I just became aware that Fujifilm Middle East is currently conducting a photography contest just for straight-out-of-camera pictures! Use either the factory-default film sims or Film Simulation Recipes. No editing allowed, only camera-made JPEGs.
Third prize is a $500 coupon for Fujifilm gear, second prize is a $1,000 coupon, and first prize is a $2,000 coupon… enough for a Fujifilm X-T5 or X-H2! If you reside in one of those 11 qualifying countries, definitely consider entering this competition.
One of the judges is Fujifilm X-Photographer Bjorn Moerman. If you’ve ever watched any of the SOOC Live YouTube videos, you’ll instantly recognize him, as he regularly tunes-in and participates in the show. You’ve likely seen several of his phenomenal pictures; a few are found in the latest Viewers’ Images slideshow published just today! Many of his amazing photographs are straight-out-of-camera using Fuji X Weekly Film Simulation Recipes (including all of those seen in the SOOC Live videos). Sometimes in photography competitions you have to wonder about who the judges are and if they’re actually qualified for that role, but not in this case, especially since Bjorn is one of them.
I love the idea of this competition, and I hope that it catches on. Shooting straight-out-of-camera JPEGs is becoming a more and more popular approach, and Fujifilm photographers are on the leading edge of it. Fujifilm North America should definitely do a SOOC photo contest, too—I think it would be a huge hit, while also spreading the word that Fujifilm cameras are capable of capturing incredible pictures that don’t require editing. For many people, that realization is a game-changer, making photography more enjoyable, more efficient, and more accessible.
Photography is moving in a clear direction, and it is unedited. Let me explain.
There’s a new photography trend on the iPhone. Instead of using the front-facing camera to take selfies, people are taking screen shots of the preview from the selfie camera. Why? What’s the difference? The pipeline for the image preview and the actual photographs are different on the iPhone. Most notably, Apple applies an HDR processing to the exposure (but not the preview), which creates a less-contrasty picture. If you are going to apply a filter to the photo and edit it, having a flatter starting point makes sense; however, if you are not editing, one might prefer the more-contrasty image preview. Aside from that, it can be frustrating that the preview doesn’t match the photograph.
My RitchieCam iPhone camera app uses the same pipeline for both the image processing and the preview, so it doesn’t have this issue. The preview you see will be the picture you get. No need to screenshot, which produces a much-lower resolution image. Those using my camera app (instead of the native iPhone app) won’t need to go through the hassle of the screen shot (plus cropping out the non-image part); instead, they’ll have better quality pictures with an analog-inspired aesthetic to post to social media.
Photo by Amanda Roesch – iPhone 13 Pro – RitchieCam App – Standard Film filter – unedited
Of course, we’re not talking about photographers here, but snap-shooters, as I doubt that anyone who would self-identify as a photographer is taking screenshots instead of using the camera. It shouldn’t be surprising that they’re uninterested in picture manipulation, and just want good results without fuss. Maybe they don’t know how to edit pictures, and the idea of doing so is very intimidating, so they have no interest in learning. It could be that they don’t want to spend their time with picture editing, and just want to share (either through text or social media) their snaps quickly—the easier the better, but the pictures still need to look decent. Others don’t edit because doing so seems less authentic; Photoshop is a bad word, and picture-manipulation equals people-manipulation. Let’s not forget that the vast majority of photos captured across the world are by amateurs, so their opinions, preferences, and trends do matter.
For the advanced-hobbyist or professional, surely photo manipulation is a requirement, right? There’s a growing movement towards reduced (or even eliminated) photo editing. First, the less time spent sitting at a computer equals more production and/or more time with friends and family. For a lot of people, for every hour out with a camera photographing means two hours in Lightroom or Capture One fiddling with the RAW files; if those two hours can be reduced by 50% or more (especially more), that’s a huge win! Second, shooting camera-made JPEGs affords the advantage of knowing exactly what you’re going to get before even pressing the shutter. Don’t like what you see? Simply make a few quick adjustments until you do, then take the picture. Not having to pre-visualize in your mind the finished photo, but seeing it right there in the viewfinder in real time, is a game-changer for many. Third, getting great (often analog-like) results straight-out-of-camera can be a much more fun photographic process, especially if you don’t enjoy sitting for hours at a computer post-processing pictures.
I used to shoot RAW and edit, but thanks to Fujifilm cameras and Film Simulation Recipes, I now use unedited (or sometimes lightly-edited) camera-made JPEGs. I will crop or straighten when needed, which is the majority of my post-processing; occasionally I will adjust the brightness a notch, but very rarely do I manipulate any further than that. Most of my pictures are unedited, even to a strict definition. This has changed my life, no hyperbole! My post workflow takes minutes instead of hours, which has made me a much more productive photographer while simultaneously improving home-life, because I can now spend more time with my wife and kids. That’s amazing!
Pacific Poppies – Montaña de Oro SP, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 – Pacific Blues – unedited
For example, on a recent trip to the California coast, during the downtimes—such as while at lunch, as a passenger in a car, or at night before bed—I transferred the JPEGs from my cameras to my phone, cropped if needed, and uploaded to cloud storage. A few minutes here and there meant that, by the time I got home, my workflow was essentially already complete. For most photographers, once back home the work would just be getting started, with many hours sitting at a computer.
But, but, but… surely the unedited camera-made JPEGs are not good enough for serious photography, right? You couldn’t do true professional work like this, could you? You can’t print very large and still look stunning, can you? Actually, yes—you can! I know because several successful professional photographers have told me that this is how they now do their paid work. You’d be surprised by just how many are doing some or even all of their pro photo work completely unedited or just lightly edited.
It’s not just photographers who benefit from a simplified workflow, but clients. Because of social media, people often desire to have a quick turnaround on their professional photographs. The newlywed couple doesn’t want to wait two weeks for the wedding pictures to be done, and in fact their parents wished for them that very day! If you can deliver the images quickly, you have a clear advantage over your competition.
In fact, Fujifilm X-Photographer Nathalie Boucry told me about two recent corporate events where the client wanted the photos as the event was happening! Periodically, every so many minutes throughout the day, she would download the straight-out-of-camera images from her camera to her phone, then upload them to a cloud location that the client had access to. As the event was happening, they were able to share the pictures to their social media accounts. Delivering real-time results to the client is going to be the future of event photography. Nathalie was able to do this thanks to the Film Simulation Recipes that she had programmed into her Fujifilm cameras.
Whether it is professional, hobby, or snap-shooting, photography is slowly and stubbornly moving towards less editing. It is easier and quicker and more fun, the disadvantages of it are disappearing, and the stigmatization is dissipating. More and more, people want great results without fuss. Editing is no longer a requirement, especially if you have gear that will deliver solid out-of-camera pictures, such as Fujifilm cameras or the RitchieCam app.
The next battle will be AI. Technology allows one to simulate a photograph with a string of words, or add to an image what wasn’t there—all with a similar ease to shooting camera-made JPEGs. It will come down to authenticity. I believe that as tech pushes us towards an augmented or even fully artificial reality, society will push back with an equal and opposite force towards the genuine. People will generally prefer authenticity over artificial, but it will be a divide. Camera makers should carefully consider how to move forward through all of this, and how they can improve their straight-out-of-camera experience. Fujifilm has a clear advantage, which materialized in the recent explosion in demand for the X100V. A simplified workflow with less editing or even no editing is the future of photography, and the future is now.
I hope the Why Shooting JPEGs Is So Popular article will achieve several different things. First, I want to reach Fujifilm photographers who have never heard of Fuji X Weekly and Film Simulation Recipes (yes, there are some), and perhaps they will find it all very fascinating and give one a try. Second, I want to reach those who shoot Fujifilm cameras and have heard of Recipes, but perhaps have been too apprehensive to actually use them, and maybe now they will. Third, I want to convince some who shoot Canikony and are frustrated with their current RAW workflow to buy a Fujifilm camera and give Recipes a try. Fourth, I want to explain to those who just don’t “get it” why more and more photographers are choosing to shoot JPEGs and not edit their images, because some of those who have never tried it just can’t fathom why anyone would. Fifth, I want to encourage those who do shoot with Film Simulation Recipes and some grumpy stranger on the internet tells them that they’re doing it wrong; there’s a movement within photography, and you’re a part of it, which is really an incredible thing when you think about it.
There might be more collaboration opportunities between Fuji X Weekly and Moment—this article was simply the next step in a growing partnership. I don’t know for sure what the future collabs might be, but we definitely tossed around several cool ideas. We’ll have to wait and see which ones happen and which don’t, and if other new opportunities arise. In the meantime, I hope that you enjoy the article!
Arches National Park, Utah — iPhone 11 — RitchieCam App — Analog Gold filter
“I’ve been working on my photos from October rather than reviews….”
—Ken Rockwell, February 2, 2023
I just stumbled upon that quote from Ken, which was followed by an iPhone photo from October (that’s why this article begins with an iPhone picture). I bet a lot of you can relate to his statement. When you photograph a lot, your post-processing workflow can get backed up quite a bit. I have thousands of unprocessed RAW files that have been sitting on a now-obsolete computer’s hard drive for at least seven years now. I get it: you’ve got stuff to do, and your limited time is being pulled every which way, so something’s got to give.
I discovered that there’s a better way. There’s no need to get four or five months behind. There’s no need to let your photographic work back up so much. You can can accomplish so much more with the time that you’ll save. What is this better way? It’s really simple: shoot JPEGs, and skip the picture editing step (called One Step Photography, as explained by Ansel Adams in his book Polaroid Land Camera). More and more photographers are embracing this approach.
The reason why it’s important to shoot with Recipes is because the settings have been fine-tuned to produce a particular aesthetic that doesn’t require editing. The images look good straight from the camera, as if they had been post-processed or perhaps were even shot on film. Except they weren’t, which saves you a ton of time, money, and hassle. If you aren’t shooting with Recipes, you are most certainly doing some amount of post-processing, whether you shoot RAW or JPEG. There are some people who do still edit their camera-made-using-Recipes JPEGs, but they’re doing much less editing than they otherwise would be. The point of using Film Simulation Recipes is to edit less or (preferably) not at all, which has a huge upside, but it does require Recipes that produce excellent results, and a little extra care by the photographer in the field, since “I’ll fix it in post” isn’t really an option.
If Ken had used a Fujifilm camera programmed with Fuji X Weekly Recipes, surely he would not be busy right now post-processing pictures captured way back in October. Instead, he’d be writing those reviews that have been delayed, or out on some other photographic adventure. The October exposures would have been completed in October, or maybe early November at the latest. If he had used RitchieCam, there would be no need to process his iPhone images with Skylum software, because they would have been ready-to-publish the moment they were captured. Ken, you should try my iPhone camera app. And you should shoot with Fujifilm cameras more often.
With the Canikony brands, shooting awesome straight-out-of-camera (SOOC) JPEGs isn’t as easy or prevalent. Sure, it can be done, but it is much more often done with other brands because of things like the Fuji X Weekly App, which contains approaching 300 Film Simulation Recipes for Fujifilm cameras, so no matter your desired aesthetic, there’s a Recipe for you. Download the Fuji X Weekly App for free today (Android here, Apple here), and consider becoming a Patron subscriber to unlock the best App experience. Ken is sitting at a computer right now fiddling with files, since he didn’t shoot with Fujifilm cameras programmed with Film Simulation Recipes.
People seem to either love or hate Ken Rockwell. To be clear, this article is not bashing him. I’ve actually had correspondence with Ken, and he seems like a very nice guy. I think his “real” personality is much more kind and genuine than his online persona, which can sometimes come across as abrasive and perhaps even offensive. If you hate him, I would suggest that you reach out to him with an open mind and heart, and try to get to know him a little, because your mind might get changed, even if just a bit. Personally, I have found some of his articles, insights, and commentary to be quite helpful; however, I certainly don’t agree with everything that he says, and I take his words with a grain of salt (as you should with mine). He’s very successful at what he does, so he’s obviously doing something “right” even if I don’t fully agree with what it is.
All of that is to say, if you don’t want your workflow backed up for months because you have so many exposures to edit, and you’d rather spend your time doing something else—including capturing more photographs—then SOOC JPEGs might just be the thing for you. If you don’t own a Fujifilm camera, consider picking one up. Download the Fuji X Weekly App. Select a few Film Simulation Recipes to try. Let your RAW editor subscription expire.
This post contains affiliate links, and if you make a purchase using my links I’ll be compensated a small amount for it.
“The effect of one-step processing on both amateur and professional creative photography has been revolutionary.”
—Ansel Adams, Polaroid Land Camera
I woke up this morning unsure what to write about. It just so happened that I had a handful of exposures I captured yesterday evening still sitting on the SD Card in my Fujifilm X-T5. Using Fujifilm’s Cam Remote App, I transferred the pictures from the camera to my iPhone, cropped and straightened a few of them, and uploaded the images to cloud storage. It took maybe 10 minutes tops start-to-finish, and I don’t even think it was that long. One-step photography, which removes the second-step (the editing step), is truly revolutionary, just as Ansel Adams stated. Of course he was talking about instant film—something he was a big fan of—and we’re talking about straight-out-of-camera JPEGs, something that I’m a big fan of. Now I know what to write about today!
First Sign of Spring – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 & Fujinon 35mm f/2 – “Vintage Bronze” Recipe
Why is shooting straight-out-of-camera (SOOC) JPEGs revolutionary?
First, it allows for a faster, more streamlined workflow. When you use Fujifilm cameras and Film Simulation Recipes, the camera does all the post-processing work for you. You don’t have to spend hours and hours sitting in front of a computer fiddling with images. This can save you an extensive amount of time and effort, which can significantly increase your productivity, plus make photography more enjoyable. It’s not only a faster workflow, but an easier workflow. Achieving a desired aesthetic is as simple as programming the correct recipe into your camera.
Next, SOOC JPEGs allow you to be more consistent. Because the camera is applying the recipes, the photographer doesn’t have to worry about inconsistencies in their editing process. This makes achieving cohesive results for a photo series or project much easier.
Also, JPEGs are more efficient than RAW in terms of storage space. You don’t need to buy a larger SD Card or external hard drive or pay for more cloud storage nearly as quickly. Upload and download times are faster. You have a ready-to-share photo the moment that it’s captured—you don’t have to wait for a program to process it first.
Jon at the Fishin’ Pond – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 & Fujinon 35mm f/2 – “Vintage Bronze” Recipe
Finally, SOOC JPEGs might be considered more authentic. Film Simulation Recipes often replicate the look and feel of classic film stocks and processes, and seem less digital-like in their rendering. There is a growing sentiment among photography consumers (not photographers, but those who view pictures) that “Photoshop” is bad, and picture manipulation equals people manipulation; however, unedited images don’t carry that stigma, and can come across as more authentic.
All of this and more are why there is a revolution in photography right now. More and more photographers—from first-camera beginners to experienced pros with recognizable names—are using Film Simulation Recipes and shooting SOOC JPEGs. It’s a growing trend, and I believe it will become much bigger in the coming years. I’m truly honored to be a part of it, and I’m glad that you’ve come along for the ride.
I read a couple of articles over the last several days that bothered me, both of which stated that you must shoot RAW. These articles come up often—it’s nothing new. I’ve written about it before, and even before that. The sentiment of “only amateurs shoot JPEG” and “you really should shoot RAW” get old. Those are tired, worn out statements that are largely based on “truths” that are no longer true. My hope with this article is to simply provide a counter-point. This blog and all of you who use Film Simulation Recipes are a strong testament that speaks louder than this article ever could, so I’ll try to keep it brief.
First, I want to make this very clear: do what works for you. If RAW works for you, do that. If JPEGs work for you, do that. If editing JPEGs works for you, do that. If film works for you, do that. Or any combination of those things or anything else, do that. Whatever you have found that works for you, that’s what you should be doing. If what you are doing isn’t really working for you, try something else. There’s no right or wrong way to do things, just different ways, some of which work for some and some of which work for others. Different strokes for different folks, right?
One reason why I think the “RAW vs JPEG” debate keeps coming up is because more-and-more photography consumers (not photographers, but those who view photographs) detest photo manipulation. Photoshop has become a bad word. Whether it’s a photo contest where the winner exceeded the editing allowed by the rules (and so has their title stripped), or the magazine cover where the girl no longer looks like how they really look, or the picture in the news where things were added or subtracted to change the meaning of the image, or the image that’s just been edited so much that it’s no longer believable—whatever the story, sometimes photography consumers feel that photography is dishonest, and the manipulation of an image equals a manipulation of the one viewing it. There appears to be a lack of honesty by photographers, particularly when they edit so much. You might agree or disagree with this sentiment, but the sentiment is real. I know this because I once defended Steve McCurry’s use of Photoshop, and because of this someone accused me in a college paper of wanting little girls to have low self-esteem.
I think a lot of these “RAW is better” articles and videos stem from a response to this sentiment, which is fine. I don’t blame anyone for trying to defend what they do when someone criticizes it. Trust me, I get it. Where I do have a problem is that many times in the defense of RAW the JPEG photographer is insulted. The argument is, “I have to shoot RAW because JPEGs suck.” Or, “Only amateurs use JPEG.” It’s as if the JPEG shooter must be put down in order to make the RAW shooter feel superior. That’s just lame. Yes, there was a time early in the development of digital camera technology where the straight-out-of-camera JPEG was no good and so RAW really was the only viable option for quality images, but that day has long passed, especially for (but certainly not limited to) those who use Fujifilm cameras. That argument is old and tired and no longer based in truth. It once was true, but now is a myth. Perpetuating that myth helps no one. Insulting people definitely doesn’t help.
Of course, Ansel Adams is always brought into this. Well, he was the darkroom master, so obviously he manipulated his photos to a significant degree. Usually an Ansel Adams quote is included, which proves the point that you should never rely on straight-out-of-camera pictures. Adams never would have. Except this ignores his work with Polaroids—he loved Polaroids, something a lot of people are unaware of. There’s a whole chapter (entitled One-Step Photography) in one of his books where he discusses the benefits of not having to use a darkroom. Ansel Adams is hugely inspirational, and his words are highly motivating, but I don’t think he would be strictly a RAW shooter and staunchly against straight-out-of-camera JPEGs—it is a disservice to the legendary master to just assume he would be against JPEGs.
The real arguments that should be made to defend the use of RAW are these: – It’s my art, and as the artist I get to decide how it’s created. I understand that not everyone will like it, but a lot of people seem to, so I’m going to keep doing it my way. – I capture undeveloped digital images that, like film, must be developed through a process, and I have a specific process for it that works well for me. – Images have been manipulated to create the final picture since the beginning of photography—over 150 years!—so what I’m doing is nothing new and well within the traditions of the art. – I enjoy using photo editing software, and adjusting the pictures is half the fun for me.
Straight-out-of-camera JPEG from my Fujifilm X-E4 using the Positive Film recipe.
Notice how all of those arguments are strong, and none of them insults anyone. Unfortunately, there will always be those who disagree, and you’ll never change their minds. Perhaps just being as honest and straightforward as practical will help. If you swapped the sky with another sky, just say so. If you removed people from the frame, don’t hide that fact. Don’t make the manipulations that you did a big secret, which makes people believe that you’re hiding something from them. Or do keep it a secret—it’s not really any of my business what you do or don’t do, and I don’t really care. It’s your art, after all, so you get to decide what you do and what parts of your process you want to keep a mystery.
My process is straightforward. I program Film Simulation Recipes into my cameras, and I use camera-made JPEGs that are unedited (aside from minor cropping and straightening). While I basically don’t edit anymore, I certainly used to. I used to be a RAW photographer. I used to spend up to 30 minutes on each picture in software. That process worked alright for a time, but my current process works for me now. It saves me so much time, it makes creating photographs more enjoyable, it allows me to be more in-tune with my camera and the scene (because I have to get it right in-the-field or else), and I still get the look I want—the aesthetic I would have made if I had edited a RAW image in software. I love it! But I fully understand that it’s not for everyone. If it works for you, great! If it doesn’t work for you, great! If it works for you sometimes but doesn’t other times, great! You’ve got to do what works for you, and ignore those who say that there’s only one “right” way to do things.
The “RAW vs JPEG” debate needs to end. Photography consumers don’t care how you achieved your picture, except in those cases where people feel that they were duped by a heavily manipulated image. I suggest being upfront about how much editing you did, if you did a lot—but that’s up to you, and is between you and your audience. Otherwise, nobody cares if you shot RAW and edited in-software or if it’s a straight-out-of-camera JPEG, or anything else in-between. One process isn’t better or worse than another—they each have advantages and disadvantages, so it is simply a matter of if what you are doing works for you or not. If it works, that’s awesome! If it doesn’t, then try something else. Mic dropped, debate over.
I love getting an analog aesthetic right out of camera! Fujifilm X cameras offer many great tools to get film-like results straight-out-of-camera without the need to edit. By adjusting the JPEG parameters, you can create various looks that I call film simulation recipes—I have published nearly 200 of them! These settings save you time, simplify the photographic process, and make capturing pictures even more enjoyable.
“By making it possible for the photographer to observe his work and his subject simultaneously,” wrote Edwin H. Land, co-founder of Polaroid, “and by removing most of the manipulative barriers between the photographer and the photograph, it is hoped that many of the satisfactions of working in the early arts can be brought to a new group of photographers.”
Ansel Adams called it One-Step Photography, and added, “The effect of one-step processing on both amateur and professional creative photography has been revolutionary. As with all art forms, we must accept the limitations of the medium as well as revel in the advantages.”
Land and Adams were specifically talking about Polaroid pictures, but I think it applies similarly to Fujifilm X cameras and film simulation recipes. The “manipulative barriers between the photographer and the photograph” have been removed! Now you just have to decide which recipe you want to use, like picking which film to load, and start creating, without worrying about how you’re going to later manipulate the pictures, because the straight-out-of-camera pictures are pretty darn good, and don’t require manipulation. Sure, edit if you want—there’s nothing wrong with that—but you don’t have to if you don’t want to, and there’s nothing wrong with that, either. Ansel Adams called it “revolutionary” and said to “revel in the advantages.” There’s freedom in this.
All of the pictures in this article are unedited (except for perhaps some minor cropping) straight-out-of-camera JPEGs that I recently captured using a Fujifilm X camera and a film simulation recipe.
Despite a little technical trouble, Episode 02 of SOOC was a great success! I appreciate everyone who tuned in, and for everyone who participated. You guys are great! And it was wonderful to see your Kodachrome II pictures! Here’s the link to submit your Fujicolor C200 photographs: click here. I hope there was something in the broadcast that you found helpful or interesting, and that it was worth your time. It was supposed to be 45 minutes, but it ended up doubling that! If you missed it, you can watch it above.
The technical difficulty that I had on my end is this: my Fujifilm X-E4 that I was using for this broadcast kept overheating. In my review of the camera, I stated that I thought a similar overheating issue to the X100V was possible. Up until this video, which was being recorded live, I had not experienced it. Well, now you and I know: the X-E4 is prone to overheating if left on too long. I’ll use a different camera for future episodes.
I don’t believe the Fuji X Weekly App 12-month Patron giveaway winner has stepped forward yet. Adnan Omanovic was randomly selected from those who submitted pictures. Adnan, if you read this, leave a comment or send me a message so that I can get you your prize.
Episode 03 is already scheduled! If you click on the video where it says “Watch on YouTube” you can then “set a reminder” so you don’t miss it. Otherwise, mark your calendar for September 9th. I hope to see you then!
As a reminder, Episode 02 of the live interactive video series SOOCwill be this Thursday, August 12, at 11 AM MST (10 AM Pacific, 1 PM Eastern)!
SOOC is a collaboration between Tame Your Fujifilm (Fujifilm X Photographer Nathalie Boucry) and Fuji X Weekly (Ritchie Roesch). It is a monthly live video series, and each episode focuses on a different film simulation recipe. It’s a fun and educational experience where we will not only talk about Fujifilm camera settings, but also answer your questions. This is an interactive program, which means that we need your participation! Mark your calendar and be sure to tune in!
When Thomas Schwab shared with me his Fujicolor Super HG film simulation recipe, he also sent me an alternative recipe that uses Astia instead of Classic Negative. I gave it a try and thought that it worked quite well for landscape photography, particularly in sunny conditions. It can produce interesting results indoors or on cloudy days, but I think it really shines in sunshine. It’s called “Super HG Astia” because it is a modification of the Super HG recipe, but with Astia.
This “Super HG Astia” recipe wasn’t intended to mimic any particular film; however, it does have some resemblance to Fujichrome Provia 100F. For whatever reason, Fujifilm programmed the Provia film simulation to look more like Astia film, and the Astia film simulation to look more like Provia film, although neither are an exact match. This recipe brings the Astia film simulation closer to resembling Provia film (albeit unintentionally). It’s definitely not a perfect facsimile, but it does nonetheless produce a very nice Fuji color-reversal film aesthetic.
Green Pines – McCall, ID – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Super HG Astia”
This recipe is compatible with the Fujifilm X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, and X-E4 cameras. I accidentally used Large grain for some of my pictures, and the results were fine, but Small grain is better in my opinion—feel free to use whichever Grain size you’d prefer. For the X-T3 and X-T30, you can use this recipe by ignoring Grain size, Clarity and Color Chrome FX Blue—the results will be slightly different, but pretty close. For X-Trans III cameras, you’ll have to additionally ignore Color Chrome Effect; again, the results will be a little different but still very similar. If you’ve got an X-Trans III or newer camera, I invite you to try this recipe. I want to give a special “Thank you!” to Thomas for creating and sharing this recipe!
Astia Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: +2 Shadow: +1 Color: +2 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpening: -1 Clarity: +2 Grain Effect: Weak, Small Color Chrome Effect: Weak Color Chrome Effect Blue: Weak White Balance: Fluorescent 2, -3 Red & -1 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: +2/3 to +1 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Super HG Astia film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-E4:
Blue Dumpsters – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
This Sucker’s Electrical – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Gas Pipe – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Ms Pac-Man – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Pen – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Missing Boxer – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Watching A Two-Screen Movie – Scottsdale, AZ – 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!
Nathalie Boucry is an official Fujifilm-X Photographer from Johannesburg, South Africa, who specializes in corporate event, portraiture, and lifestyle photography. She’s also an official Instax Ambassador. Nathalie is the creator and host of the Tame Your Fujifilm educational series.
SOOC is a collaboration between Tame Your Fujifilm and Fuji X Weekly. It will be a monthly live video series, with each episode focused on a different film simulation recipe. It will be a fun and educational experience where we will not only talk about Fujifilm camera settings, but also answer your questions. This is an interactive program, which means that we need your participation! Mark your calendar and be sure to tune in!
You can find Episode 01 below, but in order to interact, you’ll want to jump onto YouTube or Facebook, where you can leave comments, some of which will be incorporated into the show. The broadcast will begin at 10 am Pacific Time, 11 am Mountain Time, 12 pm Central Time, and 1 pm Eastern Time. Wherever you are in the world, I hope that you can join us. See you this Thursday!
Help us get the word out, and share this post or the video above on your social media channels! I appreciate your support, and I look forward to hearing from you on Thursday!
United Carrier – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Expired Slide”
United Carrier – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Expired Slide v2”
I set out to recreate the look of expired slide film. Perhaps expired is the wrong term, because the aesthetic that I was after is more like mishandled slide film—not stored correctly or developed promptly. Maybe it passed its expiration date because it sat in a drawer for so long, or maybe it was in a hot car for a couple of hours, but, whatever the reason, it definitely doesn’t look right.
Why would I want to create this look? Because it’s an interesting vintage aesthetic that was somewhat common in the film era. While most people would not want this outcome, interestingly enough, there are some film photographers (a.k.a. Lomographers) who do this kind of thing on purpose specifically because they want this look. The two film simulation recipes below are for those people seeking something different. Neither of these will likely be anyone’s “go-to” recipe, but if you want something that’s a bit unusual, these are ones to try.
The film simulation recipe called Expired Slide was actually the second one, as I created (what I now call) Expired Slide v2 first. I liked the original settings, but thought that it might be a bit too much, so I toned it back slightly. I posted examples of both recipes to Instagram and let you guys decide which one was best. The Expired Slide recipe won hands-down, but there were some who passionately preferred Expired Slide v2, so I’m posting both. The only difference is the white balance (and shift), otherwise they’re identical. Expired Slide has more of a red-orange cast while Expired Slide v2 has more of a red-purple cast. Both recipes (as of this writing) are only compatible with the Fujifilm X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10 and X-E4 cameras.
Expired Slide:
Forest Flowers – Ponderosa State Park, ID – Fujifilm X-E4
Velvia Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: +2 Shadow: -1 Color: -4 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpness: -2 Clarity: -2 Grain Effect: Strong, Large Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome Effect Blue: Strong White Balance: 5500K, +7 Red & -2 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: -1/3 to +2/3 (typically)
Limited 4404 – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Free – Boise, ID – Fujifilm X-E4
Free Signs – Boise, ID – Fujifilm X-E4
Construction Crane – Boise, ID – Fujifilm X-E4
10:45 – Boise, ID – Fujifilm X-E4
Red Fence – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Tulip Blooms – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Dark Payette Lake – McCall, ID – Fujifilm X-E4
Mossy Trunk – Ponderosa State Park, ID – Fujifilm X-E4
Expired Slide v2:
Caterpillar – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Velvia Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: +2 Shadow: -1 Color: -4 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpness: -2 Clarity: -2 Grain Effect: Strong, Large Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome Effect Blue: Strong White Balance: 5000K, +8 Red & 0 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: -1/3 to +2/3 (typically)
Red Barn – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Jump Pad – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Stack of Buckets – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
The Oaks – Ogden Canyon, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Lake Marina – McCall, ID – Fujifilm X-E4
Two Dogs Swimming – Ponderosa State Park, ID – Fujifilm X-E4
Jon Fishin’ – McCall, ID – Fujifilm X-E4
Log in the Water – McCall, ID – Fujifilm X-E4
Payette Lakeshore – Ponderosa State Park, ID – Fujifilm X-E4
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DPReview listed their Top 5 Best Fujifilm Film Simulations in the video above. I think it’s great that they’re highlighting Fujifilm’s great JPEG options and give light to some of the film simulations. While I’m sure that they made adjustments to the stock settings, I feel like they haven’t discovered the joy of film simulation recipes, and are mostly using the stock settings. There’s nothing wrong with that, of course, because out-of-the-box the different film simulations are great, but with some tweaking you can achieve all sorts of different looks. I think it’s something that they’d really appreciate, if they only knew.
I went on the Fuji X Weekly — Film Recipes App (available for iOS and Android) and filtered by Camera and Film Simulation. If you are a Patron on the App, you can filter the recipes by camera model or sensor, and by film simulation or color/b&w—the best app experience is reserved for Patrons. For this experiment, I chose the Fujifilm X100F and Classic Chrome. There are 15 different options, each with a different aesthetic (Vintage Kodachrome didn’t fit on the screenshot list). Those are just the X-Trans III recipes that use Color Chrome. If you don’t filter by camera or sensor, there are 45 recipes that use Classic Chrome (and over 150 total recipes)!
I know in the video they say that Classic Chrome is “gross” but perhaps it’s only because they haven’t used the right film simulation recipe. It could be that one of those 45 mentioned above produces a look that they’d love.
I don’t want to rehash DPReview’s video, so instead I will list some of my personal favorite recipes, organized by Film Simulation (they’re not ranked), which you’ll find below. There are so many to choose from, and narrowing it down is a tough task, so obviously not all of my favorites made the list. There are so many Classic Chrome and Classic Negative options that I love, so those two were especially difficult to decide what to include below. Hopefully you’ll find this this exercise helpful, or at least fun, and maybe discover a new recipe to try.
No Credit Tires – Bountiful, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Sepia”
Now it’s your turn! Which of these film simulation recipes do you like best? Which recipes that I didn’t include are your favorites? Let me know in the comments!
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Sunlight Through The Forest – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Fujicolor NPS 160 Pulled”
Fujifilm introduced Fujicolor NPS 160 sometime in the 1990’s. It was a low contrast, low saturation color negative film intended for portrait photography. Fujifilm replaced it in 2004 with Fujicolor Pro 160S (later renamed Fujicolor Pro 160NS). I actually shot a few rolls of NPS 160 back in the day, and a picture of my parents captured with this film hangs an a wall in their house. Pulling the film, which is a technique where you overexpose and reduce development time to compensate, further reduces the contrast and saturation. This recipe looks a lot like NPS 160 that’s been pulled.
Empty Garage – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-E4 – “Fujicolor NPS 160 Pulled”
What I especially love about this recipe is that it has a soft feel that’s just wonderful. It has a film-like quality to it that’s easy to appreciate. I really love shooting with this recipe! Because it required the Classic Negative film simulation, Color Chrome FX Blue and Clarity, it’s only compatible with the Fujifilm X-E4, X100V, X-Pro3, X-T4, and X-S10 cameras.
Classic Negative Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: -2 Shadow: -2 Color: -4 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpeness: +1 Clarity: -2 Grain Effect: Weak, Small Color Chrome Effect: Weak Color Chrome Effect Blue: Strong White Balance: Auto, -1 Red & -4 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: +2/3 to +1 1/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Fujicolor NPS 160 Pulled film simulation recipe:
Thomas Schwab
Photo by Thomas Schwab
Photo by Thomas Schwab
Photo by Thomas Schwab
Photo by Thomas Schwab
Photo by Thomas Schwab
Photo by Thomas Schwab
Photo by Thomas Schwab
Photo by Thomas Schwab
Photo by Thomas Schwab
Ritchie Roesch
Evening Condos – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Country Trailers – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Farm Dirt – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
Sunlight Through Forest Branches – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-E4
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Inspiration for film simulation recipes can come from unusual places. This recipe, for example, was inspired by a promotional photograph of Ron Howard for the movie American Graffiti hanging on the wall of Mels Diner in Reno, Nevada. A little trivia: Ron Howard shoots Fujifilm cameras—or, at least, he’s been spotted sporting an X100F. Anyway, it seems unlikely, but it’s true, that an old image of Ron Howard from 1973 hanging on the wall of a restaurant in Reno inspired a new recipe that will be used by hundreds—maybe thousands—of Fujifilm photographers across the world.
This particular picture, which you can see in the image below towards the left-side, had a cross-process look to it, like reversal film developed in negative film chemistry. Of course, cross-processed film can have many different looks, depending on several factors, including (especially) the film used. I have no idea what film or process was used for that Ron Howard picture—I tried researching it, but came up empty; however, while I was waiting for my dinner to arrive at the table, I fiddled with the settings on my Fujifilm X100V and created a facsimile to that picture aesthetic.
Picture of Ron Howard (left-side) that inspired this recipe… captured with this recipe.
The photographer who captured the picture is most likely Dennis Stock. I couldn’t find a whole lot about what films he used for his color photographs or his darkroom techniques. Dennis was a legendary Magnum photographer who was best known for his celebrity photographs. His picture might not actually be cross-processed film, but it has a cross-processed look nonetheless.
The reason why I named this recipe “Xpro ’62” is because Xpro is a common abbreviation for “cross-process” and 1962 is the year that American Graffiti takes place. Promotional posters for the movie often included the question, “Where were you in ’62?” I thought that “Xpro ’62” would be a logical fit. Because this film simulation recipe uses the Classic Negative film simulation and other new JPEG options available on the newer cameras, it is only compatible with (as of this writing) the Fujifilm X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10 and X-E4. Also, for some of the pictures in this article I used a Tiffen 1/4 Black Pro Mist filter to diffuse the highlights (such as Empty Diner at the top).
Wharf – Santa Cruz, CA – Fujifilm X100V – “Xpro ’62”
Classic Negative Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: +3 Shadow: 0 Color: +4 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpening: -4 Clarity: -4 Grain Effect: Strong, Large Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome Effect Blue: Strong White Balance: Auto, -3 Red & -9 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: 0 to +1/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this new “Xpro ’62” film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X100V:
Cigarettes – Reno, NV – Fujifilm X100V
Wall Harley – Reno, NV – Fujifilm X100V
In Bottles – Reno, NV – Fujifilm X100V
Stay Apart – Hollister, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Casa de Cherries – Hollister, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Basketball Hoop Unused – San Francisco, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Stop Turning – Santa Cruz, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Tracks & Bridge – Santa Cruz, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Suburban Truck – Reno, NV – Fujifilm X100V
Electric Intersection – Reno, NV – Fujifilm X100V
Flower by the Path – Reno, NV – Fujifilm X100V
Flowers & Stone – Hollister, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Lower Yosemite Falls – Yosemite NP, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Tree & Lower Falls – Yosemite NP, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Yosemite Trees – Yosemite NP, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Sentinel Above Merced River – Yosemite NP, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Upper Yosemite Falls – Yosemite NP, CA – Fujifilm X100V
El Cap – Yosemite NP, CA – Fujifilm X100V
El Cap & Merced – Yosemite NP, CA – Fujifilm X100V
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Don’t Walk Under Falling Bicycles – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Chrome Bypass”
There are a number of X-Trans IV film simulation recipes that I’ve had multiple requests to create versions for that are compatible with X-Trans III and X-T3 and X-T30 cameras. LomoChrome Metropolis and Bleach Bypass are two that are commonly requested. These recipes require JPEG settings that don’t exist on the “older” cameras, including the Classic Negative or Eterna Bleach Bypass film simulations. I knew it would be impossible to recreate those recipes for X-Trans III and the X-T3 and X-T30 cameras, but I wanted to get as close as I could. After much experimenting, I came up with some settings that are sometimes similar to the LomoChrome Metropolis recipe and are sometimes similar to the Bleach Bypass recipe, and sometimes not like either.
What the LomoChrome Metropolis and the Bleach Bypass recipes have in common are that they’re both high in contrast and low in color saturation. There are some other similarities between them, but there’s plenty that’s different, too. This recipe with certain subjects and in certain light situations can resemble one or the other, or neither. It’s as close as I could get. If you like the LomoChrome Metropolis and Bleach Bypass recipes, this is your best bet for X-Trans III and X-T3 and X-T30 cameras (aside from doing double-exposures). While it’s not as “perfect” as I was hoping to achieve, I think it’s a pretty good recipe for capturing dramatic pictures. It’s kind of (but not really) the low saturation version of Dramatic Classic Chrome.
Because these settings resemble both the LomoChrome Metropolis and the Bleach Bypass film simulation recipes, I decided to name this recipe Chrome Bypass, taking a little from each name. I don’t currently have access to an X-Trans III camera, so I don’t have any samples captured with a Fujifilm X-Trans III camera, but it should look very similar.
PRO Neg. Std Dynamic Range: DR200 Highlight: +3 Shadow: +4 Color: -4 Color Chrome Effect: Off or N/A Sharpness: -1 Noise Reduction: -4 Grain Effect: Strong White Balance: Auto, +2 Red & -5 Blue ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: 0 to +2/3 (typically)
Sample photographs, all camera-made JPEGs, captured with a Fujifilm X-T30 using this “Chrome Bypass” film simulation recipe:
Mountain Teasels – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Cloudy Branches – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Summer Tree – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Country Fence & Old Tires – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Tulip Pot – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Colorful Tulips – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Handy Dandy Grill – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Little Bit of Green – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
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!
Hidden Church – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X-T200
I didn’t always shoot JPEGs. I used to shoot RAW. Now with Fujifilm cameras I am a JPEG guy, and I’m inspiring many others to shoot JPEGs, too.
This is my journey.
I learned photography in the film era just before digital photography became a big thing. I didn’t like digital photography in those early days—I could spot a digital picture pretty easily. I resisted buying a digital camera for about 10 years. Technology changes quickly, and digital camera technology advanced to a point that it made sense for me to jump in. I’ve been primarily shooting digital for a little over 10 years now; I still shoot film, although since using Fujifilm cameras I’ve shot a lot less of it.
When I started in digital photography, I took the advice that is often given to newcomers: shoot RAW. JPEGs are terrible, so if you’re serious, shoot RAW. I didn’t initially heed this advice as the learning curve for RAW editing software is steep, but I quickly learned a tough lesson. I was in Sedona, Arizona, at Red Rock Crossing at sunset with a clearing storm, photographing the iconic Cathedral Rock with the Oak Creek in the foreground. It was incredible! I shot it with the camera set to JPEG. Later, when I reviewed the pictures on my computer, I discovered that the JPEGs were simply awful! I tried to “fix” them in software, but it was simply a missed opportunity. That’s why you shoot RAW.
One of the problems with RAW is that it can take a lot of time to edit, or really develop, the images. Some pictures can be quick, but some can take hours. I once had a particular brand of camera with a unique three-layer sensor, and it would often take 30 minutes to an hour or more to get a finished picture from a RAW file. It was painfully slow! I spent a lot of time sitting at the computer editing pictures. I tried to find shortcuts to speed up the process, but editing still took up a significant chunk of my time.
Blue Mountain Lake – Flathead Lake, MT – Fujifilm X-T30
My first Fujifilm camera was an X-E1 that I purchased used. I immediately loved it, but I did not understand how great the JPEGs were. I was still a RAW shooter. I did some RAW+JPEG with that camera, and I was impressed that the JPEGs actually looked pretty good. Several months later I purchased a Fujifilm X100F. While shooting RAW+JPEG on the X100F, I began to notice that the straight-out-of-camera JPEGs looked an awful lot like the RAW images that I had spent time post-processing. It was a lightbulb moment.
I began to experiment with the different JPEG settings and I realized that I could achieve in-camera different looks that I liked. I’m not 100% sure where the term “recipe” came from—if it was something that I invented or if someone else came up with it first—but I began to create film simulation recipes (sets of JPEG settings) for my X100F. The very first recipe was simply called “Acros” and I published it on August 27, 2017. It was the fifth post on this blog. My “Classic Chrome” film simulation recipe was published later that same day. I stopped shooting RAW and relied entirely on camera-made JPEGs.
I thought it truly amazing that high-quality pictures that looked like post-processed RAW images could come straight-out-of-camera. It felt good to not spend hours and hours sitting in front of a computer editing pictures. What was most meaningful to me is the time that shooting JPEGs saved me. Suddenly I had a lot more free time, which I spent on two things: my family and photography. My family life improved while my photography simultaneously became significantly more productive. It may seem like hyperbole to state that it changed my life, but it really did!
Time went on and my film simulation recipes were noticed by others. They spread by word of mouth, and more and more photographers began to use them. The more that I experimented, the more creative I got with the settings. I began to get requests to create different film looks. I collaborated with others on some settings. People began to create their own recipes, sharing them on social media. Film simulation recipes are now more than just JPEG presets, they bring people together, the foundation of community.
The way that the world is being captured today is in part through the filter of the film simulation recipes on this website. People across the globe, from new-to-photography to experienced-pro, are using these settings. I’m honored and humbled to influence photography in this way. I cannot tell you how many times people have told me that these recipes have had an impact on their photography, either rejuvenating their passion or saving them time (or both).
Forsaken – North Salt Lake, UT – Fujifilm X100V
When I was in Photography 101 in college, my pictures weren’t as good as some of my classmates, and I wondered if I’d ever amount to anything as a photographer. Through various photographic failures that I’ve endured over the years, I wondered if I should keep pressing forward. When I began this blog three years ago, I wondered if anyone would even read it. There’s no need to wonder anymore, except perhaps to where all this might lead.
I don’t consider myself an influential photographer, but there’s no doubt that I’m influencing photography. The stigma attached to the camera-made JPEG is changing (in part) because of me. The aesthetic of today’s pictures is (in part) the recipes from this website. My reach on this website is worldwide and the audience much larger than I could have ever dreamed.
I still primarily shoot JPEGs, but I discovered along the way that film simulation recipes are much easier to create when you can reprocess RAW files, either in-camera or with X RAW Studio. Instead of strictly being a JPEG-only photographer, I use RAW+JPEG, but I still only use camera-made JPEGs. That’s what works for me.
Really, it’s about finding what works for you and your photography. RAW might work best for one person, RAW+JPEG for another, and JPEG-only for another. There’s no right or wrong way to do things. There’s advantages and disadvantages to each. Nobody should say that everyone should do things one way, or put people down for doing it different than them.
For myself and a growing group of photographers, using film simulation recipes on Fujifilm cameras is the preferred method. I’m a JPEG guy, or, really, RAW+JPEG. I get the pictures that I want straight-out-of-camera without the need for editing, except for minor cropping and occasional small adjustments, which I do on my phone. You won’t find me sitting at a computer fiddling with files. There’s no need to. That’s why I love Fujifilm JPEGs.
