Last Warm Light on Wasatch Front – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1 – “Negative Print”
This film simulation recipe was inspired by various pictures I found while browsing old issues of Arizona Highways magazine. I have a small collection of old issues of this publication, which I enjoy flipping through from time-to-time for inspiration. Arizona Highways has a long history of publishing great photographs—even Ansel Adams was a regular contributor back in the day. As I was browsing old issues published over several decades, there was a certain aesthetic that seemed to reappear over and over. It caught my attention because of how lovely it looks. I don’t know the specifics of the film used—most likely Kodak of some sort, and probably multiple emulsion. My suspicion is that the printing process played a significant part in the aesthetic, and that’s why I call this recipe Negative Print.
After some experimenting, I decided that the Eterna film simulation was the best base. Because of that, this recipe is only compatible with the Fujifilm X-H1, X-T3, and X-T30 cameras (as well as older GFX models, although the results will be slightly different). For newer X-Trans IV cameras (plus newer GFX), you’ll have to decide on Grain size (either Small or Large—I recommend Large), Color Chrome FX Blue (I recommend Off), and Clarity (I suggest either 0 or -2). I really like how this recipe renders pictures, and at times it really is reminiscent of those pictures printed in the magazine!
White & Red Rose – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Negative Print”
If you are looking for a classic analog aesthetic, this recipe is a great one to try. The way it renders shadows and colors definitely gives it a film-like look, and I know that this recipe will quickly become a favorite for some of you. I think it might just have a permanent place in my X-H1.
Eterna Dynamic Range: DR200 Highlight: +2 Shadow: +4 Color: +4 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpness: -1 Grain Effect: Weak Color Chrome Effect: Off/NA White Balance: Fluorescent 3, -2 Red & -7 Blue ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +2/3
Below are example pictures, all camera-made JPEGs captured using this “Negative Print” Film Simulation Recipe:
Fire & Pine – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Trail in the Trees – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Tree by a Creek – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Old Blooms – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Snow on the Creek Bank – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Small Waterfall – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Rural Pipe – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Suburban Snowman – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Love Yourself – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Stairs to Foot Bridge – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
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Anders began by looking at some old prints he has, which were captured on Kodak Gold 200 film. He noticed that these prints looked a little different than my Kodak Gold 200 recipe, but one film can have many different looks depending on how it was shot, developed, printed and/or scanned, or even which generation of the emulsion you’re viewing. This recipe mimics the aesthetic of his prints, but he noticed that it also matches many examples of Gold 200 that he found online.
Kids in a Tree – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Gold v2”
This recipe is compatible with the Fujifilm X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II cameras. To make this recipe work on the X-T3 and X-T30, Anders suggests using Grain Strong, White Balance 5900K (with the same shift), and ignoring Clarity—I suggest that you consider using a weak diffusion filter, such as 1/8 Black Pro Mist or 5% CineBloom, in leu of Clarity. In addition, for X-Trans III, ignore Color Chrome Effect. The results will be slightly different, but nearly the same. Anders suggests trying this recipe with a 3200K white balance for night photography.
Classic Chrome Dynamic Range: DR200 Highlight: 0 Shadow: -1 Color: -1 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpness: -1 Clarity: -2 Grain Effect: Strong, Large Color Chrome Effect: Weak Color Chrome Effect Blue: Off White Balance: 5800K, +2 Red & +4 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: 0 to +2/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this new Kodak Gold v2 film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X100V:
Moon Behind Pine – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Moon Behind Cattails – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Safe Zone – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Makeshift Gate – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Wood Post – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Trail to Visitors Center – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Green Leaves in January – Farmington UT – Fujifilm X100V
Hanging Red Berries in Winter – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Berries and Barren Branches – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Brown Reeds – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Jo in a Tree – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Jo Under The Tennis Net – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Rural Creek – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm H-H1 – “Kodak GT 800-5”
My Kodak Max 800 film simulation recipe was modeled after some film I found that had “Kodak GT 800-3” imprinted on the negatives. After some research I found out that it was Kodak Max Zoom 800 (specifically, the third iteration of this film). Kodak Max Zoom 800 was replaced by Kodak Max Versatility Plus 800 in 2006, and those negatives had “Kodak GT 800-4” imprinted on them. Well, I found some more prints plus the negatives, and this film has “Kodak GT 800-5” imprinted on them. I searched and searched, but I didn’t find any information on this film. My suspicion is that Kodak updated the Kodak Max Versatility Plus 800 film in some way, yet kept the name the same, but that’s just a guess—it could be an entirely different emulsion sold under a different name. In other words, I’m pretty sure “Kodak GT 800-5” is a descendant of Kodak Max 800, but I wasn’t able to find any specific information on it.
The 4″ x 6″ prints I found were captured in 2008 while on a day-trip to Sedona, Arizona, and were developed at Walgreens. I’m pretty sure the film was shot using a disposable camera, although I don’t remember why (I remember the trip, but I don’t remember anything specific about the pictures). The prints have a strong warm (red/orange) color cast, are somewhat desaturated, and have dark shadows. I’m not sure if this is due to the film itself, or the development and printing by Walgreens, or because they’re degrading with time, or a combination of all three—perhaps something else entirely, like sitting too long in a hot car (always a possibility in Arizona). Whatever the reason, I thought the aesthetic was interesting, so I recreated it on my Fujifilm X-H1.
A Poor quality scan of a print from actual Kodak GT 800-5 film.
A goal of mine for 2022 is to buy a better scanner. I had a “better” one (by better, I simply mean better than what I currently have, because it was mediocre, or really “good enough”), but it stopped working about 10 months ago. This current scanner, which is part of a printer/scanner combination, is particularly bad for some reason. I say all of this because the scan above doesn’t do the print justice, but I wanted to include it anyway to give you an idea where the inspiration for this recipe came from.
This Kodak GT 800-5 film simulation recipe is compatible with all X-Trans III cameras, which include the Fujifilm X-Pro2, X100F, X-E3, X-T2, X-T20, and X-H1. You can also use it on the X-T3 and X-T30 by setting Color Chrome Effect to Off. Because of the particularly warm color cast, this isn’t a recipe that’s for everyone or every situation, but in certain situations this will produce interesting results, and some of you will definitely like it.
PRO Neg. Std Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: 0 Shadow: +3 Color: -3 Sharpness: -2 Noise Reduction: -4 Grain: Strong White Balance: 7100K, +7 Red & -5 Blue ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +1 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured using this “Kodak GT 800-5” film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-H1:
Storm Over Mountains at Sunset – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Winter Mountain – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Snow Covered Blackberry Vines by a Creek – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Winter Berries – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Blossom Remnants 1 – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Blossom Remnants 2 – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Milkweed in January – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Small Spillway – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Rural Road Near Creek – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Path in the Marsh – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Cattails & Frozen Pond – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Frozen Waterway – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Citations Will Be Issued – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
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!
The Fuji X Weekly App is free, yet becoming a Fuji X Weekly Patron unlocks the best App experience! One benefit of being a Patron is you get early access to some new film simulation recipes. These Early-Access Recipes will eventually become available free to everyone in time, including this new one. In fact, many Early-Access Recipes have been publicly published on this blog and the App, so now everyone can use them! Patrons help support Fuji X Weekly and, really, without them there would be no App. So I want to give a special “thank you” to all of the Patrons!
This new Patron Early-Access recipe is called Analog Gold because it has a vintage film-like aesthetic with a golden color cast. It produces a warm, somewhat-muted look, and does well in both sunny and overcast conditions. While it’s not modeled after any specific film or process, it does convey an analog quality that’s easy to appreciate. I know that some of you will love this one!
This “Analog Gold” Patron Early-Access Recipe is compatible with the Fujifilm X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II cameras. If you are a Fuji X Weekly Patron, it’s available to you right now on the Fuji X Weekly App! If you don’t have the App, download it for free today.
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured using this “Analog Gold” film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-E4:
Kaysville Pond in January – Kaysville, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Weather Radar – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Dry Leaves & Red Berries – Kaysville, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Rusty Fence Post – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Flowing Creek in Grass – Kaysville, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Frozen Pond – Kaysville, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Grass & Frozen Pond Water – Kaysville, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Grass in the Ice – Kaysville, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Dry Shrub – Kaysville, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Helicopters Waiting to Fly – Kaysville, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
No Trespassing – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Old Kodak”
I was inspired to create this film simulation recipe after viewing some old pictures captured on various Kodak films. These pictures reminded me of the Vintage Kodachrome and Kodachrome 1 film simulation recipes, but they weren’t exactly the same. I thought if I tweaked those recipes I could get closer to mimicking the aesthetic of the old Kodak pictures that I was looking at (which is why I call this recipe Old Kodak). If you like the Vintage Kodachrome and Kodachrome 1 recipes, you’ll really appreciate this one, too!
Old Kodak was a Patron Early-Access recipe on the Fuji X Weekly App, and App Patrons have had access to it for nine months; however, it’s been replaced by a different Early-Access recipe, so now it’s available to everyone! The best App experience is reserved for Patrons, and early-access to some new film simulation recipes is one of the Patron benefits. If you are a Patron, be sure to look for the new Early-Access recipe that replaced this one.
Wet Radio Flyer – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Old Kodak”
Because this recipe uses 0.5 adjustments to Highlight and Shadow, plus the Auto White Priority white balance, it’s only compatible with the Fujifilm X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II cameras. If you have an X-Pro3 or X100V, if you set Highlight to +3, Shadow to -1, and white balance to Auto, it will be similar but not exactly the same (don’t be afraid to try it anyway). While the “typical exposure compensation” is between -1/3 and +1/3, in situations with strong highlights you might have to go -2/3 or even -1 on occasion to prevent the highlights from clipping.
Classic Chrome Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: +3.5 Shadow: -0.5 Color: +3 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpening: -2 Clarity: -2 Grain Effect: Strong, Small Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome Effect Blue: Strong White Balance: Auto White Priority, +1 Red & -6 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: -1/3 to +1/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this “Old Kodak” film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-E4:
Salt Lake Marsh Evening – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Big Sky Over Marsh – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Rural Red Barn – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Holland Deere – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Open Gate – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Old Wheel – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Rusty Bolts In A Fence – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Suburban Storm – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
The Joy of Writing – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Gumby on a Table – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Blue Pallets – Kaysville, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Kaysville Pond – Kaysville, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Sunset Light on Winter Mountain – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
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!
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
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!
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
This film simulation recipe is called “Fujicolor NPH” because it is inspired by that film. Actually, I was attempting a Fujicolor Pro 400H recipe. I had a couple already: Fujicolor Pro 400H for X-Trans III and Fujicolor Pro 400H Overexposed for X-Trans IV. This was originally an Early-Access recipe on the Fuji X Weekly App, and App Patrons have had access to it for nearly a year; however, it’s been replaced by a different Early-Access recipe, so now it’s available to everyone! Since the time that I originally published this, I’ve made a new Fujicolor Pro 400H recipe that I’m quite happy with. This recipe is similar to Pro 400H film, but it’s actually closer to Fujicolor NPH 400, which was the predecessor to Pro 400H. Those two emulsions were similar, with only small differences, but in my opinion this recipe is closer to NPH 400, so that’s why I named it after that film.
Because this film simulation recipe requires Clarity and Color Chrome FX Blue, it’s compatible with the Fujifilm X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II cameras. I believe those who own a newer GFX camera, such as the GFX 100S and GFX 50S II, can use it, too, although results will be slightly different. If you don’t want to use Clarity because it slows down the camera, you could alternatively use a diffusion filter (such as 1/8 Black Pro Mist or 5% CineBloom) instead.
Provia Dynamic Range: DR100 Highlight: -1 Shadow: 0 Color: 0 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpening: 0 Clarity: -3 Grain Effect: Weak, Large Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome Effect Blue: Strong White Balance: 5250K, -3 Red & -4 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +2/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Fujicolor NPH film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-E4 & Fujifilm X100V cameras:
Weber River in Winter – Weber Canyon, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Honey Salmon – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Cold Tires – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Sprinkler – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Post – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Frozen Pond – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
760 Sign – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Blue Sky Reeds – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Old Pepsi Machine – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Stepping Into the Night Circle – Sunset, UT – Fujifilm X100V
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!
Ice Cold Pepsi – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Kodak Max 800”
The Fuji X Weekly App is free, yet becoming a Fuji X Weekly Patron unlocks the best App experience! One benefit of being a Patron is you get early access to some new film simulation recipes. These Early-Access Recipes will eventually become available free to everyone in time, including this new one. In fact, many Early-Access Recipes have been publicly published on this blog and the App, so now everyone can use them! Patrons help support Fuji X Weekly and, really, without them there would be no App. So I want to give a special “thank you” to all of the Patrons!
This new Patron Early-Access Recipe is modeled after some prints I found in a box that I thought looked interesting. I didn’t initially know what film had been used, but after locating the negatives I discovered it was something called Kodak GT 800-3, and I had no idea what that was. After much sleuthing, I found out it was Kodak Max Zoom 800, also known as Max 800. The film was shot in 2006 (I believe by my wife), and it was the third and final iteration of the emulsion (this version was introduced in 2000). Max Zoom 800 was replaced in 2006 by the similar Max Versatility Plus 800 (which was around for five or six years before its discontinuation).
Kodak made Max 800 film for point-and-shoot and disposable cameras—specifically, they marketed it for point-and-shot cameras with a zoom lens, which exaggerated camera shake. It was a cheap high-ISO consumer color negative film intended for the novice. It had a large latitude for underexposure and (especially) overexposure, but color reproduction was a little different (some have said bland or weird) when compared to other Kodak films. Kodak intended the film to be printed on Ektacolor Edge paper, but my samples were printed on Fujicolor Crystal Archive paper (which certainly affects the aesthetic)—this recipe is modeled after my samples.
Winter Greenhouse – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Kodak Max 800”
This Kodak Max 800 Patron Early-Access Recipe is compatible with the Fujifilm X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II cameras. If you are a Fuji X Weekly Patron, it’s available to you right now on the Fuji X Weekly App! If you don’t have the App, download it for free today.
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured using this “Kodak Max 800” film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-E4:
Frozen Ponds at a Bird Refuge – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Winter Gate – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Open Gate – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Icy Marshland – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
What Remains of Summer – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Winter Water – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Frozen Marsh Pond – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Nature Trail – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Green Truck – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Santa’s Sled – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Neighborhood Path in Winter – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Trail Closed – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
No Shooting Past the Fence – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Pallets – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Inside Abandoned Shed – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Walking Tunnel – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Farm in the City – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Barnes & Noble Window – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Building Top in Last Light – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
If you crossed out the words “simulation recipe” from that question, you’d have a very common inquiry from the film era. Back then, at any given time, there were just as many (if not more) film choices as there are film simulation recipe choices today—especially at the height of film in the late-1990’s and early-2000’s. Over the years there have been hundreds and hundreds of emulsions, maybe over a thousand. How does one know which film to use?
It’s a little easier today because there are far fewer film choices (but there’s still a lot!). Do you want color or black-and-white? That’s where I always started. What’s the lighting going to be? That helps decide the ISO that will be needed. Also, if color, will I need daylight or tungsten balanced? What filters might I need? Those are important factors to consider. Do I want low contrast or high (although how I shoot and develop factors significantly into this)? If color, low saturation or high? These questions and more, which are asked before the camera is even loaded, helps determine the film choice.
The two biggest factors, however, for my film choice decision were usually these: availability and experience. While there were hundreds to choose from, I might only have five or six different emulsions in the refrigerator at any given time. If I was going to buy some film before heading out or in preparation for it, I would be limited by the availability of the store, and that might be 10 emulsions or 100, depending on the place. A lot of times it would come down to what I’d used in the past and had success with. After awhile you figure out which options work for you. I liked to try different films just to see what I might get, but I often found myself returning to the ones that I really liked, which explains those five or six in the fridge.
With film simulation recipes, some of the same factors that determined which film to use can also help to determine which recipe to use. Color or black-and-white? Daylight or tungsten? High contrast or low contrast? High saturation or low saturation? A big difference is that you are not limited to “the stock in your fridge” or what a store might carry. And maybe you don’t have a lot of experience with them to know which recipes might work well in a specific scenario. The more experience you get, the more you’ll know, but that takes time, perhaps years, of using different recipes in various situations.
My hope in the coming year is to do a lot more to help with this. I want to make it easier for people to determine which recipes might be good options in whichever photographic situations that they find themselves in. This, of course, is a pretty monumental challenge, not only because there are so many recipes (and always more in the works!), but because there are more potential photographic situations than there are recipes. This is something that books could be written about. Even so, I will do my best with this project, because I want it to be easier for you to determine which recipes to use when.
That’s great for the future, but what about now? What resources are available today to determine which recipe to program into your Fujifilm camera for whatever it is that you’re about to shoot?
The Fuji X Weekly App is a good starting point. If you are not already, become an App Patron so that you can unlock the ability to filter. Select your camera or sensor, then choose color or black-and-white, or a specific film simulation if you know that you want an aesthetic a certain film simulation produces. You can also filter by White Balance, which can potentially be helpful if you have an idea of the lighting conditions you’ll encounter, or Dynamic Range, which can potentially be helpful if you know how harsh the light will be. These tools help to determine which recipe to use by filtering out the ones that might not be good options.
Otherwise, my Film Simulation Reviews page and the SOOC video series are two other resources that might be helpful. Film Simulation Reviews are articles that show specific recipes in specific situations, so if you find yourself in a similar situation you can know how that recipe will do (whether good or bad). It’s not nearly as robust of a library as I’d like it to be, but it might be helpful nonetheless. In the SOOC videos, not only is a specific recipe discussed and used, but, in the “Special Occasions” segment, recipes for specific scenarios are suggested. Be sure to visit YouTube.com/c/FujiXWeekly to find those videos.
Of course, the sample pictures within the recipes are intended to give you a clue if it might be a good choice or not. I can’t provide sample pictures captured in every photographic genre and every lighting condition, but I try to provide a good mix to help you know whether it might work well for you or not. If you haven’t spent much time viewing the sample images, it might be worth your time to look longer at them. If you are a Fuji X Weekly App Patron, when you encounter a recipe that you think might work for you based on the sample pictures, use one of the Star colors to mark it, so that you can revisit it whenever you’re ready to program a recipe into your camera.
Much like with film, perhaps the best way to know whether a recipe will work well for your specific photographic situation is with experience. If you try it and it does well, now you know. And if it doesn’t, now you know. Program seven recipes into your C1-C7 Custom Presets, and see how they do. You can use the colored Stars in the App to help you keep track of which ones you especially like (maybe use green stars) and which ones you especially don’t (perhaps use red stars). After that, try another seven recipes.
I wish that I had a more helpful response to, “How do I know which film simulation recipe to use in a specific situation?” There are as many potential photographic situations as there are film simulation recipes to choose from, and it’s not always easy to determine which ones are best for what. The Fuji X Weekly App has some great tools that can help, and there are other resources, too, but the best answer is that it takes experience, which you’ll get as you try them out in various scenarios. The more you shoot with them, the more you’ll know which ones are good options for whatever situation you’re in. In the coming year I want to do more to help with this, so that there’s a little less trial-and-error involved on your part, and those with little or no experience don’t have quite as steep of a learning curve to climb. I have a long ways to go, but I am determined to make this website a better resource for those trying to figure out which recipes to program into their Fujifilm camera.
In this “SoundBite” (as we’re calling it) from Episode 06 of SOOC, Fujifilm X-Photographer Nathalie Boucry and I discuss three film simulation recipes that are good for portrait photography. This is a short snippet from the show, and it gives you an idea of the type of content that’s found in a SOOC broadcast. If you missed Episode 06, I’ve included it below, so you can view it in its entirety if you’d like.
If you’ve never watched, SOOCis a monthly live video series that’s interactive. It’s a collaboration between Nathalie and I. We discuss film simulation recipes, camera settings, and answer your questions. Basically, we’re trying to help you master your Fujifilm camera, with a focus on simplifying your photographic workflow.
Two Cold Horses – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 – “Winter Slide”
I recently created an X-Trans II film simulation recipe specifically for wintry conditions called Winter Slide. While I have many recipes that will do well photographing snow, creating a recipe specifically for that particular condition is unusual. Since winter is here, I thought it would be a fun exercise to examine how several recipes do when photographing snow. By several, I mean 14 recipes!
So let’s take a look at how these 14 different film simulation recipes do photographing in wintry conditions!
Note: This was a Creative Collective article, but now it’s available to everyone.
Let’s start off by briefly explaining the process. I used two cameras: Fujifilm X100V and X-H1. I chose seven recipes for each camera, and the recipes were somewhat randomly selected. I chose ones that I thought could possibly do well or might otherwise be interesting in the snow. I captured two images for each recipe: one in sunlight and one in shade. I figured that some recipes would do well in the sun, some would do well in the shade, a few would do well in both, and maybe one or two wouldn’t do well in either, but I really wasn’t sure.
The recipes used on the X-H1 are all compatible with X-Trans III (plus the X-T3 and X-T30) cameras. The recipes used on the X100V are all compatible with the X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II cameras, except for Kodak Vision3 250D, which is intended for the X-T3 and X-T30—I modified it for the X100V by selecting Grain size Small, Color Chrome FX Blue Off, and Clarity 0.
You can look at the examples above, and decide for yourself which ones you like. If one stands out to you, I invite you to try it the next time you’re out photographing in wintry conditions. Of the seven recipes for X-Trans III, Fujichrome Sensia 200 is my favorite for sunlight and Kodak Portra 160 is my favorite for shade. Of the seven recipes for X-Trans IV, Kodachrome 1 is my favorite for sunlight and Fujicolor Superia 1600 is my favorite for shade. Which ones do you like best? Let me know in the comments!
I think the recipes that are cooler tend to be a bit too cold in the shade, although if you’re trying to communicate just how frigid it is outside, maybe that’s something you want. The recipes that are warm can sometimes be a tad too warm in the sunlight. Your recipe choice likely will be dictated by the light you think you’ll encounter. A lot also depends on the exact aesthetic you’re after and the mood you want to convey. I don’t believe any of these 14 recipes are bad choices. Some certainly seem better than others for the snow, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so one person might appreciate one more than the rest, and another might appreciate a different recipe.
If you’ve used a film simulation recipe in the snow and liked the outcome, please let me know in the comments which one it was.
In this “SoundBite” (as we’re calling it) from Episode 05 of SOOC, Fujifilm X-Photographer Nathalie Boucry and I discuss three film simulation recipes that are good for urban photography. This is a short snippet from the show, and it gives you an idea of the type of content that’s found in a SOOC broadcast. If you missed Episode 05 and/or Episode 06, I’ve included them below.
If you’ve never watched, SOOC is a monthly live video series that’s interactive. It’s a collaboration between Nathalie and I. We discuss film simulation recipes, camera settings, and answer your questions. Basically, we’re trying to help you master your Fujifilm camera, with a focus on simplifying your photographic workflow.
If you have a Fujifilm camera and don’t have the Fuji X Weekly App on your phone or tablet, be sure to download it now! The App is free, but becoming a Patron unlocks the best App experience, so consider becoming an App Patron today.
Let’s countdown the last 10 recipes that brought us to 200:
Which of these ten recipes are your favorites? Let me know in the comments!
There are actually more than 200 Fuji X Weekly film simulation recipes! Unfortunately, I’m not able to include in the App the ones that require double exposures because they’re more complicated and the format doesn’t allow it. So when I published Retro Gold Low Contrast, that was actually the 200th Fuji X Weekly film simulation recipe. The recipes below are ones you won’t find in the App, and are in addition to the 200 that are there.
Evergreen Tops – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Kodak High Definition Plus 200”
This Kodak High Definition Plus 200 film simulation recipe was a fun one to make. My wife, Amanda, was looking through an old box of pictures when she came across a group of prints that she thought looked interesting, so she showed them to me. The images were captured in the Sierra Nevada mountains, largely in the Sequoia National Forest, in 2006. I had no idea what film I used, but after locating the negatives, I discovered it was Kodak High Definition Plus 200. The pictures were printed on Fujicolor Crystal Archive paper. Not surprisingly, Fujifilm paper produces a different aesthetic than Kodak paper, so if this film had been printed on Kodak paper the pictures would look a little different. Back then, the rule of thumb for best results was that Kodak negatives should be printed on Kodak paper, Fujifilm negatives should be printed on Fujifilm paper, etc., but obviously I broke that “rule” with these travel pictures.
Kodak High Definition Plus 200 was a color negative film that was also sold under the name Kodak Royal Supra 200. At the time, Kodak claimed that it was the sharpest and finest-grained ISO 200 color negative film on the market. Originally there were ISO 100, 200, 400 and 800 varieties, but since this film line was introduced right at the beginning of the decline of film, it didn’t take Kodak long to discontinue all but the ISO 200 and 400 versions, and even those didn’t last all that long. I shot a few rolls of the film, and after digging through that photo box, I found two sets of negatives, both exposed around that same timeframe. I honestly don’t remember all that much from the experience, but it was fun to rediscover these long-forgotten pictures and recreate the aesthetic on my Fujifilm X-E4 camera.
A picture of Kodak High Definition Plus negatives, captured with this recipe.
A picture of Kodak High Definition Plus 200 prints, captured with this recipe.
A poor quality scan of one of the prints. Sorry. I really need to buy a better scanner.
For ISO 200 color negative film, Kodak High Definition Plus 200 was indeed pretty sharp and fine-grained. It was moderately vibrant (just a little above “true to life”) and contrasty but not overly contrasty. From what I can tell, it didn’t have as large of an exposure latitude as some of Kodak’s other color negative films. It was warm, but seemed to lean more towards green than red when printed on Fujicolor paper. Obviously, how the film is shot, developed, printed and/or scanned will affect how it looks (I apologize for my poor quality scan above, which doesn’t do the picture justice whatsoever, but I wanted to share it anyway). This recipe mimics how I shot the film in 2006, printed on Fujicolor paper. It is compatible with the Fujifilm X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II cameras.
Classic Chrome Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: 0 Shadow: +1 Color: +2 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpening: 0 Clarity: -3 Grain Effect: Weak, Small Color Chrome Effect: Weak Color Chrome Effect Blue: Weak White Balance: 4800K, -2 Red & -7 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +2/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Kodak High Definition Plus 200 film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-E4 & Fujifilm X100V:
Walking Bridge – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Hollow Building – Bountiful, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Leaves that Left – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Flag & Evergreen – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Green Pine Needles – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Red Roof – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Lonely Table – Orem, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Night Shopping Carts – Draper, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Pillow on Couch – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Fake Succulent – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Evening Clouds Over Wasatch Mountains – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Disappearing Light on Francis Peak – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
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!
Winter Neighborhood at Sunset – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 – “Winter Slide”
This recipe began with a weather forecast. It had been unusually dry and warm here in Utah, but cold temperatures and plenty of snow was on the way. At this time of year I get asked regularly which film simulation recipes are best for snow—there are plenty that will work well, but not many that are specifically made for it. A camera like the Fujifilm X-T1, which is weather-sealed, is great for these type of conditions, so I thought, with the forecasted wintry weather, I’d create a good-for-snow recipe for X-Trans II cameras that I could use on my X-T1. When the snow finally came, I’d be ready!
The initial inspiration for this recipe was Agfa Precisa CT 100 color slide film, which I read was one of the best film options for winter situations. I wasn’t having good luck recreating the aesthetic of it, but, in the process, I made some settings that I thought might be good for snow. So I failed at mimicking Agfa Precisa CT 100, but I succeeded at what I set out to do, which was a film simulation recipe that works well in snow. Interestingly, when I created the recipe, it wasn’t yet snowy, so I wasn’t completely sure how it would do. Luckily, it did every bit as well as I had hoped it would.
Two Cold Horses – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1 – “Winter Slide”
The trick to snow photography is to overexpose (based on what the meter says) because the camera sees a lot of white and wants to make it grey. So if you follow the meter, you’ll get a lot of dark pictures. By increasing the exposure compensation, you’ll get brighter pictures—I found myself often using +1 exposure compensation. If you are using this recipe when it’s not wintry white, you won’t have to increase the exposure compensation quite as much, and +1/3 to +2/3 will likely be better. This film simulation recipe is compatible with all X-Trans II cameras.
Provia/STD Dynamic Range: DR200 Highlight: 0 (Standard) Shadow: +2 (Hard) Color: -2 (Low) Sharpness: -1 (Medium-Soft) Noise Reduction: -2 (Low) White Balance: 5000K, -1 Red & -3 Blue ISO: Auto up to ISO 3200 Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +1 1/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured on my Fujifilm X-T1 using this “Winter Slide” film simulation recipe:
Ice Cold Red – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Winter Red Berries – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Snow on Branch – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Snow on Tree Trunk – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Winter Tree – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Winter Bush with Red Berries – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Snow on a Bush – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Winter Girl – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
White House in Snow – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Lamp with Bow – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
Winter Blue Home – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
One Light in a Tree – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T1
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!
Freightliner – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1 – “Ilford XP2 Super 400”
I was asked to create a film simulation recipe for Ilford XP2 Super 400 monochrome film. This is a currently-available black-and-white negative film that’s designed to be in developed in color negative (C41) chemistry. While this is unusual it’s definitely not unique. I’ve shot with some of these films before (namely Kodak BW400CN), and they’re surprisingly good, but a disadvantage is their archival characteristics. While I’ve used many Ilford films in the past (Delta 100 and Delta 400 were my two favorites back in the day), I’ve never shot with XP2 Super, and so I have no firsthand experience with it. Thankfully, I was able to find some good sample images (and other information) to help with the process. The film is somewhat contrasty and bright with fairly fine grain. It can be shot anywhere from ISO 50 to ISO 800, although ISO 400 is what Ilford suggests to shoot it at; whatever ISO you choose will affect the exact outcome.
I wasn’t having good luck with this recipe at first, but as I experimented, I stumbled into what I believe is a fairly accurate facsimile to the film. The White Balance settings (combined with Acros+R) turned out to be the key. Getting the exposure correct can sometimes be tricky, depending on the light and scene, so that’s why the “typical” exposure compensation is such a wide range.
Farmington Train Station – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1 – “Ilford XP2 Super 400”
This “Ilford XP2 Super 400” film simulation recipe is compatible with all X-Trans III cameras, plus the X-T3 and X-T30. If you have a newer X-Trans IV camera, you can use this recipe, but you’ll have to decide on the Grain size (I suggest Small).
Acros+R Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: -1 Shadow: +4 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpening: -2 Grain Effect: Strong White Balance: 10000K, +7 Red & +7 Blue ISO: Auto up to ISO 12800 Exposure Compensation: -2/3 to +2/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured using this “Ilford XP2 Super 400” film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-H1:
Francis Peak on a Sunny Day – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Waterway – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Reed by the Lake – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Swan Season Closed – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Do Not Block Access – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Boat Launch Area – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Littering Prohibited – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Long Road to Nowhere – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Rural Tractor – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Cat & Honey Bucket – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Caterpillar – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Tractor – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Lamp & Side Mirrors – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
A Y – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Empty Benches – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Tracks with no Train – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
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!
Red Freightliner – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – Kodachrome 64 – Frame 05
Back in the film days, most of the cameras I had were fully manual. No auto or semi-auto modes. No autofocus. Manual everything. In the digital age, modern cameras are pretty good at taking care of some tasks for you. You can afford to be a little lazy and still get the shot with ease. It’s a marvel of modern camera technology!
Nowadays I mostly shoot in Aperture-Priority (with Shutter and ISO set to A), or occasionally Shutter-Priority (with Aperture and ISO set to A). Only on rare occasions do I manually select shutter, aperture, and ISO. It’s not uncommon that I manually focus, especially if I’m using a vintage lens, but most of the time I’m allowing the camera to autofocus for me. It’s just easier. But sometimes easier isn’t better. It’s good to stay in photographic shape, and to challenge yourself from time-to-time.
I decided to challenge myself yesterday to this: shoot 36 frames (like a roll of film) with the same film simulation recipe, using manual everything. Manual aperture. Manual shutter. Manual ISO. Manual focus. The camera I chose was the Fujifilm X100V, and I loaded it with my Kodachrome 64 film simulation recipe. I headed out right at sunrise.
This was my experience.
Note: this was a Creative Collective article, but now it is available to everyone.
Before I get to the photographs, I want to briefly point out why a camera like the X100V is so great for this exercise: you don’t need to dig through any menus to change anything. It’s all clearly marked on knobs and switches on the body. The aperture ring is on the lens, as is the focus ring. A switch on the side activates manual focus. The shutter is controlled by a knob on the top, and the ISO is controlled by a ring around the shutter knob. It’s as close to a film experience as you can get from a digital camera. Yet you have modern tools, such as focus assist and histograms, to help you get it right. Of course, the same thing could be said for many Fujifilm models, and not just the X100V.
One other technical note I’d like to point out is that I had a 5% CineBloom filter attached to the lens, which only makes an extremely subtle difference, but a difference nonetheless. I figured it was worth pointing out.
I’m going to jump right into the pictures, then I’ll end with a little commentary about this experience. Here we go!
Frame 01:
ISO 320, f/11, 1/250
Frame 02:
ISO 320, f/5, 1/500
Frame 03:
ISO 320, f/6.4, 1/500
Frame 04:
ISO 320, f/4.5, 1/500
Frame 05:
ISO 320, f/4.5, 1/500
Frame 06:
ISO 320, f/4.5, 1/500
Frame 07:
ISO 320, f/9, 1/125
Frame 08:
ISO 320, f/9, 1/125
Frame 09:
ISO 320, f/9, 1/125
Frame 10:
ISO 320, f/9, 1/125
Frame 11:
ISO 320, f/9, 1/125
Frame 12:
ISO 320, f/10, 1/125
Frame 13:
ISO 320, f/10, 1/125
Frame 14:
ISO 320, f/10, 1/125
Frame 15:
ISO 320, f/9, 1/125
Frame 16:
ISO 320, f/8, 1/125
Frame 17:
ISO 320, f/8, 1/125
Frame 18:
ISO 320, f/8, 1/125
Frame 19:
ISO 320, f/10, 1/125
Frame 20:
ISO 320, f/10, 1/125
Frame 21:
ISO 320, f/8, 1/125
Frame 22:
ISO 320, f/10, 1/125
Frame 23:
ISO 320, f/10, 1/125
Frame 24:
ISO 320, f/13, 1/125
Frame 25:
ISO 320, f/13, 1/125
Frame 26:
ISO 320, f/10, 1/250
Frame 27:
ISO 320, f/10, 1/500
Frame 28:
ISO 320, f/8, 1/640
Frame 29:
ISO 320, f/8, 1/640
Frame 30:
ISO 320, f/8, 1/640
Frame 31:
ISO 320, f/8, 1/640
Frame 32:
ISO 320, f/8, 1/640
Frame 33:
ISO 320, f/6.4, 1/800
Frame 34:
ISO 320, f/6.4, 1/500
Frame 35:
ISO 320, f/8, 1/250
Frame 36:
ISO 320, f/8, 1/250
This was a fun photographic exercise! I thoroughly enjoyed going all-manual and shooting 36 frames with the same film simulation recipe to mimic the good ol’ film days. I’d recommend this project to anyone, and I encourage you to give it a try, too.
Since I hadn’t shot fully manual all that much in the last few years, I really found myself out of practice. There’s more to mentally consider with each frame.
On one hand, I wasn’t always focusing in on why I was using the settings I did. I believe that I needed to think beyond, “Is this correctly exposed?” And consider more, “Which specific settings would be best for this exposure?” These things used to come more naturally to me, and it’s because I was doing it all of the time. I practiced it frequently back then. Now that I almost always let the camera sort some of it out, full manual takes more intentional thought, and I didn’t always do that. For that reason, I really believe I could benefit from doing this project on a regular basis.
On the other hand, going all manual slowed me down a little, which made me capture better pictures—at least a little—or perhaps more simply, I got the picture I wanted without snapping three-to-five exposures to do it. In most cases, I captured only one image, as I tried hard to get it right the first time. I couple of times I didn’t, so I made a second attempt. Normally I’m a bit lazy, using the spray-and-pray method to ensure I got a good exposure. It’s quick and easy to snap several pictures of the same thing, and choose later which one is best; however, it’s even better to make just one exposure and have confidence that it’s good.
You might notice that I used ISO 320 for all 36 exposures. I decided at the beginning that I was going to stick with one ISO because in the film days that’s what you had to do. I selected ISO 320 because that’s the lowest ISO available for the Kodachrome 64 recipe.
It was a partly-to-mostly overcast day, but at sunrise the sunlight was pouring out between the clouds. For that reason I started out with a faster shutter speed, but soon the sun disappeared behind the clouds, which allowed me to slow it in order to use a smaller aperture. Later the sun peaked through again, and I increased the shutter speed. Often the light changed between shots, and I used small aperture adjustments to get a correct exposure. I didn’t always get the exposure as correct as I would have liked, which was a result of not making the necessary adjustments with the rapidly changing light conditions (basically, not paying as close of attention to everything as I should have).
20 years ago when I shot real Kodachrome film, if I got back from the lab five or six slides out of the whole roll that I was really happy with, I’d call it a success. So, with that same standard, I’d call this excursion a success. My five favorite frames are 05, 06, 08, 19, and 21. Which frames do you like the best? Let me know in the comments below.
I hope you give this challenge a try! It’s a great way to keep yourself in photographic shape. I discovered that I’m not in as good of shape as I thought I was, so I’m going to keep practicing, and I’ll do this challenge again very soon.
I want to give a big “Thank You” to everyone who tuned in to Episode 05 of SOOC, a collaboration between myself and Fuji X-Photographer Nathalie Boucry. This video series is live and interactive, so I’m especially grateful to all who participated! You are the ones who make these episodes great!
In the video above are the viewer’s photographs, captured using the Agfa Optima 200 film simulation recipe, that were shown during the show. It’s a short clip, so be sure to watch! I love seeing your pictures, and I’m honored that you submitted them for us to view.
The SOOC Episode 06 “recipe of the month” is Cross Process. Shoot with that recipe, and upload your pictures here to be featured in the next video! Episode 06 will be on December 9 (this Thursday!) at 9 AM Pacific, 12 PM Eastern, so mark your calendars, and I look forward to seeing you then!
Follow the Bird to Salt Lake – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
I recently took my Fujifilm X-H1 camera to downtown Salt Lake City, Utah, loaded with my Cross Process film simulation recipe, to do some creative urban photography. Attached to the camera was a Fujinon 18mm f/2 lens, which I find to be a good focal-length for cityscapes and street images.
For those who don’t know, cross-process is an analog technique where film is developed in chemistry intended for a different emulsion type. Most commonly, it is E6 slide film developed in C41 color negative chemistry, although it is certainly not limited to that. The results of cross-processing can vary wildly, but usually there’s a strong color shift, and an increase in contrast and grain. It’s a fun way to get bold pictures!
My Cross Process recipe isn’t intended to model any specific film, but is more of a generic cross-processed aesthetic; however, there are some similarities to Velvia, Provia, Sensia, Elite Chrome, and others. Considering that Fujifilm doesn’t have a “cross process” film simulation, the fact that this look can be achieved in-camera without the need for editing is really quite amazing! It’s an enjoyable recipe for unusual results.
For those following the SOOClive YouTube video series, Cross Process is the current recipe-of-the-month. Fujifilm X-Photographer Nathalie Boucry and I will be discussing this recipe, including showcasing your pictures captured with it. Be sure to tune-in this Thursday, December 9, at 9am Pacific Time, 12 PM Eastern! I hope to see you then!
In the meantime, this article is a photoessay of 14 photographs captured in downtown Salt Lake City with a Fujifilm X-H1 camera using the Cross Process film simulation recipe. Enjoy!
1. Know Where It Goes – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Hotel & Crane Reflected – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Contrail – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Last Light on the Lofty Building – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Leaning – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Yield on Flashing – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Wreath Behind Glass – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Crane Reflection – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Trees in the City – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
A Corner Downtown – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Lift – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Escalator Collecting Leaves – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
Caution: Tree – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-H1
