoms – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Future Fujifilm Photographer – Monument Valley, AZ – Fujifilm X-T1

Girl, Horse & Books – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

The Peg Game – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Girl & Game – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Wood Ladder – Edge of the Cedars SP, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Monumental Crosswalk – Monument Valley, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Four Desert Horses – Monument Valley, AZ – Fujifilm X-T1

Mittens Evening – Monument Valley, AZ – Fujifilm X-T1

Rural Grass – Farmington Bay, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Reeds & Mountain – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

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My Fujifilm X-T30 Cross Process Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on March 24, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

Pot in the Sky – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Cross Process”

My last film simulation recipe was modeled after a look by photographer Jeff Davenport. Jeff has several different aesthetics, depending on his project. His Venice Beach Canals series has an interesting look that I wanted to attempt. I recognized right away the “look” that he created: orange and teal. Early color photography used two color layers (instead of three), orange-red and blue-teal. Digital software can mimic this aesthetic, and the strength of it can be adjusted. Exposure X5 software has a one-click preset for it. Jeff has customized his images to where both orange and pink lean towards peach.

I had a few ideas of how to create this look in-camera on my Fujifilm X-T30. I tried out those ideas and did some experiments, but unfortunately none of them worked. What you see here is the closest that I came to recreating Jeff’s Venice Beach Canals aesthetic. It’s not especially close, but I like it nonetheless. What this recipe actually reminds me of is Provia or Sensia cross processed. Cross processing color reversal film in C-41 chemicals isn’t uncommon. I’ve done it several times myself. I’ve already created a cross process film simulation recipe, but that recipe and this one produce somewhat different looks, despite both emulating cross processed film.

Riding Around the Cones – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Cross Process”

When I created this film simulation recipe, I didn’t intend for it to look cross processed. It was after the fact that I decided it resembled that analog effect. If I wanted it to more resemble cross processed film, I’d probably set Grain to Strong, and consider setting Shadows to 0; however, I do like the results from the recipe as-is. Feel free to adjust it to your own personal preferences. This recipe is compatible with X-Trans III & IV cameras.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: +4
Shadow: -1
Color: +3
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpness: +1
Grain Effect: Weak
Color Chrome Effect: Off
White Balance: 7700K, -8 Red & -3 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: -1/3 to -2/3 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Cross Process film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30:

Cloud over Apex – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Four Garages – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Bike & Cones – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Roofline & Siding – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Bike Park Bench – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Tennis Racket – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Razor – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Self Shadow – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Pedaling Around – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Reeds Cross Process – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

See also: Film Simulation Recipes

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My Fujifilm X-T30 Jeff Davenport Night Recipe

Posted on March 23, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

Reflected Red – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Jeff Davenport Night”

I was asked to create a film simulation recipe that mimics the aesthetics of photographer Jeff Davenport. Interestingly enough, Jeff uses Fujifilm cameras (X100F and X-H1). He shoots RAW and has his own post-processing workflow that allows him to create the specific looks that he wants. He has a few different styles, depending on what (and what time) he’s shooting. Jeff has several different photographic series, and each has its own look. My attempt here was to create something in-camera that produces results similar to his night pictures.

This recipe, which I call Jeff Davenport Night, isn’t an exact match to Jeff’s look, but it’s pretty close. His blue tends to lean slightly more towards green, but if I replicate that it throws everything else off. Orange in his pictures tend to turn red, which is something I can’t replicate. I think a lot of how a picture looks (both in Jeff’s case and with these settings) depends on the light in the scene. Results can vary greatly. Jeff might possibly use flash with colored gels, as well (something you could try if you wanted). Anyway, despite not being exact, this recipe is pretty close to recreating his look in-camera on my Fujifilm X-T30.

If you want a recipe that is good for night photography, this is one you should consider, along with my CineStill 800T recipe, because of the Kelvin temperature of the white balance, which goes well with artificial light. You don’t have to use it exclusively after dark, as results can be interesting sometimes when used in daylight. It’s fun to experiment with! For night photography, this will be one of your best options.

Pleiku – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Jeff Davenport Night”

When I attached my camera to a tripod, I used ISO 1600 or lower. When I did hand-held photography, I used up to ISO 6400. I think if you can take your time and use a tripod, it’s good to use a lower ISO, but you can still get good results with higher ISOs. Because of the use of the Color Chrome Effect, this recipe is intended for X-Trans IV cameras, but feel free to try it on your X-Trans III camera; it will look very similar, but not exactly the same.

PRO Neg. Hi
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: +1
Shadow: +0
Color: +2
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpness: +1
Grain Effect: Weak
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
White Balance: 2650K, -1 Red & +4 Blue

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this “Jeff Davenport Night” recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30:

Button – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Unlucky 13 Take Out – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Blue Street – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Blue Buildings – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Blue Lights – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

So Much Bicycling – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Red – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Closed Red Umbrellas – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Parked Car at Night – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Night Hotel – Farmington, UT -Fujifilm X-T30

Caution Poles – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Dumpster 204 – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Lights Beyond The Rooftop – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Nighttime Neighborhood – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Francis Peak at Night – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Reach for the Sky – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Illuminated Houses – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Wind Sock – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

No Thanks – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Earn Points – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Refining – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Night Walking – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

McKay – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Flag & Window – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Illuminated Blue – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Multi-Color Triangle – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Center Street Lamp – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Don’t – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Wet Glass Bokeh – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

See also: Film Simulation Recipes

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Fujifilm X-T1 Agfa Optima (Provia) Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on March 22, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

Reeds & Mountain – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 “Agfa Optima”

The film simulation recipe in this article is my Agfa Optima recipe, which is compatible with X-Trans III & IV cameras, converted for use on my Fujifilm X-T1. While the X-T1 is an X-Trans II camera, you can also use this recipe on X-Trans I and Bayer sensor cameras. Agfa Optima is a color negative film that was around from the mid-1990’s to the mid-2000’s.

Provia
Dynamic Range: DR100
Highlight: -1 (Medium-Low)
Shadow: +1 (Medium-High)
Color: -2 (Low)
Sharpness: 0 (Medium)
Noise Reduction: -2 (Low)
White Balance: Daylight, -3 Red & +1 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 3200

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Agfa Optima recipe on my Fujifilm X-T1:

Eggs in a Bowl – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Take a Picture Pronto – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Fruity Cereal – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Stealth Mode – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Suburban Alleyway – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Windows & Shadows – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Pine Tree & Sky – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Green & Fence – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Rural Metal Fence – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Marshland Sky – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

See also: Film Simulation Recipes

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My Fujifilm X-T30 Classic Slide Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on March 21, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

Winter Reeds – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Slide”

A lot of my film simulation recipes lean towards a warm cast. In the film days, many different films, especially those by Kodak, tended to lean warm. I often used a warming filter for my landscape photography, which made an even more pronounced color cast. This was all very common and normal. But not all films were balanced that way, not even all of Kodak’s. Since films have a specific Kelvin temperature (often “daylight balanced”), the light conditions could create a cool cast even on a warm-toned film. I decided that I needed another film simulation option with a cool color cast, because film isn’t always warm, and sometimes the scene demands something that’s cool.

I call this film simulation recipe “Classic Slide” because it has a slide-film aesthetic, in my opinion. I didn’t go about trying to mimic the look of any specific film. I think it’s in the neighborhood of Ektachrome 100G, or Elite Chrome 100, or Provia 100F and 400X, although it’s not an exact match to any of those films. It’s probably a bit closer to Provia than Ektachrome. It has a general color reversal film look, without matching any one in particular.

Indoor Green – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Classic Slide”

To create this film simulation recipe I began with my Kodachrome 64 recipe. You might notice many similarities. In fact, the white balance shift is the biggest change. I adjusted Sharpness down one notch just because Kodachrome was known as a “sharp” film, and this isn’t Kodachrome, but, in reality, the difference between +1 and +2 is tiny. I also set Color Chrome Effect to Off, which makes it completely compatible with all X-Trans III & IV cameras.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: +1
Shadow: +2
Color: 0
Sharpening: +1
Noise Reduction: -4
Grain: Weak
Color Chrome Effect: Off
White Balance: Daylight, -2 Red & +3 Blue
ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +2/3 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Classic Slide film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30:

Yellow Couch – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Chair & Blue Pillow – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Green Leaves Indoors – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Dresser Decor – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Laying in the Light – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Blinded by the Light – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Duck out of Water – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Crossing Flags – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Remaining Relic in Disrepair II – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Francis Peak in Evening Light – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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Kodacolor Film Simulation Recipe, Part 2

Posted on March 16, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

Remaining Relic in Disrepair – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

One of the most popular film simulation recipes that I’ve created is Kodacolor, which mimics the look of Kodacolor VR film, and ColorPlus 200 (the same film re-branded). A Fuji X Weekly reader recently asked me to create a recipe that resembles the aesthetic of photographer Stephen Shore. Stephen has been around for many, many years, and he’s still photographing today. Over the decades he’s used many different films, and perhaps even digital in recent years, but most notably he shot Kodacolor in 35mm, 4″ x 5″ medium-format, and especially 8″ x 10″ large format.

When I was looking at Stephen Shore’s pictures, there was something about it that seemed “off” when compared to my Kodacolor recipe. Close, but off. Some of that could be attributed to the use of different films, or how the film was shot, developed and/or printed. Then I read that the medium-format and especially the large-format versions of Kodacolor film were more vibrant, more saturated, then the 35mm version, and I realized why my recipe seemed off. It needed Color to be turned up in order to mimic Stephen Shore’s pictures.

This is not a new recipe. It is my Kodacolor recipe with one change: Color is to 0 instead of -2. That’s it! The results are only subtly different, but closer to Stephen Shore’s aesthetic. I think, alternatively, setting Grain to Weak could also be appropriate, but I left it at Strong. All of the pictures in this article were captured using this modified Kodacolor recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30. This recipe (as well as the original Kodacolor recipe) is compatible with all X-Trans III & IV cameras.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: -1
Shadow: +2
Color: 0
Sharpening: +2
Noise Reduction: -4
Grain: Strong
Color Chrome Effect: Off
White Balance: 6300K, -1 Red & -4 Blue
ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +2/3 to + 1-1/3 (typically)

Francis Peak Afternoon – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

March Reeds – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Ready To Swing – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Potted Plant by a Window – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Pointing Towards the Sky – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

House Window – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Colorful Neighborhood – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Kiss The Crepes – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

5:20 – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Packed Parking Lot – Bountiful, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

My Fujifilm X-T30 Monochrome Kodachrome Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on March 16, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

Light on the Wall – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Monochrome Kodachrome”

Kodachrome was a black-and-white film. No, really, it was! The color dyes were actually added during development. The process to develop Kodachrome color transparencies was complex and toxic. As demand for the film decreased and Kodak experienced financial troubles, both the film and the chemicals to develop it were discontinued. If you still have some undeveloped Kodachrome film sitting around, there’s absolutely no place in the world that can process it; that is, except as black-and-white negatives. It’s true: Kodachrome can be developed to this day as a black-and-white film!

While I think that this recipe does more-or-less mimic the look of Kodachrome developed as black-and-white, that’s not necessarily the intent of it. This recipe began as an experiment by Fuji X Weekly reader Thomas Schwab, who created the Urban Vintage Chrome recipe. He took my Vintage Kodachrome recipe and replaced the Classic Chrome film simulation with Acros, Monochrome and Sepia, and the results were quite interesting! I made a couple of minor adjustments to create this recipe. This is definitely a joint effort, and it wouldn’t exist without Thomas Schwab’s experiments and willingness to share the results. Thank you!

Window & Blinds – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Monochrome Kodachrome”

What I like about this Monochrome Kodachrome film simulation recipe is that it has a great film-like quality to it. This recipe pairs especially well with vintage lenses (I used an Asahi Super-Takumar 28mm for about half of these pictures). Even though it says “Fujifilm X-T30” in the title, it can be used on any X-Trans III & IV camera. You can also use this same recipe with the Monocrome+R film simulation, for a slightly different result.

Acros+R
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: +4
Shadow: -2
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: +1
Grain Effect: Strong
Color Chrome Effect: Off
Toning: 0
White Balance: AWB, 0 Red & +9 Blue
ISO: Auto, ISO 3200 to ISO 12800
Exposure Compensation: -1/3 to +2/3 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Monochrome Kodachrome film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30:

Roman – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Cleaning Cart – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Fake Potted Plant – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Tree Shadow on a Brick Wall – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Small Bridge – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Rural Road – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Monochrome Mountain Landscape – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

B&W Reeds – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Tennis Swing – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Engaged In Television – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Little Jo – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Hand Washing – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Faceless – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Muffins – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Pronto! – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Daylight Balanced – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

See also: Film Simulation Recipes

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12 New Film Simulation Recipes in 2020, And Counting…

Posted on March 10, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

So far this year I have published 12 new film simulation recipes: six for “newer” Fujifilm cameras, such as my X-T30, and six for “older” models, such as my X-T1. Actually, one article contained three different recipes, so technically we’re up to 14. Yet there will be more! I have several ideas and aesthetics that I am working on. 2020 might be the biggest year yet for film simulation recipes!

One of these days I hope to have the new Classic Negative and Bleach Bypass film simulations available to use. I think both, but especially Classic Negative, have the potential to be great starting points for new recipes. I’m not “upgrading” my camera right now, though, as there’s not really a need to, so unfortunately that will have to wait until Fujifilm makes those available to the X-T30 via firmware updates (which may or may not happen), or I buy a new model sometime down the road (it won’t be soon).

Which of the recipes below are your favorites? Are you using any of them right now? Is there one that you haven’t yet used but are planning to soon? Even though I have five listed under “X-Trans IV” you can still use them with X-Trans III cameras. You just don’t have Color Chrome Effect, which doesn’t make a big difference, so the results will be quite similar.

X-Trans IV

Analog Color

Cut Strawberries – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Vintage Color Fade

Young Boy with an Old Camera – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Bleach Bypass

Instamatic Mourning – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Dramatic Monochrome

Shadow Ware – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Split-Toned B&W

Vintage Bolsey Camera – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

X-Trans III & IV

Fujicolor Pro 400H Overexposed

I Will Always Love You – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

X-Trans II

Kodachrome 64

Suburban Silver Lining – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Kodachrome II

The Wetlands of Farmington Bay – Farmington Bay, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Kodacolor

Man In Red – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Classic Chrome

Praying the Order is Right – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

X-Trans I & II

Ektachrome 100SW

Windows & Reflections – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Velvia

Pink Penguin – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Monochrome

Rebuilt 24 – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Faded Monochrome

Thought – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

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Fujifilm X-T1 (X-Trans II) Faded Monochrome Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on March 9, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

Partially Illuminated – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 “Faded Monochrome”

This is my Faded Monochrome recipe adapted for my Fujifilm X-T1. It will work on all X-Trans I & II and Bayer sensor cameras, just so long as it has a double-exposure mode (I think they all do, but I’m not 100% certain). You have to put the camera into double-exposure mode, capture the scene with the first exposure, and use the second exposure to photograph a medium-grey piece of paper (I used an 8.5″ x 11″ sheet of construction paper). I prefer the second exposure to be out of focus. The first exposure should be slightly overexposed, perhaps by 1/3 to 2/3 stop, because the second exposure will decrease the contrast. The second exposure should be underexposed by at least 1 stop, and as many as 3 stops. How bright or dark the second exposure is will determine just how faded the picture will be. It requires some experimentation, but thankfully you get a real-time display of what the picture will look like and the opportunity for a do-over (simply select “Retry”). The look you get is similar to using a low-contrast filter when making black-and-white prints in the darkroom.

Monochrome
Dynamic Range: DR100
Highlight: +2 (High)
Shadow: +2 (High)
Sharpness: 0 (Medium)
Noise Reduction: -2 (Low)
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 3200

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Faded Monochrome recipe on my Fujifilm X-T1:

Thought – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Girl Shadow – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Piano Hand – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Piano Fingers – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Faded Lily – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Flowers Fading – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Bouquet – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Wheelbarrow Monochrome – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Gathering – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

Window Blinds – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1

See also: Film Simulation Recipes

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My Fujifilm X-T30 Analog Color Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on March 8, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

Pentax – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Analog Color”

Sometimes accidents are happy, such as with this film simulation recipe, which I call Analog Color. I was attempting to make a recipe that mimics the looks of Kodak Portra 400 that’s been overexposed, but I was unsuccessful (at least for now); however, in the process I accidentally created this one. It was a mistake, but I liked how it looked, so I shot a bunch of pictures with it. This recipe reminds me of Fujicolor C200 or Agfa Vista 200, or perhaps even Kodak Gold 200. It’s in the neighborhood of ColorPlus 200, as well. But, it doesn’t exactly resemble any of those films perfectly. What I appreciate about this Analog Color film simulation is that it has a film-like quality to it, with a real color negative aesthetic, even if it’s not an exact match to any film that I’m aware of.

How this film simulation recipe looks depends on the light. This is true of all the recipes that don’t use auto white balance, but it seems especially so with this particular recipe. It can have a warm cast sometimes and cool cast other times, or even occasionally both a cool and warm cast within the same image. Perhaps this is one of the things that make it appear film-like. I do think that there’s something special about this recipe.

Route Running – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Analog Color”

I like Color set to -1, but feel free to play around with that. If you want something more saturated, increase Color to 0 or +1. If you don’t like grain, set it to Weak or off. If you like lots of grain, keep the ISO high, perhaps no lower than ISO 1600. I think that this recipe will pair well with vintage lenses, and that’s something else you can experiment with.

PRO Neg. Std
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: +3
Shadow: +0
Color: -1
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Grain: Strong
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: 1
White Balance: Daylight, -3 Red & +1 Blue
ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +2/3 to +1 1/3 (typically)

Example photographs, all straight-out-of-camera JPEGs captured using my Fujifilm X-T30 Analog Color film simulation recipe:

Red Window – Monument Valley, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30

Cut Strawberries – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Joshua Smiling – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Girl in a Blue Sweater – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Living Room Bass Pro – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Backlit Jon – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Succulent on a Shelf – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Time’s Fun When You’re Having Flies – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

46 Minutes to Ogden – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Empty Seats – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

The Bags We Carry – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

No Storage – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Rain God Mesa – Monument Valley, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30

Tree In The Dirt – Monument Valley, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30

Monument Valley Afternoon – Monument Valley, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30

Monument Valley After Sunset – Monument Valley, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30

See also: Film Simulation Recipes

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My Fujifilm X-T30 Fujicolor Pro 400H Overexposed Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on February 26, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

I Will Always Love You – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Fujicolor Pro 400H Overexposed”

Fujifilm introduced Fujicolor Pro 400H in 2004 and it’s been a popular film ever since. Photographers often overexpose this film by as many as four stops. When overexposed, the film turns from a somewhat ordinary high-ISO (that’s what the “H” stands for in the name) portrait film into something almost magical. Colors become vibrant and pastel. The exact look of overexposed Pro 400H varies, depending on how much overexposed, how developed, and how printed or scanned. The effect can range from subtle to pronounced. I have been trying for some time now to create a film simulation recipe that mimics the aesthetic of overexposed Pro 400H, and, despite creating a Fujicolor Pro 400H film simulation recipe already, achieving an overexposed look has eluded me.

I had read that one of the films that was the inspiration for the PRO Neg. Hi film simulation was Pro 400H. I tried and tried using that film simulation, and even PRO Neg. Std and Astia, to get the look that I was after, but I just couldn’t get it right. Yesterday, following some inspiration, as I was playing around with the Provia film simulation, I created a look that I thought might work. It was close! A few adjustments here and there, and this Fujicolor Pro 400H Overexposed film simulation recipe was born, and I spent the afternoon shooting a bunch of exposures with it. I just couldn’t believe that I finally did it!

Green Sky – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Fujicolor Pro 400H Overexposed”

Something that I went back and forth on with this recipe is the shadows. I feel like +4 is too much sometimes, and +3 is too little sometimes. I ended up choosing +4, but I think +3 would be just as acceptable. You might try some shots with +4 and some with +3 and decide which you like better. Perhaps use +4 in low-contrast scenes and +3 in high-contrast scenes. I also debated on Color, settling on +1, which might be too high. You might consider setting Color to 0 if you think it’s too saturated. Even though I created this on my Fujifilm X-T30, it’s fully compatible with all X-Trans III and IV cameras.

Provia
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: -2
Shadow: +4
Color: +1
Color Chrome Effect: Off
Grain: Weak
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: 1
White Balance: Auto, +2 Red & +2 Blue
ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +1 2/3 to +2 1/3 (typically)

Example photographs, all straight-out-of-camera JPEGs captured using my Fujifilm X-T30 Fujicolor Pro 400H Overexposed film simulation recipe:

Annoyed – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Fujicolor Pro 400H Overexposed”

Happy – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Reading – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Markers – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Lego Car – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Ocean of Books – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Suburban Sky – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Neighborhood – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Tree Trunk Between Shrubs – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Liquid Obscurity – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Evening Windows – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Closed Umbrella – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Raining In The Pool – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Observing – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Outdoor Mall – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

String of Lights – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Disconnected – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

See also: Film Simulation Recipes

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My Fujifilm X-T30 Vintage Color Fade Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on February 25, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

Young Boy With An Old Camera – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Vintage Color Fade”

Two days ago I posted my “Bleach Bypass” film simulation recipe, and yesterday I posted my Split-Toned B&W recipe. Today’s film simulation recipe takes elements from both of those to produce a look that reminds me of something found on Nik Analog Efex. I call it Vintage Color Fade. It’s actually similar to my Faded Color recipe, but with modifications, producing a different result. This recipe definitely has a vintage analog aesthetic to it, with some very interesting results. It’s quite amazing that you can do this in-camera!

My Vintage Color Fade film simulation recipe requires the use of the double exposure feature of your camera. You make the first exposure using the settings under “Exposure 1” below. Then, before capturing the second image, switch to the settings found under “Exposure 2″ below. The only difference between the two sets of settings is the film simulation and the B&W tone, so it’s pretty easy to switch between them. The first exposure is of the scene that you want to capture, and the second exposure is of a piece of paper, which I prefer to be out-of-focus. The paper that I used was a medium-blue 8.5″ x 11” construction paper, the same paper that I used in the Split-Toned B&W recipe. The color of the paper doesn’t matter, but whatever it is should be medium-grey in black-and-white. How bright the second exposure is will determine how faded the picture will appear.

Exposure 1
PRO Neg. Hi
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: +4
Shadow: +4
Color: +4
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Grain: Weak
Sharpening: +1
Noise Reduction: -4
White Balance: Auto, -5 Red & +5 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +2/3 to +1 (typically)

Exposure 2
Acros
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: +4
Shadow: +4
Tone: +6 (warm)
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Grain: Weak
Sharpening: +1
Noise Reduction: -4
White Balance: Auto, -5 Red & +5 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: -1 to -3 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Vintage Color Fade film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30:

Love You Always – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Indoor Potted Plant – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Fisher Price Phone – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Young Film Photographer – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Josh – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Girl Reading – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

A Good Book – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Black Bike – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Down Stairs – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Honey Buckets – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

UTA Train – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

See also: Film Simulation Recipes

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My Fujifilm X-T30 Split-Toned B&W Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on February 24, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

Vintage Bolsey Camera – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Split-Toned B&W”

While creating my “Bleach Bypass” film simulation recipe, which requires double exposures, I also discovered how to split-tone black-and-white pictures in-camera using double exposures. Split toning was originally a darkroom technique where one would give their black-and-white print a bath in two different toning chemicals, which resulted in shadows and highlights having two different colors. There are many different ways to split tone and many different potential results. This Split-Toned B&W recipe loosely mimics the aesthetic of ferrocyanide toning (blue) with diluted sepia (reddish-brown). You can get similar results very easily with software, but it’s fun to achieve a split tone effect straight out of camera.

For this recipe, you’ll capture the first exposure as normal. I find that increasing the exposure by 1/3 to 2/3 stop over what you might normally do produces better results. For the second exposure, photograph blue paper. I used an 8.5″ x 11″ medium-blue construction paper for my pictures. I like to purposefully make the second exposure out of focus, although I’m not sure that it matters much if you do. You can control the strength of the blue tone by how bright the second exposure is. The darker the exposure, the less blue there will be and the less faded the picture will appear. The brighter the exposure, the more blue there will be and the more faded the picture will appear. It’s fun to experiment with this, because you can vary the look significantly by how you expose the second image. If you want the highlights to be warmer, simply increase the tone of the first exposure to be more warm, or even use the Sepia film simulation instead of Acros. You could use a different color paper, or even use a cool tone instead of warm on the first exposure, if you wanted. You could really play around with this and come up with all sots of different looks.

Exposure 1
Acros
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: +4
Shadow: +4
Tone: +6 (warm)
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Grain: Weak
Sharpening: +1
Noise Reduction: -4
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +2/3 to +1 (typically)

Exposure 2
Velvia
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: +4
Shadow: +4
Color: +2
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Grain: Weak
Sharpening: +1
Noise Reduction: -4
White Balance: Auto, 0 Red & 0 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: -1 to -3 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Split-Toned B&W film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30: