A Fuji X Weekly reader shared with me some scans of expired Kodak Vision2 250D motion picture film that he shot on a Canon camera and had developed using the ECN-2 process. The pictures were very interesting, and I thought it would be fun to recreate the aesthetic for my Fujifilm cameras. I don’t feel that this Recipe is a 100% perfect match, but it’s pretty darn close, and definitely has the right vibe.
Kodak made Vision2 250D, a daylight-balanced color negative motion picture film, from 1997 to 2005. It was replaced by the very similar Vision3 250D. I have two Film Simulation Recipes for Kodak Vision3 250D (here and here), which renders noticeably different than this Expired Kodak Vision2 250D Recipe. I doubt this will be anyone’s go-to option for everyday use, but it is a fun Recipe to use occasionally, especially if you like warm pictures. Some people enjoy purposely using expired film, and this Recipe—plus a handful of others, like Kodak Farbwelt 200 Expired, Kodak Gold Max 400 Expired, Expired Velvia, etc., etc.—allows you to replicate the experience with your Fujifilm camera.
For “newer” fourth-generation cameras—specifically, the X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II—set Color Chrome FX Blue to Weak; for fifth-generation cameras, which are the X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, X-T50, X-M5, X-E5, and X-T30 III, set Color Chrome FX Blue to Off. Those with newer GFX models can use this Recipe, too. The Tone Curve options (Highlight and Shadow) are not included below because this Recipe uses D-Range Priority, which disables the Tone Curve plus Dynamic Range. Fuji X Weekly App Patron subscribers have had access to this Recipe for two years now, but it’s been replaced by a different Early-Access Recipe, so it’s now available to everyone.
Film Simulation: Eterna Bleach Bypass D-Range Priority: DR-P Auto Grain Effect: Weak, Small Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome FX Blue: Off (X-Trans V); Weak (X-Trans IV) White Balance: 8700K, -4 Red & -3 Blue Color: -2 Sharpness: -2 High ISO NR: -4 Clarity: -2 ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: -1/3 to +2/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Expired Kodak Vision2 250D Film Simulation Recipe on my Fujifilm X-E4 and Fujifilm X-T5:
X-Trans IV
Sun Below the Trees and Above a Building – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Waterless Fountain Detail – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Fountain Corrosion – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Reflection & Leaves – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Architectural Abstract – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Four Trumpets – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Sunlight through Tree Leaves – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
End of the Road – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Cactus Moon – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
X-Trans V
Fresh Blooms, Fading Blooms – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Electric Wheels – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Empty Pathway, Empty Chairs – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Indoor Joy – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Concrete Shapes – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Sun-Kissed Shrub Leaves – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Garden Wall – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Stucco & Spanish Tiles – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
CVS Pharmacy – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Sunlit Bulb – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Red Vans – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Watering Pot – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Backyard Girl – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Happy Boy – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Bougainvillea & Blurry Tree – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Pink Oleander Blossoms – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Cactus Spikes – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Curious Dog – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Enjoying the Outdoors – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Sunstar through Leaves – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
Arizona Sunset & Saguaro – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5
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One of Fujifilm’s most beloved lines is the X-E series. While never the most popular, X-E cameras have a passionate cult-like following. My first Fujifilm camera was an X-E1, so I have a special place in my heart for the line. The X-E4 is currently my favorite for travel photography, especially when paired with pancake lenses. At this time, Fujifilm doesn’t offer an X-E camera—the last one was the X-E4, but it was discontinued over two years ago.
The X-E1, which was announced in the fall of 2012, was a striking camera that caught a lot of people’s attention with its retro styling and compact design; however, there were some initial issues (later rectified via firmware updates) that hindered the perception of it. One year later, Fujifilm released the X-E2, which had a new sensor and was largely free of the problems that had given its predecessor bad press. This was a successful model for Fujifilm, but the X-series was still pretty new, with a small (but quickly growing) market share. The X-E2s was released three years later; it was almost just a firmware update disguised as a new camera, and Fujifilm later gave that same firmware to the X-E2. A lot of people consider the X-E2 and the X-E2s (which had a pretty short run) to be the same camera, because they basically are (although not 100%). In the fall of 2017, Fujifilm announced the X-E3, at a time when the X-series seemed to be hitting its stride, with several commercially successful models coming before (X-Pro2, X100F, X-T2, X-T20). I think there were some high sales expectations for the X-E3; however, demand turned out to be sluggish, and the camera had to be discounted in order to move the inventory. Because it was considered a bit of a “flop” (too many copies were manufactured for the actual demand), there were some rumblings that the X-E3 might be the last model in that series. Thankfully it wasn’t.
White Bridge across Pond – Charleston, SC – Fujifilm X-E4 – Pacific Blues Recipe
In March of 2021, Fujifilm released the X-E4. I preordered my copy the moment it was announced; if I hadn’t, I might not own one today. Fujifilm used the sales figures of the X-E3 to estimate the demand for its successor, which was a fair assumption, but what they didn’t know is that the X100V was about to go viral, and it was going to take the X-E4 with it. Demand for the X-E4 turned out to be much greater than it had been for the X-E3; however, as luck would have it, this was during the Covid global parts shortage, and Fujifilm had trouble securing materials to manufacture more copies. Two years after it was released, and with a very long backorder list, the camera was discontinued.
Because there was so much unfulfilled demand, the second-hand market for the X-E4 went nuts. It was pretty common to find a used X-E4 selling for 50% more than the MSRP of a new model, and sometimes double. Crazy! If sales had been slow, it very well might have been the final nail in the X-E coffin; however, sales were good, except that Fujifilm discontinued the camera at the peak of its popularity because they ran out of parts. Now, a little over two years later, apparently a new model is forthcoming. Interestingly, in 2023 I predicted that the X-E5 might come in the spring of 2025… not a bad guess, only slightly off. Let me quickly discuss what I hope for with the X-E5.
Beach Chairs – Folly Beach, SC – Fujifilm X-E4 – Velvia Film
A lot of people wanted to buy the X-E4 but just couldn’t find one in stock, so I wouldn’t change much. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. There are five things I would do different, and otherwise I’d leave it alone. I don’t think Fujifilm needs to reinvent the wheel here.
The five things that I would change, which would make the X-E5 pretty much perfect in my eyes, are simple: use the Shutter/ISO combo dial of the X100/X-Pro series, include an M/C/S switch, include a rear command dial, improve the EVF resolution, and use the X-Processor 5. That’s it. Keep the design the same, keep the sensor the same, use the same battery—keep almost all of it the same. Do this, and it will be a very successful camera.
Some people will demand IBIS and claim that the X-E5 must have it or the camera’s a dud. I don’t care if it does or doesn’t have IBIS, I’m fine either way. For still photography, IBIS is nice, but is oftentimes very overstated. It’s not a critical feature whatsoever for most people and circumstances. It does add weight (and probably size), cost, and battery life—in other words, there are tradeoffs. I’m ok with either choice, but I definitely lean towards its exclusion.
Will it have a small grip like the X-E3? It could, but if it doesn’t have IBIS, it’s lightweight enough that the omission is not a problem (it’s not a problem on the X-E4); personally, I’d welcome it for times when a larger lens is attached to the camera. They could include a built-in flash (the X-E1 and X-E2 had a flash), but it doesn’t bother me even slightly that the X-E4 doesn’t have one. I’d be a little surprised if the X-E5 has the 40mp X-Trans V sensor, but it certainly could. I’m more inclined to believe that it will have the 26mp X-Trans IV sensor like the X-S20 and X-M5, if for no other reason than to keep the cost down. The Film Dial? I like it personally, and I’d be curious to see how it might be implemented, but it doesn’t seem like an easy addition (the EVF is in the way), so I’m guessing no, the camera won’t have it.
One final point I’d like to make in this article is in regards to timing. The X-E1 was the second-to-last X-Trans I camera (X-M1 was last), the X-E2s was the second-to-last X-Trans II camera (X70 was last), the X-E3 was the second-to-last X-Trans III camera (X-H1 was last), and the X-E4 was the second-to-last X-Processor 4 model (X-T30 II was last). Fujifilm has used the X-E series to mark the sunset of each generation, with one camera model to follow. It’s reasonable to assume that we’re nearing the end of the fifth-generation. My prediction, which is merely a guess and nothing more, is that an X-T30 III (an X-T30 II but with X-Processor 5) will be announced in the fall, and the X-Pro4 (maybe called X-Pro5), which will be the first sixth-generation camera, will be announced in January or February of 2026. I’ve guessed wrong many times before, so take this with a massive grain of salt.
This is a one-year photo-a-day project called 52 Weeks of Photography. Even though it is a year-long undertaking, I’m taking it one week at a time, because it’s a little easier to manage many small blocks than one large chunk. This is the 20th week, so the 20th set of seven images.
The reason why I’m doing this 365 Day project is because I noticed some gaps in-between my images last year. I didn’t pick up my cameras daily. On several occasions, four or five days passed by without a single picture created. Twice in 2024, I skipped a whole week. I want to rectify this, and get back into the habit of daily photography. I also want to elevate the quality of my craft in 2025, and am hoping that this will help.
Mountain Grass & Flowers – Boulder, CO – Fujifilm GFX100S II & 80mm f/1.7 – Velvia Slide
The plan is to capture a year’s worth of notable images, either personally or artistically. Ansel Adams famously stated, “Twelve significant photographs in any one year is a good crop.” It’s important to keep expectations realistic, but I’m also trying to avoid thoughtless snapshots just to fulfill the day’s requirement. I want to push myself to be better, and hopefully that will happen. Not every photo will be great—in fact, most won’t—but I hope they are all at least decent enough to be shared without embarrassment. And maybe when the whole project is complete, there will be 12 significant pictures (out of the 365) that I’m particularly proud of.
This was an exceptionally busy week, but I managed to pick up a camera each day, at least for a few pictures. A couple of days produced a number of good photos, and a couple of days not so much. I flew out to Denver to lead a photowalk in Boulder with Mike’s Camera. That was a lot of fun, and also by far my most photographically productive day of this week.
Flatiron from Behind – Boulder, CO – Fujifilm X100VI & TCL – The Rockwell
Interestingly, I was just reviewing my pictures created over the last few years for an upcoming project, and almost all of my favorite photos—at least 80%—were made while traveling. My guess is that 80%+ of my total photos were captured local near my home, but that accounted for at most 20% of my favorites, while less than 20% were made while on a trip somewhere, yet that accounted for the majority of my favorites.
What I takeaway from this is that I need to be more creative at home. I need to view my local area more as a first-time tourist and less as a resident who has seen the sites a hundred times. I also need to make a better effort to get to the local places that are photographically interesting. I need my local photography hit-rate to be closer to my travel photography hit-rate. With all of that said, when you visit amazing places, it’s a lot easier to create amazing pictures, so maybe that accounts for a good deal of it, too.
Without further ado, below are the 20th set of seven pictures from this 52 Weeks of Photography project.
Tuesday, May 6th, 2025
Half Moon Between Branches – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm GFX100S II & 80mm f/1.7 – Superia Negative
Wednesday, May 7th, 2025
Growing, Building – Litchfield Park, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 & 27mm f/2.8 – Superia Negative
Thursday, May 8th, 2025
Hanging Flower Pot – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm GFX100S II & 80mm f/1.7 – Superia Negative
Friday, May 9th, 2025
Ricoh Camera, Phoenix Film – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm GFX100S II & 80mm f/1.7 – Nostalgic Film
American Paint Horse – Litchfield Park, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 – Kodachrome Blue
Kodak made Kodachrome color-reversal (slide) film from 1935 through 2009. There are three era’s of Kodachrome: 1935-1960, 1961-1973, and 1974-2009. Each era has its own look; the second and third eras are probably the most similar. Kodachrome is actually a B&W film, with color dyes added during development. It was a unique and complicated process. Because of how the film works, it’s the most difficult emulsion to scan, often producing a blue cast that doesn’t exist when viewing the slides through a projector or on a light table.
Professional labs will have a profile to color correct Kodachrome scans, but even that’s not usually a 100% match. As it used to be said, “There’s nothing like projected Kodachrome!” If the scans aren’t carefully corrected, the results are often significantly more blue than the slides. The feeling that all the world’s a sunny day (as Paul Simon sang) is completely gone. Once you know what to look for, it’s easy to spot these incorrectly color corrected Kodachrome images, and they’re prevalent.
Rebels – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 – Kodachrome Blue
Over the last few weeks I’ve stumbled across several sets of these incorrectly color corrected Kodachromes while perusing the web, mostly from the second era of the film. I thought that the look was interesting, so I set out to recreate it on my Fujifilm X-E4; however, the process was more challenging than I had anticipated. I had assumed that Classic Chrome would be the best film simulation to base this new Film Simulation Recipe on—it was the obvious choice, right?—but I couldn’t get it to look right. It was actually the fifth film sim I tried before I decided that I was finally on the right track.
After four different modifications, I felt I got it as close as I could, and had a reasonable facsimile of the film when not appropriately color corrected. Interestingly, I compared my Recipe to some incorrectly colored Kodachrome 64 film scans in my collection—some frames I captured on a Canon AE-1 back in 1999 that (when I later had them scanned) the lab rendered too blue—and the resemblance was striking. I made one more small change to the Recipe to get it even closer, and called it good. One thing that I wish was possible is a little more color saturation, but +4 is the highest option; if +5 or maybe +6 were available, I’d have bumped Color just a tad higher.
Actual Kodachrome 64 film — improperly color-corrected scan
Actual Kodachrome 64 film — improperly color-corrected scan
Actual Kodachrome 64 film — improperly color-corrected scan
This Kodachrome Blue Film Simulation Recipe is compatible with the Fujifilm X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II cameras, as well as the GFX100S. For fifth-generation X-Trans models, as well as the GFX100 II, GFX100S II, and GFX100RF, set Color Chrome FX Blue to Weak instead of Strong. This isn’t a Recipe that I suspect will be anyone’s go-to for everyday use—I’d look at Kodachrome 64 or Kodachrome II for general photography—but it’s a fun one that I think some of you will really appreciate in certain circumstances. I personally like the retro feelings that Kodachrome Blue produces. Note: this was an App Patron Early-Access Recipe, but now it is available to everyone.
Film Simulation: Eterna Bleach Bypass Dynamic Range: DR200 Grain Effect: Weak, Small Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome FX Blue: Strong White Balance: 6500K, -6 Red & +9 Blue Highlight: +2.5 Shadow: -0.5 Color: +4 Sharpness: +1 High ISO NR: -4 Clarity: +3 ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: -2/3 to 0 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured using this Kodachrome Blue Film Simulation Recipe on my Fujifilm X-E4:
Play Garden Tools on a Wall – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Stormy Day Bougainvillea – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Growing Bougainvillea – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Bougainvillea Day – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Bougainvillea Blue – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Building Storm over Street Lamp – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Three Palms over Building – Buckeye, AZ. -Fujifilm X-E4
Palm Lights – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Corner Tower – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Neighborhood Roof – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Concrete Roof Tiles – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Sunlight From Above – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Little Blue Rainbow – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Red Umbrella on a Sunny Day – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Water Angels – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Shoda – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Fake Flowers on a Table – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Potted Palm Plant – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Fresh Flowers – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Two Way Stop – Avondale, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Underpass – Avondale, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Taillight – Avondale, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Two Shoes – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Unexpected Portrait – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Guitarist – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Peace – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Attic Window – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Yellow Honeysuckle Trumpet – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
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This is a one-year photo-a-day project called 52 Weeks of Photography. Even though it is a year-long undertaking, I’m taking it one week at a time, because it’s a little easier to manage many small blocks than one large chunk. This is the 19th week, so the 19th set of seven images.
The reason why I’m doing this 365 Day project is because I noticed some gaps in-between my images last year. I didn’t pick up my cameras daily. On several occasions, four or five days passed by without a single picture created. Twice in 2024, I skipped a whole week. I want to rectify this, and get back into the habit of daily photography. I also want to elevate the quality of my craft in 2025, and am hoping that this will help.
Spitting Lions – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm GFX100S II & 80mm f/1.7 – Velvia Film
The plan is to capture a year’s worth of notable images, either personally or artistically. Ansel Adams famously stated, “Twelve significant photographs in any one year is a good crop.” It’s important to keep expectations realistic, but I’m also trying to avoid thoughtless snapshots just to fulfill the day’s requirement. I want to push myself to be better, and hopefully that will happen. Not every photo will be great—in fact, most won’t—but I hope they are all at least decent enough to be shared without embarrassment. And maybe when the whole project is complete, there will be 12 significant pictures (out of the 365) that I’m particularly proud of.
Interestingly, I noticed that I used the vertical (portrait) orientation a lot more than usual during this week. I don’t know why. It could be because I’d been thinking of the upcoming Xhalf, or it might have been just the way the subjects presented themselves. I didn’t even realize it until I was putting together this article.
Without further ado, below are the 19th set of seven pictures from this 52 Weeks of Photography project.
Tuesday, April 29th, 2025
Palm Curve – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm GFX100S II & 80mm f/1.7 – Kodak Tri-X 400
Wednesday, April 30th, 2025
Study – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm GFX100S II & 80mm f/1.7 – Nostalgic Film
Thursday, May 1st, 2025
Book Succulent – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T4 & 90mm f/2 – Upcoming Recipe
Friday, May 2nd, 2025
Tower – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm GFX100S II & 80mm f/1.7 – Superia Negative
Saturday, May 3rd, 2025
Auto 110 – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 & 27mm f/2.8 – Pacific Blues
Sunday, May 4th, 2025
Saguaro Storm – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T4 ES & 35mm f/2 – Aerochrome v2
Monday, May 5th, 2025
Great Coffee – Goodyear, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 & 27mm f/2.8 – Superia Negative
This is a one-year photo-a-day project called 52 Weeks of Photography. Even though it is a year-long undertaking, I’m taking it one week at a time, because it’s a little easier to manage many small blocks than one large chunk. This is the 18th week, so the 18th set of seven images.
The reason why I’m doing this 365 Day project is because I noticed some gaps in-between my images last year. I didn’t pick up my cameras daily. On several occasions, four or five days passed by without a single picture created. Twice in 2024, I skipped a whole week. I want to rectify this, and get back into the habit of daily photography. I also want to elevate the quality of my craft in 2025, and am hoping that this will help.
Tree in Transition – Surprise, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 & 27mm f/2.8 – Pacific Blues
The plan is to capture a year’s worth of notable images, either personally or artistically. Ansel Adams famously stated, “Twelve significant photographs in any one year is a good crop.” It’s important to keep expectations realistic, but I’m also trying to avoid thoughtless snapshots just to fulfill the day’s requirement. I want to push myself to be better, and hopefully that will happen. Not every photo will be great—in fact, most won’t—but I hope they are all at least decent enough to be shared without embarrassment. And maybe when the whole project is complete, there will be 12 significant pictures (out of the 365) that I’m particularly proud of.
There were a couple of days where I only created a few photos during this week; otherwise, it was quite productive. While I doubt any from this set will be considered significant when this project is finished, there are a couple of pictures that I’m personally quite happy with. There were also a couple of “tough cuts” that I’ll have to find a way to share elsewhere.
Without further ado, below are the 18th set of seven pictures from this 52 Weeks of Photography project.
Tuesday, April 22nd, 2025
Girl and Her Horse – Litchfield Park, AZ – Fujifilm X-T4 & 90mm f/2 – Reggie’s Portra
Wednesday, April 23rd, 2025
Yellow Blooms in April – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm GFX100S II & 80mm f/1.7 – Fujicolor PRO 160C Warm
Thursday, April 24th, 2025
Single Cactus Blossom – Surprise, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 & 27mm f/2.8 – Pacific Blues
This is the long-overdue conclusion to my Charleston, South Carolina, travel series. For our last full day in Charleston, we headed back to Folly Beach. We had visited the night before, but got there later than we had planned, so we thought we’d go back and spend a little more time at the beach. The next day, which was the final day, we returned home to Arizona.
Day 6 — Monday, March 24th
Beach Chairs – Folly Beach, SC – Fujifilm X-E4 – Velvia Film
Folly Beach is great! We had so much fun there. I haven’t been to a lot of beaches on the East Coast, but of all the ones that I have been to so far, this is my favorite. It was mostly overcast, but the sun peaked out now and then. The camera I used was the Fujifilm X-E4 with the Fujinon 27mm f/2.8 lens. This is probably my #1 favorite travel camera-lens combo right now. The Film Simulation Recipe that worked the best for the location and lighting was Pacific Blues, which is one of my top-favorite Recipes.
After walking up and down the sandy beach and through the town a little, we headed to Angel Oak, which is a very large and old tree. For that location, I used a Fujifilm GFX100S II with the Fujinon 30mm f/3.5 lens, which worked out quite well. We spent the last part of the day preparing for our return home.
Vespa – Folly Beach, SC – Fujifilm X-E4 – Kodak Film
Coca-Cola – Folly Beach, SC – Fujifilm X-E4 – Pacific Blues
Under Folly Pier – Folly Beach, SC – Fujifilm X-E4 – Kodak Tri-X 400
Three Seagulls – Folly Beach, SC – Fujifilm X-E4 – Pacific Blues
Beach Berm – Folly Beach, SC – Fujifilm X-E4 – Pacific Blues
Phoenix Sun, Carolina Sand – Folly Beach, SC – Fujifilm X-E4 – Pacific Blues
Beach House – Folly Beach, SC – Fujifilm X-E4 – Pacific Blues
Beach Palms – Folly Beach, SC – Fujifilm X-E4 – Pacific Blues
Beach Bicycle – Folly Beach, SC – Fujifilm X-E4 – Velvia Film
Americana Stripes – Folly Beach, SC – Fujifilm X-E4 – Pacific Blues
Spirit of Folly – Folly Beach, SC- Fujifilm X-E4 – Pacific Blues
Angel Oak – Johns Island, SC – Fujifilm GFX100S II – Velvia Film
Our flight left quite early, so we were up well before the sun. With sleep still in our eyes, we made our way to the gate. The Charleston airport is one of the better ones that I’ve been to. We had a layover in Houston (not one of the better airports…), and made it back to Arizona around noon.
It was a really great trip. Charleston was a fun, vibrant, and interesting city, and I’d definitely return. For photographers, this should be added to your “to-visit” list, if you’ve never been there. If you do go, I hope this series gives you some ideas of places to potentially visit, and what gear might be best. Thanks for coming along with me on this journey!
On The Go – Charleston, SC – Fujifilm X-E4 – Kodak Tri-X 400
Embraer – Charleston, SC – Fujifilm X-E4 – Pacific Blues
Express – Charleston, SC – Fujifilm X-E4 – Pacific Blues
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I made a mistake in the Week 16 update. The photo listed as “Wednesday, April 9th, 2025” was actually captured on Thursday, April 10th. And the photo purportedly captured on April 10th was actually made on the 11th. And so on. Each photo is off by one day, except for the first, which really was photographed on Tuesday, April 8th. That’s the only one that is correct. I’m sorry for getting that wrong.
The photo that should have been listed as Wednesday, April 9th, is below. It’s the only picture that I made on that day, and I failed to upload it, which is why I overlooked it. I noticed the discrepancy yesterday when I was preparing this article. In order to get back on track, I’ve changed the formatting just a little—I hope you don’t mind.
The reason why I’m doing this 365 Day project is because I noticed some gaps in-between my images last year. I didn’t pick up my cameras daily. On several occasions, four or five days passed by without a single picture created. Twice in 2024, I skipped a whole week. I want to rectify this, and get back into the habit of daily photography. Most days are easy, but some are not. I’ve managed at least a small handful of photographs on most days, but on a few occasions (like April 9th above), it’s been only one picture.
Without further ado, below are the 17th set of pictures from this 52 Weeks of Photography project.
Southwind – Litchfield Park, AZ – Fujifilm X-T4 – Kodak Portra do Sol
This new Film Simulation Recipe comes courtesy of Gilson Teixeira. “It started with your Bright Kodak Recipe, which I loved for its energy and vibrancy. But I was looking for something softer—still warm and colorful, but a bit more cinematic and relaxed. I imagined a Recipe that could bring out a golden, mellow vibe even on grey days. That’s how Kodak Portra do Sol came to life: my go-to point-and-shoot simulation for capturing a little warmth wherever I am.”
“As a Brazilian living in London,” Gilson told me, “the long, grey winters can be tough—and this past winter hit particularly hard. I wanted to create something that could bring a bit of Brazil’s tropical spirit into my everyday life. The name is a nod to my mother tongue: do sol means ‘of the sun,’ and I liked the play between Portra and porta—as if it were a ‘Door of the Sun.’ At the same time, something shifted creatively. After years away from photography, I picked up the camera again—not just to escape the grey, but to reconnect with something I thought I’d left behind. Photography has now become part of my self-care. During my 45–60 minute daily walks, I focus on light, angles, composition, and Recipes. That attention clears my mind and helps me recharge—especially through winter, it helped me stay grounded. If anyone reading this is struggling, I truly recommend reaching out to Samaritans—they’re there to listen, wherever you are.”
“Surprisingly, it was AI that brought me back to photography,” he continued. “I work in IT and focus on AI at Microsoft. I noticed how naturally my prompts leaned toward light and composition—photography had quietly stayed with me all along. I studied digital imaging back in 1994 at the New England School of Photography in Boston, so that knowledge was still there, waiting to be revived.”
Back at the Ranch – Litchfield Park, AZ – Fujifilm X-T4 – Kodak Portra do Sol
“Bright Kodak is bolder and more punchy,” Gilson replied when asked what differentiates Kodak Portra do Sol from Bright Kodak. “I wanted something calmer. I removed Grain, reduced Color from +4 to +3, and softened Clarity from -3 to -1. I switched to Auto White Balance, with a gentler Shift (+2R, -6B) for a warm, flexible look, and added Color Chrome Effect Strong to deepen tones without over-saturation.”
“I see recipes as creative tools,” he added, “not shortcuts. They help set the mood in-camera, so I can focus on light and storytelling. With Kodak Portra do Sol, I’m not just capturing images, I’m capturing how those moments feel.”
I want to give a special “thank you” to Gilson Teixeira for sharing this Recipe and the story behind it, and for allowing me to publish some of his photographs. Please check out his Instagram, and leave a kind note for him in the comments. Thank you, Gilson!
Photo by Gilson Teixeira — Fujifilm X-T30 II — Kodak Portra do Sol
This Kodak Portra do Sol Film Simulation Recipe is compatible with the Fujifilm X100V, X-Pro3, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II cameras, as well as the GFX100S. You can use it on newer cameras, too, but blue will render slightly deeper (try it anyway).
Film Simulation: Classic Chrome Dynamic Range: DR400 Grain Effect: Off Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome FX Blue: Off White Balance: Auto, +2 Red & -6 Blue Highlight: -2 Shadow: -2 Color: +3 Sharpness: -2 High ISO NR: -4 Clarity: -1 ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +1 1/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured by Gilson Teixeira using this Kodak Portra do Sol Film Simulation Recipe on a Fujifilm X-T30 II:
Photo by Gilson Teixeira — Fujifilm X-T30 II
Photo by Gilson Teixeira — Fujifilm X-T30 II
Photo by Gilson Teixeira — Fujifilm X-T30 II
Photo by Gilson Teixeira — Fujifilm X-T30 II
Photo by Gilson Teixeira — Fujifilm X-T30 II
Photo by Gilson Teixeira — Fujifilm X-T30 II
Photo by Gilson Teixeira — Fujifilm X-T30 II
Photo by Gilson Teixeira — Fujifilm X-T30 II
Photo by Gilson Teixeira — Fujifilm X-T30 II
Photo by Gilson Teixeira — Fujifilm X-T30 II
Photo by Gilson Teixeira — Fujifilm X-T30 II
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured using this Kodak Portra do Sol Film Simulation Recipe on my Fujifilm X-T4 and X-E4:
Easter Egg Hunting – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Easter Swim – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Tractor Back – Litchfield Park, AZ – Fujifilm X-T4
Feed Silo – Litchfield Park, AZ – Fujifilm X-T4
Horse Walker – Litchfield Park, AZ – Fujifilm X-T4
Seabee – Litchfield Park, AZ – Fujifilm X-T4
Horse, Fence – Litchfield Park, AZ – Fujifilm X-T4
Ready – Litchfield Park, AZ – Fujifilm X-T4
Horse Walker Detail – Litchfield Park, AZ – Fujifilm X-T4
Harkins at Night – Goodyear, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Find this Film Simulation Recipe and nearly 400 more in the Fuji X Weekly App! Consider becoming a Patron subscriber to unlock the best App experience and to support Fuji X Weekly.
This is a one-year photo-a-day project called 52 Weeks of Photography. Even though it is a year-long undertaking, I’m taking it one week at a time, because it’s a little easier to manage many small blocks than one large chunk. This is the 15th week, so the 15th set of seven images.
The reason why I’m doing this 365 Day project is because I noticed some gaps in-between my images last year. I didn’t pick up my cameras daily. On several occasions, four or five days passed by without a single picture created. Twice in 2024, I skipped a whole week. I want to rectify this, and get back into the habit of daily photography. I also want to elevate the quality of my craft in 2025, and am hoping that this will help.
Yellow Rose – Litchfield Park, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 & 27mm f/2.8 – Pacific Blues
The plan is to capture a year’s worth of notable images, either personally or artistically. Ansel Adams famously stated, “Twelve significant photographs in any one year is a good crop.” It’s important to keep expectations realistic, but I’m also trying to avoid thoughtless snapshots just to fulfill the day’s requirement. I want to push myself to be better, and hopefully that will happen. Not every photo will be great—in fact, most won’t—but I hope they are all at least decent enough to be shared without embarrassment. And maybe when the whole project is complete, there will be 12 significant pictures (out of the 365) that I’m particularly proud of.
Had a great week. Co-lead a photowalk on the 4th, and attended a portrait lighting class on the 5th. Was fairly productive on several other days, too. There are probably a dozen pictures that might have made the cut to be shared in the weekly article if they had occurred in a different week (mostly captured over a four day stretch). Hopefully I can keep this up as the temperatures get hot here in Arizona.
Without further ado, below are the 15th set of seven pictures from this 52 Weeks of Photography project.
Tuesday, April 1st, 2025
Kup Here – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 & 27mm f/2.8 – Fujicolor 100 Gold
Wednesday, April 2nd, 2025
Window Light – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 & 27mm f/2.8 – Pacific Blues
On the fourth day of this trip, which was the third full day in Charleston, we spent the entire afternoon and evening at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens. This spot was picked by my wife, Amanda, and I really didn’t know what to expect. Learning my lesson from the prior day, I brought along my Fujifilm X-E4 with the 27mm pancake lens attached, as well as my Fujifilm X-T4 ES infrared camera with the 35mm f/2 lens. The X-T4 ES is currently my favorite model, but it does require the right subjects and light to really do well. Although spring was just beginning to appear, there were still a lot of dormant trees, and a lot of them looked like winter or even late-fall, so I wasn’t sure how well the infrared camera would do.
I was blown away by the beauty of this location—it’s a nature and wildlife photographer’s playground! It seemed like a place you can return to over and over again, and not exhaust the picture opportunities. I can also understand why it is one of the top choices in the area for weddings. From a photographer’s point-of-view, this is a must-see location in Charleston.
The Fujifilm X-E4 with the 27mm pancake lens was perfect. It never got in the way—I kept it in my sweater pocket—and it delivered excellent results. This camera-lens combination is not talked about enough, perhaps because both items have been difficult to find. In my opinion, Fujifilm should prioritize a successor to the discontinued camera, and consider producing another pancake lens or two to go with it. The X-T4 ES was hit-or-miss. I think if we had been there a few weeks later, it would have done better; however, I still got some good photos.
Magnolia Plantation and Gardens is pretty much all we did on this day, but it was definitely a highlight of the trip. If you ever visit Charleston, make sure that this place is on your agenda. This spot alone made the trip from Arizona worthwhile, and I hope to return someday.
Train, Truck & Cart – North Charleston, SC – Fujifilm X-T4 ES – Aerochrome v2
This is a one-year photo-a-day project called 52 Weeks of Photography. Even though it is a year-long undertaking, I’m taking it one week at a time, because it’s a little easier to manage many small blocks than one large chunk. This is the 14th week, so the 14th set of seven images.
The reason why I’m doing this 365 Day project is because I noticed some gaps in-between my images last year. I didn’t pick up my cameras daily. On several occasions, four or five days passed by without a single picture created. Twice in 2024, I skipped a whole week. I want to rectify this, and get back into the habit of daily photography. I also want to elevate the quality of my craft in 2025, and am hoping that this will help.
On The Go – Charleston, SC – Fujifilm X-E4 & 27mm f/2.8 – Kodak Tri-X 400
The plan is to capture a year’s worth of notable images, either personally or artistically. Ansel Adams famously stated, “Twelve significant photographs in any one year is a good crop.” It’s important to keep expectations realistic, but I’m also trying to avoid thoughtless snapshots just to fulfill the day’s requirement. I want to push myself to be better, and hopefully that will happen. Not every photo will be great—in fact, most won’t—but I hope they are all at least decent enough to be shared without embarrassment. And maybe when the whole project is complete, there will be 12 significant pictures (out of the 365) that I’m particularly proud of.
While the previous week was easy for this project, this week was difficult. It started out with some serious jet-lag. Then some of us got sick. Then my family participated in a 72 hour film challenge. All four of my kids are in a creative arts club, which hosts an annual film challenge. The kids form teams, which could be with their peers (which is what my two oldest did last year) or with their family (what they decided on this year… although the two girls were also on another team). So we had 72 hours to write, record, edit, and submit a five minute short film. Then we had an additional 24 hours to make a trailer and poster. All of the films will play in a local movie theater later this month, and sometime after that I’ll share our video in a post, for anyone who might be interested. Making this short film was in addition to all the “normal” things that go on day-to-day, so finding time for photography was difficult on a few of the days.
Without further ado, below are the 14th set of seven pictures from this 52 Weeks of Photography project.
For the third day of this trip, which was the second full day in Charleston, we planned to explore downtown. So after breakfast, we drove towards the City Market, which was on our to-see list. We didn’t have a detailed plan, and decided to just kind of figure it out once there.
I wasn’t fully sure what to expect photographically, and thought there might be some panoramic opportunities, so I decided to bring my Fujifilm GFX100S II with the Fujinon 30mm f/3.5 lens. Big mistake—and by that I mean the camera is much too bulky and heavy to carry around all day. It’s not a good option for walk-around photography. It captures lovely photos, but I won’t be choosing it for situations like this again, where I’ll have it around my neck for hours and hours. I definitely regretted the camera choice for this day. Still, I came away with a handful of good photos, so it wasn’t for nothing.
When we arrived, we saw all these horse-drawn carriages, and thought it looked fun. There are a lot of different options, and we chose Palmetto Carriage Works. I’m not sure which one is best, but we had a great time on ours. It was an excellent way to see the city and learn some history, much of which we would have missed if we had not done this. Besides that, my two daughters love horses, so they were especially happy about it.
After the carriage ride, we walked around a little, then found some lunch (which was a late lunch… we were still on Arizona time). After that, we finally made it to the historic City Market, which was cool. There were a couple photographers selling prints, and many other artists. We explored downtown a little more, before heading to Rainbow Row (colorfully painted historic homes from the late 1700’s) and The Battery (historic promenade along the Charleston Harbor).
I was disappointed to learn that morning golden hour is better for Rainbow Row than evening golden hour, since the buildings are backlit in the afternoon. Still, I did find some little slices of interesting light, so it was nonetheless worthwhile. We were going to spend sunset at The Battery, but the no-see-ums were out in full force, so we didn’t stick around for very long. The bugs weren’t a problem in the city, but by the water it was definitely an issue.
After spending most of the day in downtown Charleston, we decided it was time to head back to the AirBnB. We took the long way back through Mount Pleasant, and I found a Fujifilm sign in the window of a frame shop (turns out they develop film). We ended Day 3 with waffles for dinner. By this time I had exchanged the GFX for my Fujifilm X-E4 with the 27mm pancake lens, which was a relief; however, the photographic day was pretty much over by then. Oh, well. Lesson learned.
Day, Light – North Charleston, SC – Fujifilm GFX100S II – Fujicolor Film
Horses & Carriages – Charleston, SC – Fujifilm GFX100S II – Nostalgic Film
Storage Sunset – North Charleston, SC – Fujifilm X-E4 – The Rockwell – Day 1
My kids had their spring break last week, and Amanda and I had decided to travel somewhere with the family while they were off from school. Although we had wanted to do a trip, we hadn’t made a decision regarding where we were going to go until a few weeks ago. The destination was a last minute decision. We had a few different places in mind, but something was holding us back from choosing one of them.
We didn’t throw darts at a map to decide, but a month ago we were not thinking South Carolina at all. Charleston just kind of came up out of nowhere in our consciousness near the beginning of March. Amanda had wanted to visit South Carolina ever since she did a report on the state in elementary school many years ago, but we never talked about going except for “maybe someday” types of comments. I didn’t know much at all about Charleston or South Carolina personally, but as I looked into it a couple of weeks before spring break, I was really intrigued by what I saw—we all were intrigued, I think, not just me. So we purchased some airline tickets, and less than two weeks later we were at 35,000 feet over El Paso en route to Charleston.
Even though spring break was from March 15th through the 23rd, we had some prior plans, so we couldn’t go exactly over the kids’ time off, and had to modify it a little. Thankfully, the schooling is flexible, and there were no issues with that aspect. As a bonus, flights were cheaper leaving Wednesday and returning Tuesday. It all just seemed to work out really well.
I wasn’t intending to write a travel series for this trip. Even when I got back home, my mind was on other things (such as completing and publishing the Universal Negative Recipe set). Now that nearly a week has gone by since returning back to Arizona, and I’ve had some time to sit on it, I decided that I should share our journey, in case some of you are also considering a trip to Charleston. Or maybe—like me—this city is not on your radar; however, you might just become intrigued as you learn more.
Day 1 — Wednesday, March 19th
Playing at the Playground – North Charleston, SC – Fujifilm X-E4 – Cinematic Film
We were very busy the days before the trip. All four kids were in The Sound of Music stage performance for the City of Goodyear. Johanna was Gretl von Trapp, while Joshua was Kurt. Joy was a nun and Jonathan was an Austrian. Some family had traveled from out-of-state to see it, and we were hosting until the day before our departure. We hurriedly completed last-minute errands and packed our bags. We got to bed around midnight. Then the alarm sounded at 2:45 am. It was time to get up so we could make our 6 am flight. Yikes!
This day is kind of a blur. We made it to the airport and through security without any issues, but we were definitely dragging. Once on the plane, we all tried to sleep, and I think we all did. We landed in Houston a few hours later, and changed planes. The connecting flight was in a different terminal, but aside from a lot of walking, it was pretty easy. We were still dragging, though. The flight from Houston to Charleston was fine, and we all tried to sleep a little more. This was a lot easier when I was in my 20’s.
We arrived in South Carolina, got our bags and rental car, and headed to our AirBnB, which was in North Charleston. The house was nice, but it’s proximity to Park Circle (a trendy neighborhood) was overstated on the listing, and maybe that’s why it was more affordable than the others in the area. Anyway, we made ourselves at home, maybe even took a short nap, and then it was dinnertime. At this point, the only thing we had eaten all day were the airplane snacks and some trail mix and granola bars we had brought with us.
After dinner, it was nearing sunset, so we found the park that is at the center of Park Circle, and let the kids run around and play for 30 minutes or so. There was a very nice and extensive playground for them to explore, and I can understand why it’s desirable for those with children to be near this location. I had grabbed my Fujifilm X-E4 with the Fujinon 27mm f/2.8 pancake before leaving the house. It’s such an easy camera to carry around, which makes it perfect for travel. I didn’t do much photography on this day, though. As the sun was disappearing, we were getting bit up by no-see-ums, so we called it good, and headed back to our AirBnB for the night.
Red Pole – North Charleston, SC – Fujifilm X-E4 – RedScale
Palm & Oak – North Charleston, SC – Fujifilm X-E4 – Redscale
Day 2 — Thursday, March 20th
Above the Fence – North Charleston, SC – Fujifilm X-T4 ES – Aerochrome v2
Due to the lack of sleep the day before, we decided to not set any alarms and just get rest—have an easy morning. So we slept in. And we were not yet used to the three-hour time difference, so by the time we got going for the day, the day was nearly half over. I suppose this was a recovery day of sorts.
While it was partly sunny in the late-morning and early-afternoon, it soon turned thick overcast and then poured rain for several hours, clearing out just after sunset. We explored Summerville a little, but the rain kept us mostly indoors. We had seen the forecast, so we didn’t make many plans for this day, figuring it best to wait until the weather was better to accomplish our agenda.
I got in a little photography, but not much. I used my Fujifilm GFX100S II with a Fujinon 80mm f/1.7 lens and my Fujifilm X-T4 ES (infrared) with a Fujinon 35mm f/2 lens around the house before the sun disappeared behind the clouds. After dinner, I grabbed a couple of snaps with my Fujifilm X-E4 and 27mm. Two days in, and the number of photographs I had created thus far could be counted on my fingers. I was a bit disappointed by that, but we were still early into the trip, and hadn’t really seen anything yet—the fun stuff was still upcoming.
Dried Plant Decor – North Charleston, SC – Fujifilm GFX100S II – Fujicolor Film
This is a one-year photo-a-day project called 52 Weeks of Photography. Even though it is a year-long undertaking, I’m taking it one week at a time, because it’s a little easier to manage many small blocks than one large chunk. This is the 13th week, so the 13th set of seven images, which means that I’m 25% finished. Wow, time flies!
The reason why I’m doing this 365 Day project is because I noticed some gaps in-between my images last year. I didn’t pick up my cameras daily. On several occasions, four or five days passed by without a single picture created. Twice in 2024, I skipped a whole week. I want to rectify this, and get back into the habit of daily photography. I also want to elevate the quality of my craft in 2025, and am hoping that this will help.
Sailer on Sumter – Charleston, SC – Fujifilm GFX100S II & 80mm f/1.7 – Kodak Tri-X 400
The plan is to capture a year’s worth of notable images, either personally or artistically. Ansel Adams famously stated, “Twelve significant photographs in any one year is a good crop.” It’s important to keep expectations realistic, but I’m also trying to avoid thoughtless snapshots just to fulfill the day’s requirement. I want to push myself to be better, and hopefully that will happen. Not every photo will be great—in fact, most won’t—but I hope they are all at least decent enough to be shared without embarrassment. And maybe when the whole project is complete, there will be 12 significant pictures (out of the 365) that I’m particularly proud of.
Because it was my kids’ spring break, I spent the majority of this week in Charleston, South Carolina, which is an incredible city! I had no idea. It wasn’t on my radar, but I’m so glad that we visited. I’ll probably publish a series of articles that better details the trip, for those who might be interested. Anyway, when you travel, photographing every day is easy, so I had no problems completing this week’s assignment.
Without further ado, below are the 13th set of seven pictures from this 52 Weeks of Photography project.
Tuesday, March 18th, 2025
Sunshine on Bougainvillea – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X70 – Pro Film
Wednesday, March 19th, 2025
Storage Sunset – North Charleston, SC – Fujifilm X-E4 & 27mm f/2.8 – The Rockwell
Thursday, March 20th, 2025
Above the Fence – North Charleston, SC – Fujifilm X-T4 ES & 35mm f/2 – Aerochrome v2
White Bridge across Pond – Charleston, SC – Fujifilm X-E4 & Fujinon 27mm – Pacific Blues
It’s better to invest your money in photographic experiences rather than new camera gear. Consider where you could go with the money that the new camera or lens will cost, and how much fun you might have wherever “there” is. I’m not saying never buy new gear, only that there’s no need to get every new thing that comes out, or right away when it is announced. While I have on occasion regretted a certain gear purchase, I’ve never once regretted traveling somewhere for photography.
A few days ago Fujifilm announced the GFX100RF, which I would love to own. Because it is so small and lightweight, I think it’s actually an ideal camera for a photographic project I started late last year, which will take place over a long period of time. This entails large panoramic prints of (hopefully) amazing landscapes, so you can probably understand how this particular camera might seem ideal. In anticipation of the announcement, and the excitement of announcement day, I had a lot of G.A.S. (“Gear Acquisition Syndrome”) and F.O.M.O. (“Fear of Missing Out”). After all, this is something that I really want, and arguably need.
Three Beach Umbrellas – Folly Beach, SC – Fujifilm X-E4 & Fujinon 27mm – Pacific Blues
Knowing that this camera was on the horizon, and knowing that I would have G.A.S. and F.O.M.O., I could have stretched the budget and put in my preorder purchase last week. Technically, I had the money. You see, my wife and I had been planning to take a trip over the kids’ spring break, and we wanted to take the family to someplace we’d never been. When things were becoming a bit more clear what the upcoming camera was going to be, we had a discussion about making the trip shorter and more local so that I could buy the new GFX. We hadn’t purchased any airline tickets yet or made hotel reservations, so it would have been easy. Instead, we decided to hold off on the gear, and use the money to fly to Charleston, South Carolina instead. We just arrived back in Arizona yesterday.
I had no idea just how cool and photogenic Charleston is. It was not a city on my radar. My wife had wanted to visit for quite awhile (since she did a research project on South Carolina in school many years ago), so we purchased airline tickets and found accommodations. We spent the money that we could have used to buy a new camera on an epic cross-country trip. It was amazing! I have zero regrets. It is quite obviously better to invest in experiences than new gear, and I’m quite happy that we chose to travel.
With that said, I feel even more strongly that the Fujifilm GFX100RF is a camera that I will eventually buy. It was such a pain to haul my GFX100S II, plus 80mm f/1.7 and 30mm f/3.5 lenses, through airport terminals and across town as we explored the city. My Fujifilm X-E4 with the 27mm f/2.8 pancake lens was a much better option for travel photography because it is so compact and lightweight. Unfortunately, that camera isn’t going to cut it for my panoramic project, but for general travel photography, it is quite excellent. I only wish there were a couple more pancake lenses available for it. My Fujifilm X100VI would have been great, too; however, I left it at home this time because I had just used it extensively over the last couple of months for a different project, so I wanted to give it a little rest.
Of course, I also brought along my Fujifilm X-T4 ES full-spectrum infrared camera. Of all the cameras I currently own, this is the one I’m having the most fun with right now. I’ve been considering making a book someday with the photos created using the Aerochrome v2 Recipe, but I have a long ways to go before I have a sufficient number of good images worthy of being published in a book. Without taking this camera on various travel experiences, such a book would be unlikely, or at least much less interesting.
Speaking of photographic experiences, I will be co-leading a photowalk with Ryan Faer and Lucas White in downtown Phoenix, Arizona, on Friday, April 4th, in partnership with Nuzira. The exact time and meetup location is TBD, but we will be photographing at the First Friday Art Walk, so that should give you an idea of the location and time (we will probably meet about 6 PM). If you live in the Phoenix area and want an excuse to get out with your camera, be sure to join us! Don’t forget to sign up (click here).
While you are signing up for that photowalk, consider joining Nuzira and my friend Christopher Berry on Saturday, April 5th, for a portrait lighting class at the Nuzira store in Scottsdale. If you have an interest in studio lighting or portrait photography, this is a class you’ll want to attend. The sign up form is on the same page as the photowalk.
The Red Desert – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI – RedScale
Redscale is an analog film technique where you load a roll of color film into the camera backwards. The film is exposed from the wrong side—through the plastic backing—exposing the red layer first. The results are photographs with a predominately red color cast. Sometimes it’s yellow-ish, sometimes it’s orange-ish, sometimes it’s peach-ish, sometimes it’s purple-ish, but mainly it is red. Results can very from film-to-film, and also how the film is exposed and developed/scanned; however, a redscale photo is unmistakable—you know it when you see it.
You can buy film preloaded for redscale photography. Lomography has Redscale XR, which is an unknown Kodak emulsion loaded into the canister backwards (some have speculated it’s Ultramax 400). On Valentine’s Day, Harman released Red 125, which is backwards-loaded Phoenix 200. Harman Red 125 is what this RedScale Recipe was inspired by. Because the film is new, there aren’t a lot of examples yet. I’m not convinced that this Recipe is perfectly accurate, but it seems to be pretty close from the limited number of pictures I found online.
Light on a Dark Wall – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 – RedScale
Redscale photography isn’t for everyone or every situation—it’s a niche lomo-esque aesthetic. But if you want to get that look straight-out-of-camera, this RedScale Film Simulation Recipe will do that very convincingly. This is compatible with Fujifilm X-Trans IV (excluding the X-T3 and X-T30; use this Redscale Recipe instead) and X-Trans V cameras. While Classic Negative renders blue more deeply on X-Trans V than on X-Trans IV, because the color blue doesn’t really come through with this Recipe, it looks the same on both sensor generations. You can also use it on most GFX cameras.
Film Simulation: Classic Negative Dynamic Range: DR200 Grain Effect: Strong, Small Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome FX Blue: Off White Balance: 10000K, +9 Red & -9 Blue Highlight: 0 Shadow: +2 Color: +4 Sharpness: -2 High ISO NR: -4 Clarity: -3 ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: 0 to +2/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured using this RedScale Film Simulation Recipe on a Fujifilm X-E4, X100VI & GFX100S II:
Classic Circles – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
The Very Best – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Disc – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Tall Chair – Litchfield Park, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Red Fan – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Hat Rack – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
b – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Nature & Structure – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI
Chairs & Cart – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Promenade – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V
CVS Sign – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
YJack – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Two Bikes – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI
Suburban Bike – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Son, Shadow – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Reflected Structure – Tempe, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Red Hen – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Unlikely Friends – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm GFX100S II
Palm Canopy – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI
Suburban Tree – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Palm Abstract – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Closed for the Evening – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Fire Flowers – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
K81 – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Red Hair – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Red Saguaro Fingers – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI
Find this RedScale Film Simulation Recipe and nearly 400 more in the Fuji X Weekly App! Consider becoming a Patron subscriber to unlock the best App experience and to support Fuji X Weekly.
This is a one-year photo-a-day project called 52 Weeks of Photography. Even though it is a year-long undertaking, I’m taking it one week at a time, because it’s a little easier to manage many small blocks than one large chunk. This is the seventh week, so the seventh set of seven images.
The reason why I’m doing this 365 Day project is because I noticed some gaps in-between my images last year. I didn’t pick up my cameras daily. On several occasions, four or five days passed by without a single picture created. Twice in 2024, I skipped a whole week. I want to rectify this, and get back into the habit of daily photography. I also want to elevate the quality of my craft in 2025, and am hoping that this will help.
Oak Creek – Sedona, AZ – Fujifilm GFX100S II & 80mm f/1.7 – Nostalgia Negative
The plan is to capture a year’s worth of notable images, either personally or artistically. Ansel Adams famously stated, “Twelve significant photographs in any one year is a good crop.” It’s important to keep expectations realistic, but I’m also trying to avoid thoughtless snapshots just to fulfill the day’s requirement. I want to push myself to be better, and hopefully that will happen. Not every photo will be great—in fact, most won’t—but I hope they are all at least decent enough to be shared without embarrassment.
I had one especially productive day, and six that were much less so; however, overall I felt better about Week 7 than I did about Week 6. On the days with fewer photographs, I tried to push myself to be a bit more creative and intentional. Still, I know that I could have done better, so I need to keep at it, keep pressing forward.
Below are the seventh set of seven pictures from this 52 Weeks of Photography project.
This is a one-year photo-a-day project called 52 Weeks of Photography. Even though it is a year-long undertaking, I’m taking it one week at a time, because it’s a little easier to manage many small blocks than one large chunk. This is the fifth week, so the fifth set of seven images.
The reason why I’m doing this 365 Day project is because I noticed some gaps in-between my images last year. I didn’t pick up my cameras daily. On several occasions, four or five days passed by without a single picture created. Twice in 2024, I skipped a whole week. I want to rectify this, and get back into the habit of daily photography. I also want to elevate the quality of my craft in 2025, and am hoping this will help with that.
Toilet Trash – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T4 ES & 35mm f/2 – Upcoming Recipe
The plan is to capture a year’s worth of notable images, either personally or artistically. Ansel Adams famously stated, “Twelve significant photographs in any one year is a good crop.” It’s important to keep expectations realistic, but I’m also trying to avoid thoughtless snapshots just to fulfill the day’s requirement. I want to push myself to be better, and hopefully that will happen. Not every photo will be great—in fact, most won’t—but I hope they are all at least decent enough to be shared without embarrassment.
I had three especially productive days this week, and four not-so-productive ones. On two of the days, I barely met the minimum obligation, and nearly chalked them up as losses; however, I decided that there was one photo on each day that was just good enough to share, so by the skin-of-my-teeth I made it. I have built into this project two days that I can miss, just knowing that life happens, and it would have been a shame to have used both of them on week five, especially since I didn’t have a good excuse. Thankfully, I didn’t have to, but I do need to be a bit more careful and purposeful moving forward.
Below are the fifth set of seven pictures from this 52 Weeks of Photography project.
Tuesday, January 21st, 2025
Red Tree Trunk – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 & 90mm f/2 – Provia Summer
Wednesday, January 22nd, 2025
Bougainvillea Blossom Bunches – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm GFX100S II & 80mm f/1.7 – Fujicolor PRO 160C Warm
Thursday, January 23rd, 2025
Light, Color, Texture– Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T4 ES & 35mm f/2 – Upcoming Recipe
Friday, January 24th, 2025
Orange Desert– Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-T4 ES & 35mm f/2 – Upcoming Recipe
This Provia Summer Film Simulation Recipe kicks off a new series. Each Recipe in this series will use a different film simulation, beginning with Provia and ending with Sepia. None of them will be modeled after any specific emulsions, but more simply will be aesthetics that I like, that I want to create photographs with. Even though they won’t be mimicking specific films, I do intend for them to have an analog vibe. My goal is to publish a new Recipe in this series every three or four weeks. Lastly, they will each begin as an App Patron Early-Access Recipe.
I never wanted the Early-Access Recipes to be unavailable to non-subscribers for so long. Some have been 18 months or longer, most over a year. My initial idea was that they would be Patron-only for about six months or so, and then be made available to everyone; however, I’ve only reached that goal a few times. This series of Recipes will hopefully clear out the backlog, and the Recipes that some of you have long been waiting for will be available soon.
Golden CVS – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-S20 – Provia Summer – Photo by Jonathan Roesch
Provia Summer is in a similar neighborhood as Bright Summer, Bright Kodak, Eterna Summer, Summer of ’59, 1970’s Summer, and I’m sure a few others. Obviously it’s not exactly like any of them, as it has its own unique aesthetic. This Recipe is warm and colorful, producing images that have a summer-like feel. It’s not the most ideal option for artificial light indoors or nighttime photography, but in the right situations it can be alright for that; for best results, use on a sunny day.
This is an App Patron Early-Access Recipe. If you are a Fuji X Weekly App Patron, you have access to it right now. If not, no worries, as it will eventually be made available to everyone, once it is replaced by a new Early-Access Recipe. With the exception of the X-T3 and X-T30, it is compatible with all fourth and fifth-generation X-Trans cameras, which (as of this writing) are the Fujifilm X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, X-T30 II, X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, X-T50, and X-M5. It can also be used on the newer GFX models, and I’ve included a few examples of that at that bottom.
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Provia Summer Film Simulation Recipe on a Fujifilm X-E4 and X-S20:
Vibrant Bougainvillea – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Dying Frond – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Sunlit Window – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Golden Arch – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Bright Bougainvillea – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Palm Grove – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Tower Window – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-S20 – Photo by Jonathan Roesch
Duel Window View – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Welcome to Wellness – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Water Drops – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-S20 – Photo by Jonathan Roesch
Faux Beauty – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Dusk Steeple – Litchfield Park, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Electric Open – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-S20 – Photo by Jonathan Roesch
Red Tree Trunk – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4
Yellow Fountain – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-S20 – Photo by Jonathan Roesch
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Provia Summer Film Simulation Recipe on a Fujifilm GFX100S II:
Bougainvillea Trestle – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm GFX100S II
Broken Palm Bark – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm GFX100S II
Jonathan in the Desert – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm GFX100S II
Find this Film Simulation Recipe and over 350 more in the Fuji X Weekly App! Consider becoming a Patron subscriber to unlock the best App experience and to support Fuji X Weekly.
