Fujifilm Film Simulation | 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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Film Simulation Review: Walk in the Park, Part 2: Kodak Portra 160

Posted on May 9, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

Pathway Through the Trees – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm

Part 1: Kodak Ektar 100

In Part 1, I hiked a path in a local park using my Ektar recipe. Part 2, which is what you are reading now, are the pictures from my stroll back down the trail using my Kodak Portra 160 film simulation recipe. As before, the gear I used was a Fujifilm X-T30 with a Fujinon 35mm f/2 lens attached to it. The only thing that I did differently was select my Portra 160 recipe instead of Ektar. I mentioned in the previous article that my Ektar film simulation has high contrast and perhaps is not ideal because of that. Since my Portra 160 recipe has very low contrast, would it be a better option?

Actual Portra 160 is a low contrast, low saturation film intended for portrait photography. It wasn’t made for landscape photography, but sometimes a low contrast, low saturation film is what’s needed. The same is true for this film simulation recipe. It might be too dull for landscape photography, but sometimes it might fit the scene well. In this case, it balances the high contrast landscapes quite well. If what you are photographing has bright highlights and deep shadows, Portra 160 might be a good option to combat that. However, if it’s low contrast, a film simulation recipe like Ektar could be a better choice.

The day of the hike was a beautiful blue-sky spring day with lots of sunshine. There are an abundance of those type of days in Utah during this time of year. It’s perfect for a walk in the park with a camera in hand. Choosing a film simulation for such an outing can be a difficult choice because you have so many options. It’s important to judge the light and subject to determine what might serve it best. The photographs in this article are all straight-out-of-camera JPEGs using my Kodak Portra 160 film simulation recipe.

Finally Spring – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm

Mountain Behind The Trees – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm

Sunlight Through The Branches – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm

Lake Peek – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm

Can’t See the Lake for the Trees – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm

White Trees & Fingernail Moon – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm

Oh, Deer – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm

Rock & Log – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm

Trees & Creek – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm

Forest Creek – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm

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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Film Simulation Review: Light & Shadow with Ilford Delta Push-Process

Posted on April 25, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

Chair & Pillow – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

Photography is about light. Without light there are no photographs. Great photographs require great light. What “great light” is depends on the picture and circumstance, and what’s great for one image might not be for another. Great light can be found anytime of the day or night if one looks hard enough for it.

This series of pictures demonstrate the play of light and shadow in an image. It features instances of bright highlights and deep shadows together. It’s the contrast between illumination and the absence of it. I needed a dramatic film simulation recipe to capture these pictures. I knew that it would need to be black-and-white because these pictures aren’t about color, but light and shadow. Color would only be a distraction to the point. But which black-and-white film simulation recipe should I choose?

There are several options for dramatic black-and-white that I could have chosen, including Dramatic Monochrome, Monochrome Kodachrome, Agfa Scala, Ilford HP5 Plus, Ilford HP5 Push-Process, X100F Acros, X-T30 Acros, Acros Push-Process, and Tri-X Push-Process. Any of those recipes would have worked, but each would have produced a different result. Some have more contrast, some less. Some have a greater dynamic range and others a more narrow. Some are brighter, some darker. Some have more grain and other less. I could have picked any of them and gotten interesting results, but I went with Ilford Delta Push-Process instead, partially because I had been using it for other pictures during this time. It turns out it was a good choice, because it seems to have the right contrast, tones and grain for this series. Sometimes luck plays a role. What I know now is that the Ilford Delta Push-Process recipe is a great option for dramatic light situations like these, and I will choose it again for similar situations in the future. I captured these pictures on a Fujifilm X-T30 with a Fujinon 35mm f/2 lens attached to it.

Suburban Shadows – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

Seat Back Shadow – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

Chair Details – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

Girl Ghost – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

Sunlight on the Kitchen Floor – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

Don’t Step Into Darkness – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

Film Simulation Review: Planting Flowers with “Kodak Gold 200”

Posted on April 25, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

White Tulip Bloom – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

Believe it or not, there are over 70 different film simulation recipes on Fuji X Weekly! That’s amazing! There are lots more than I would have guessed before I counted them. And I’m working on even more!

Something I’ve realized is that I haven’t spent all that much time on the practical use of these different recipes. You might not know which ones to choose, or when to use them, or maybe even how to use them. Perhaps you are overwhelmed by all of the options. Maybe you are not sure which ones can be used on which cameras. I haven’t done a great job with this side of it, the practical side. Moving forward I hope to make things easier for you by showing you the “what, where and why” of the different film simulation recipes.

This post is the very tiny tip of what I hope is a great big iceberg of information. I plan to publish many articles that I hope are helpful to you, that answer some of the questions you might have about these recipes. This article is a very simple one: an example of when to use my Kodak Gold 200 film simulation recipe. I get asked often, “What’s the best recipe for this situation?” Whatever that situation might be. I thought it would be helpful to showcase different recipes being used in various situations. I hope to do a whole bunch of these types of articles, and I’m calling them Film Simulation Reviews. You’ll be able to see a certain recipes used in a certain situation, and you’ll be able to judge for yourself if you like it or not. If you appreciate how a certain recipe looks in a certain case, for example Kodak Gold 200 with flowers and shaded light, which is what you see here, then you can use it yourself when in a similar situation.

My wife, Amanda, was going to plant some flowers in a pot on our porch, and I wanted to capture it. I grabbed my Fujifilm X-T30 and attached a Fujinon 35mm f/2 lens to it. Why this combo? I like that camera and lens; I don’t have a profound answer. Initially I planned to use my Portra 160 recipe, but after judging the light, which was shady and flat, I decided to go with the Gold recipe instead because it has more contrast. I think it was a good choice for this scene. Actual Kodak Gold film was considered a good all-around choice for many situations, so it shouldn’t surprise anyone that the film simulation that mimics it is also good for many different situations.

Pot & Soil – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

Digging Dirt – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

Planting Tulips – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

White Tulip Blossom – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

Adding Yellow – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

Adding Soil – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

Potted Blooms – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

Just Add Water – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

Wet Potted Blossoms – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

Wet Tulip – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

Porch Blossoms – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

Potted Blossoms – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

[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 Cyanotype Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on April 12, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

Ball Flowers – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Cyanotype”

Cyanotype is an early photographic process that produces blue prints. It was invented in 1842 by Sir John Herschel, and was popular in Victorian England. The chemicals needed are simple: ferric ammonium citrate and potassium ferricyanid. It’s a contact process, so positives have to be placed right over the paper. Sunlight or UV light is required for the exposure. Cyanotypes are pretty simple, and anyone can do them at home.

I thought it would be fun to make a film simulation recipe to mimic cyanotype prints. Fujifilm X-Trans IV cameras have the ability to tone black-and-white pictures, either warm or cool. By toning the pictures blue, I was able to get in the neighborhood of cyanotype photography. Unfortunately, going all the way cool, which is -9 on toning, is only marginally blue enough to pass for cyanotype. Still, this was a fun experiment. If you are bored, why not give it a try yourself?

Blue Blossom – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Cyanotype”

Acros
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: +3
Shadow: +3
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: -4
Grain Effect: Strong
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Toning: -9
White Balance: Auto
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 12800
Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +1 (typically)

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

Orbit – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Caged Bloom – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Blue Bloom – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Succulent Blue – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Light Bulb Blues – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Stems – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Welcome – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Daffodil Blue – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Falling Water – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Post & Wire – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Threatening – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Growth in the Rocky Place – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Studying Blues – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

See also: Film Simulation Recipes

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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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Classic Chrome for Those Who Don’t Have It (X-Trans I)

Posted on April 10, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

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One of these two pictures is Classic Chrome and one is PRO Neg. Std. Can you guess which is which?

Classic Chrome is probably the most popular film simulation created by Fujifilm. It is the most common starting point for my film simulation recipes. It was introduced by Fujifilm beginning with the X-Trans II sensor, so those who have X-Trans I cameras or older Bayer sensor cameras don’t have it as an option. The X100, X100S, X-E1 and X-Pro1 all lack Classic Chrome.

I’ve been asked many times how to replicate Classic Chrome for cameras that don’t have it. I figured it out! And it’s not what you might expect. It’s not the advice that I have been giving out over the years, which was based on Astia. I figured that Astia with the contrast turned up and color turned down would be close, but I was wrong. It’s difficult to get the contrast correct when using Astia, and with Color set to -2 it’s still much too vibrant. Turns out PRO Neg. Std is the film simulation required to mimic Classic Chrome. Shocked? I was. It was literally the last color film simulation that I tried.

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One of these two pictures is Classic Chrome and one is PRO Neg. Std. Can you guess which is which?

My experiments were conducted on my Fujifilm X-T1. Using Classic Chrome, I set Color, Highlight, Shadow and Sharpness at 0, Dynamic Range to DR100, Noise Reduction to -2, and White Balance to Auto with Red and Blue both set to 0. Then I tried to replicate that look using one of the other film simulations. I figured out how to get pretty darn close using the PRO Neg. Std film simulation.

There are some differences between actual Classic Chrome and these settings. This faux Classic Chrome is actually slightly more yellow. If there was a way to shift the white balance by fractions this could be made more accurate, as the actual shift should be closer to +0.3 Red and -0.6 Blue, but that’s not possible. You could set the white balance shift to 0 Red and 0 Blue if you prefer less yellow, and I think that’s a legitimate option, as I debated between that and this, but ultimately I went with the warmer white balance shift. There’s also slightly deeper shadows and more saturation with these settings than real Classic Chrome. I think +0.7 Shadow and Color would be more accurate, but +1 is as close as I could get. I found that setting Shadow and Color to 0 produced results that were further away from Classic Chrome, but that’s something you could consider. These settings are not perfect, but for those who don’t have Classic Chrome as an option, in my opinion this is as close as you’re going to get, which is actually pretty close.

PRO Neg. Std
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: +1
Shadow: +1
Color: +1
Sharpness: 0
Noise Reduction: -2
White Balance: Auto, 0 Red & -1 Blue

What about the pictures above? The top one is the faux Classic Chrome using PRO Neg. Std and the bottom one is actual Classic Chrome. Did you guess correctly?

Below are example photographs, all straight-out-of-camera JPEGs from my Fujifilm X-T1, that compare faux Classic Chrome using PRO Neg. Std with Classic Chrome.