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Fujifilm X-T30 (+X-T3 & X-Trans III) Film Simulation Recipe: Classic Kodak

Posted on November 8, 2022 by Ritchie Roesch

*Colorful Flags* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Classic Kodak”

As I was beginning to put together my recent article, Which Film Simulation Recipes, When? — Part 2 (X-T3 & X-T30), I realized that I didn’t have a lot of Film Simulation Recipes that use the Shade White Balance. Cameras that are older than the Fujifilm X-Pro3 cannot save a White Balance Shift with each C1-C7 Custom Preset; however, the camera will remember one shift with each white balance type, so if each C1-C7 Custom Preset uses a different white balance type, you won’t have to remember to adjust the shift, which improves the user experience. I realized that I needed another recipe that uses the Shade white balance type, so that’s where this recipe originated.

Specifically, I set out to create a Film Simulation Recipe that could make a good option for “golden hour” or “midday” daylight photography—potentially a solid choice for C1 or C2 in your camera. I wanted it to have a classic Kodak aesthetic—perhaps a bit nostalgic, like from the 1970’s or 1980’s, maybe somewhat similar to Kodacolor—but not modeled after any specific film. Something classic and warm and clearly Kodak-like. I really like what I came up with, and I think many of you will, too!

*Saguaro Green* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Classic Kodak”

This “Classic Kodak” Film Simulation Recipe is compatible with the X-T3 and X-T30 cameras, and, because it doesn’t use Color Chrome Effect, it’s also compatible with X-Trans III models. To use this recipe on newer X-Trans IV (and X-Trans V) cameras, simply set Color Chrome FX Blue to Off, Clarity to 0, and choose a Grain size (either Small or Large).

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

Below are all camera-made JPEGs captured using this “Classic Kodak” Film Simulation Recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30:

*Clocktower* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30

*Center on Main* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30

*Water Fountain* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30

*Circle Around the Roofline* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30

*Old Doll Head For Sale* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30

*Unlit Bulbs and Rainbow* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30

*Rainbow Hidden in the Trees* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30

*Small Yellow Leaves* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30

*Dressed in Pink* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30

*Green Garden Leaves* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30

*Palm Branches in the Sky* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30

*Sonoran Desert Mountains* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30

*Split Saguaro* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30

Find this Film Simulation Recipe and over 250 more on the Fuji X Weekly — Film Recipes App!

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Fujifilm X-T3 & X-T30 Film Simulation Recipe: Kodak Portra 400 v2

Posted on August 17, 2021 by Ritchie Roesch

*Walking on a Bridge* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Kodak Portra 400 v2”

This film simulation recipe is a slight variation of my Kodak Portra 400 recipe. It came about after I made a Portra 400 v2 recipe for the newer X-Trans IV cameras, which was created after studying actual examples of the film provided to me by a reader. I wanted to create a similar modification for the X-T3 and X-T30, which became this recipe. One film can have many different looks, depending on how it’s shot, developed, and scanned and/or printed, so this isn’t necessarily a “better” recipe, just a slightly different take on recreating the film’s aesthetic. I really like this one, and I think you will, too!

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

*Downtownscape* – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Kodak Portra 400 v2”

This isn’t exactly a brand-new recipe. It was published as a Patron early-access recipe on the Fuji X Weekly App back on December 1st, so Patrons have had access to it for quite some time. Now another early-access recipe has replaced it, so this one is available to everyone! If you are a Fuji X Weekly Patron, be sure to check out the new early-access recipe in the app.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR-Auto
Highlight: -1
Shadow: -1
Color: +2
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: -2
Grain Effect: Strong
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
White Balance: Daylight, +2 Red & -6 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +2/3 to +1 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this “Kodak Portra 400 v2” film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30:

*Blackberry Forest Evening* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

*Three Backlit Leaves* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

*Tiny Red Berries* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

*Broken and Boarded* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

*Window to the City* – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

*Lululemon* – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

*Two Tall Buildings* – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

*Hotel* – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

*Two Cranes* – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

*A Downtown Cityscape* – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

*Moffatt Ct.* – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Find these film simulation recipes and many more on the Fuji X Weekly — Film Recipes App!

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My Fujifilm X-T30 Kodak Vision3 250D Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on May 11, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

Ice Cream Trailer – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Kodak Vision3 250D”

A Fuji X Weekly reader asked me to create a film simulation recipe that mimics Kodak Vision3 250D motion picture film. Kodak introduced Vision3 250D in 2009. While it’s a color negative motion picture film, it can also be used for still photography. I’ve never used this film, but as I researched it, I came to realize that this one film can produce many different looks, depending on how it’s shot and developed. In fact, you can develop it using either the C-41 or ECN-2 process, and you can even develop it as black-and-white. You can push-process several stops. There’s a lot of latitude for over and under exposure.

As you can imagine, it would be impossible to create a film simulation recipe that mimics every possible look from this film, or even most. I focused in on one specific aesthetic, although I can’t say for sure how that aesthetic was achieved, and made a recipe that mimics it. I think I came pretty darn close. Perhaps more importantly, these settings look good. There’s a certain quality to the pictures made using this recipe that’s especially lovely. Some of you are really going to love these settings!

Flowers on a Tree Branch – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Kodak Vision3 250D”

Since Kodak Vision3 250D is a motion picture film, I had fun using this film simulation recipe in the 16:9 aspect ratio from time-to-time because it is a more cinematic shape. If you used the film for still photography, most likely the frame would be a 3:2 aspect ratio, which is what I chose for most of these pictures. You can choose any aspect ratio that you’d like. If you have an X-H1, which doesn’t have Color Chrome Effect but does have Eterna, you can still use this recipe, but the results will be slightly different.

Eterna
Dynamic Range: DR100
Highlight: +3
Shadow: +4
Color: +3
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: -2
Grain Effect: Strong
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
White Balance: Fluorescent 1 (Daylight Fluorescent), -3 Red & -1 Blue
ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +2/3 (typically)

Below are all camera-made JPEGs captured using this Kodak Vision3 250D Film Simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30 camera:

Blue Bokeh – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Nighttime Fire Hydrant – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Yellow Tree – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Lights Strung Across The Road – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Forever the Perfect Accessory – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Artificial Light Rays – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Reserved Parking – Syracuse, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Grass by a Waterfall – Syracuse, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Three Ducks – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Pond – Syracuse, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Tree & Purple Flowers – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Green Leaves & White Blooms – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Webs in the Grass – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Sky Reeds – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Clouds & Roof – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Chopped Logs – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Fake Flower Decor – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Shy & Uninterested – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Sunglasses Indoors – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Boy in Evening Light – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Beans in the Grinder – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

See also: Film Simulation Recipes

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My Fujifilm X-T30 Kodak Portra 400 Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on May 10, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jensen Pond – Syracuse, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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

Paved Trail – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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

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

Royal Lunch – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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

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

Boy Sitting – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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

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

See also: Film Simulation Recipes

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

Posted on April 24, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Phone Numbers – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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

Broccoli – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Faux Leaves – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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

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

Potted Tulip – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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

Outdoor Shelf – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Dirty Feet – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Roller Skating – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Skates – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Girl Outdoor – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Two Feet – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Chair Shadow – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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

Watering Plant – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Wet Handlebar – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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

See also: Film Simulation Recipes

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My Fujifilm X-T30 Kodak Portra 160 Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on April 3, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Yellow House – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Rooflines – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Garages – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Blue Dumpster – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Stop – Kaysville, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Elevator Trucks – Kaysville, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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

Autumn Leftovers – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Sky Reed – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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

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

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

Bike Seat – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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

Goosenecks – Goosenecks SP, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Satellite Dish – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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

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

Sky Blooms – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

See also: Film Simulation Recipes

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My Fujifilm X-T30 Cross Process Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on March 24, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Four Garages – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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

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

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

Tennis Racket – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Razor – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Self Shadow – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Pedaling Around – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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

See also: Film Simulation Recipes

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My Fujifilm X-T30 Jeff Davenport Night Recipe

Posted on March 23, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Night Hotel – Farmington, UT -Fujifilm X-T30

Caution Poles – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Dumpster 204 – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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

Nighttime Neighborhood – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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

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

Illuminated Houses – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Wind Sock – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

See also: Film Simulation Recipes

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My Fujifilm X-T30 Classic Slide Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on March 21, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Yellow Couch – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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

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

Dresser Decor – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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

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

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

Crossing Flags – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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

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

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

Posted on February 26, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Reading – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Markers – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Lego Car – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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

Suburban Sky – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Neighborhood – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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

Liquid Obscurity – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Evening Windows – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Closed Umbrella – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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

Observing – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Outdoor Mall – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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

Disconnected – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

See also: Film Simulation Recipes

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My Fujifilm X-T30 Vintage Color Fade Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on February 25, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Josh – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Girl Reading – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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

Black Bike – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Down Stairs – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Honey Buckets – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

UTA Train – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

See also: Film Simulation Recipes

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

Posted on February 24, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

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

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

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

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

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

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

Open Blinds – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Ocean – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

White Faux Blooms – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Monochrome Floral Arrangement – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Lily Bloom – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Throw Pillows – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Dirt Play – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Girl In The Sunlight – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

See also: Film Simulation Recipes

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My Fujifilm X-T30 Provia Film Simulation Recipe (Fujichrome Sensia 100)

Posted on November 1, 2019 by Ritchie Roesch

Evening Flag – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Provia

The film simulation that Fujifilm calls “standard” is Provia, but of all the color options, Provia is my least favorite. For the most part, I prefer the other film simulations instead. In fact, the only recipes that I’ve created that use Provia are Agfa Optima 200 and Cross Process, both of which are great in their own way. The problem with Provia is that it’s somewhat boring. And it doesn’t resemble the film that it’s named after. The Astia film simulation looks more like real Provia film, and the Provia film simulation more resembles Astia film. Weird, huh? Well, I decided that Provia needed a little more of my love, so I created a new recipe for it.

This Provia recipe reminds me of Fujifilm Fujichrome Sensia 100, although that is strictly coincidental, as I wasn’t attempting any specific film look, just a general analog aesthetic. Fujichrome Sensia 100 was a general-purpose slide film that was discontinued about 10 years ago. It was a popular choice for cross-processing, although that’s not the look you find here. There were three different generations of the film, and each looked very slightly different. I shot a little of the second version of Sensia back in the day, but I usually preferred Velvia or Provia film. This recipe’s accidental resemblance is a happy accident.

Autumn Tree Branches – Riverdale, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Provia

The white balance required for this recipe is Warm-White Fluorescent, which is also known as Fluorescent Light 2 or Neon 2. It’s the second fluorescent white balance option underneath cloudy/shade. It’s a bit unusually to select this in daylight, but it works in this case.

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

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

Lost In Thought – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Summer Is Over – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

The Last Yellow Leaf – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Abscission – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Leaves of Autumn – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Autumn Sun – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Autumn Tree Trunk – Riverdale, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Neighborhood Snowfall – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Baseball Boy – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Cottonwood Fall – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

See also: Film Simulation Recipes

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My Fujifilm X-T30 Lomography Color 100 Film Simulation Setting

Posted on October 31, 2019 by Ritchie Roesch

Misty Mountain Sunset – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Color 100”

Several different Fuji X Weekly readers have asked me to create a film simulation recipe based on Lomography Color 100 film. Lomography is essentially low-fi film photography, and it’s also the name of a company that sells cameras and film. One of their negative films is Color 100. It’s a popular film among lomographers, but even those who wouldn’t consider themselves a part of the lomography movement have taken notice of it. I’ve never used this particular film myself, as it didn’t exist when I shot a lot of film, so I only had the internet to assist me with creating this recipe.

Besides the fact that I don’t have any first-hand experience with this film, another big hurdle for creating these settings was the film itself. As I researched it, I discovered that Lomography Color 100 film isn’t one single emulsion. In fact, at least two, possibly three, and maybe even four different emulsions have been sold under the name Lomography Color 100! At least two of those, and maybe all of them, are Kodak films. Lomography bought these emulsions at a discount, either because too much was manufactured and the film was approaching its expiration, or because it didn’t pass quality control, and Kodak sold their unwanted film cheaply to Lomography. Which films, you ask? Gold 100 and Pro Image 100, for sure. Ektar 100 possibly. The fourth, if there is a fourth, would be a non-Kodak film, possibly Fujifilm Fujicolor 100, but there’s a good chance that a fourth emulsion for Color 100 never happened.

Curious – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Color 100”

Another hurdle with this film simulation recipe is that a lot of people use alternative techniques with Color 100, such as push-process. There’s a big variety with how it’s typically handled by photographers, which makes creating a look that resembles Color 100 quite difficult. Results may vary would be the best description of the film. Despite that, I do believe that this recipe is in the neighborhood of the film, and those looking for an aesthetic that’s close to Color 100 film will appreciate this facsimile of it.

Velvia
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: +1
Shadow: +1
Color: -3
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: +1
Grain Effect: Weak
Color Chrome Effect: Weak
White Balance: Cloudy/Shade, -3 Red & +7 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +2/3

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Color 100 film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30:

Yellow Cottonwood – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Morning Yellow – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Cold Backyard Autumn – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Red Tree Snowfall – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Ball Hitter – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Girl In Bright Sunlight – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Red Autumn Leaves – Riverdale, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Backyard October Winter – South Weber, UT

October Snow – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Ice Cold Leaf – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Camera Shelf – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

R Decor – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

[Not] My Fujifilm X-T30 “Warm Contrast” Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on August 24, 2019 by Ritchie Roesch

Flower Pots – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Warm Contrast”

Fuji X Weekly reader Manuel Sechi recently contacted me regarding some camera settings that he was working on. He was trying to replicate the look of the “Warm Contrast” preset in Lightroom. He felt that he was close but was hoping that I might help refine the settings to get a little closer. He showed me some of his pictures where he had applied the preset, which was helpful as I don’t use Lightroom. I tried out his settings and indeed they looked very close to the photographs that he shared. I made some small adjustments to refine it to what I thought might be a closer match to the preset, although not having the preset at my disposable was admittedly a challenge, and I can only hope that I made the recipe better and not worse.

While I call this film simulation recipe “Warm Contrast” due to its intended replication, it’s not particularly warm nor especially high in contrast. It seems to work best in mid-contrast situations, and when the light is already a bit on the warm side. When it works, though, it looks really good. I can see why Manuel was interested in creating it. I’m sure some of you will appreciate these settings, and I’m eager to share them with you.

August Wasatch – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Warm Contrast”

Thank you, Manuel, for sharing your settings, and allowing me the opportunity to tweak them. While I put “Fujifilm X-T30” in the title, this recipe can be used on any X-Trans III or IV camera. In low-contrast situations, going +4 on Shadow and +2 on Highlight might produce better results. In cooler light, -1 Red and -5 Blue might prove to be better. As always, don’t be afraid to season this film simulation recipe to taste.

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

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using these settings on my Fujifilm X-T30:

Fighting Flamingos – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Duck In A Stream – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Rural Stream – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Bee On A Pink Flower – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Bee At Work – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Kids on a Bridge – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Confident Direction – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Leaves of Various Colors – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Looking Bird – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Yarn Owl – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Green Mountain Majesty – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Sloping Ridges – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Canvas Sky – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

American Fair – Salt Lake City, Utah – Fujifilm X-T30

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My Fujifilm X-T30 Kodachrome 64 Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on August 2, 2019 by Ritchie Roesch

Kodachrome Slides – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Kodachrome 64”

Kodachrome 64 is probably the most requested film that people have asked me to create a recipe for. Kodachrome has a long history, with the first successful version debuting in 1935 (film simulation recipe here). In the early 1960’s Kodak replaced that version of the film with Kodachrome II and Kodachrome X (film simulation recipe here). In 1974 Kodak made the final version of Kodachrome, available in ISO 25 and ISO 64 (and later ISO 200) versions. This Kodachrome was discontinued 10 years ago. Kodak also discontinued the chemicals to process Kodachrome, and nine years ago the last roll was developed. This film simulation recipe is meant to mimic the aesthetics of Kodachrome 64.

In the early 1970’s there was a movement to end Kodachrome. The process to develop the film was toxic and complex. Kodachrome is actually a black-and-white film with color added during development, which you can imagine isn’t a simple procedure. Instead of discontinuing their most popular color film, Kodak made a new version that required a less-toxic (but still toxic) and less complicated (but still complicated) development process. This appeased those who wanted the film gone, but the new version of Kodachrome was not initially well received by photographers, many of whom liked the old version better. William Eggleston, for example, who used Kodachrome extensively in his early career, wasn’t a fan of the new version, and began to use other films instead.

The photography community did come around to Kodachrome 25 and Kodachrome 64. Due to Kodachrome’s sharpness, grain, color, contrast and archival characteristics, this film was a great all-around option that worked well in almost any circumstance. The film became incredibly popular, and was found on the pages of many magazines, including National Geographic, which practically made its use a requirement. Steve McCurry was perhaps the best known photographer to extensively use this era of Kodachrome. He said of the film, “It has almost a poetic look with beautiful colors that were vibrant and true to what you were shooting.”

Onaqui Wild Horses – Dugway, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Kodachrome 64”

I shot many rolls of Kodachrome 64, and a few rolls of Kodachrome 25. My favorite was Kodachrome 64 because it had a little more contrast and was slightly more saturated. It was a sad day for me when Kodak discontinued it. I was just getting into digital photography at that time, and in retrospect I wish that I had paused on digital and shot a few more rolls of Kodachrome. Kodak has hinted that they might resurrect it, but I would be surprised if they actually did because of the complex development process.

When I decided to attempt a Kodachrome 64 film simulation recipe for my Fujifilm X-T30, I did some experiments, and after a few tries I thought that I had it figured out. Excitingly, I snapped many frames with these settings, but then I figured that I should consult some actual Kodachrome 64 slides to make sure that it matched. It didn’t. Kodachrome 64 looked different than how I remembered it. I was close, but not close enough, so I went back to the drawing board. A handful of experiments later I got it right, which is the recipe that you see here.

Of course, the issue with all of these film simulation recipes that mimic actual film is that one film can have many different looks, depending on how it was shot, under what conditions, how it was developed, and how it’s viewed, whether through a projector or light table, a print (and how it was printed), or a scan (and how it was scanned and perhaps digitally altered, and the monitor). There are a ton of variables! Kodachrome looks best when viewed by projector, no doubt about it, but that’s not how Kodachrome is seen today, unless you own a projector and have some slides. While I don’t think that this recipe will ever match the magic of projected Kodachrome, I do think it’s a close approximation of the film and it deserves to share the famed name.

Mayhem – Tooele, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Kodachrome 64”

I have Grain set to Weak, but I feel that when using this recipe at higher ISOs Grain should be set to Off. While I chose DR400, in low-contrast situations DR200 is a good Dynamic Range option. For X-Trans III cameras, which obviously don’t have Color Chrome Effect, this recipe will still work and will appear nearly identical, but it will produce a slightly different look. To modify this recipe for Kodachrome 25, I suggest setting Shadow to +1, Color to -1, Grain to Off, and Sharpness to +3.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: +1
Shadow: +2
Color: 0
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: +2
Grain Effect: Weak
Color Chrome Effect: Weak
White Balance: Daylight, +2 Red & -5 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +1 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Kodachrome 64 film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30:

Shopping Cart Car – Riverdale, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Traffic Lamp – Bountiful, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Red Tricycle – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Hay Stack – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Pony Express Trail – Faust, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Wild Horse Country – Dugway, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Wild Horse Grazing – Dugway, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Lonely Horse – Dugway, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Wild & Free – Dugway, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Onaqui Horses – Dugway, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Spotted Green – Dugway, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Grassland – Dugway, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

In The Dust – Faust, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Roar Forever – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Jon In The Backyard – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Big Wheel – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Evening Tree – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Look Up To The Sky – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Lavender Bee – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Lavender Sunset – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Sunset Leaves – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Sun Kissed Leaf – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Summer Tree Leaves – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Jar of Coffee Beans – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Beans To Grind – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Sugar Dish – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Morning Coffee – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Processed by Kodak – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

My Fujifilm X-T30 Kodacolor Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on July 19, 2019 by Ritchie Roesch

Summit Merc – Coalville, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

This is the film simulation recipe that you’ve been waiting for! Well, maybe that’s an exaggeration, but if you like my Kodachrome II or Portra 400 recipes, which are both very popular, you’ll likely also appreciate this one. It’s in the same neighborhood as those, producing a classic Kodak analog aesthetic. I think many of you will like this film simulation recipe.

Last week I was contacted by a Fuji X Weekly reader who wanted help creating an in-camera look that was similar to the pictures from this other photographer. It didn’t take me long to realize that the photographer in question was using a digital camera (Nikon D750) and applying a plugin preset (most likely VSCO) to achieve the desired look. If I had to take a guess, I would say that the preset is supposed to resemble Kodak Portra 400, although probably one of the alternative versions and not the straight Portra 400 preset. Anytime that I get one of these requests I always make an attempt to create it, although oftentimes my efforts are not successful and no recipe is made. This time, my first stab at it was pretty close, and a little refining made it even closer. I was able to quickly create a film simulation recipe that produces similar results in-camera to what that other photographer is getting with software.

The reason that I named this recipe Kodacolor and not Portra is that, to me, it looks more like Kodacolor VR than Portra, although the aesthetics of these two films are quite similar. Portra is the better film with improved grain, more tolerance to under and over exposure, and slightly more accurate skin tones, but overall the films produce very similar looks. Kodak originally developed Kodacolor VR film in the early 1980’s for their Disc cameras, which used a film cartridge resembling a computer floppy disc (or the “save icon”), allowing the camera to be small and easy to use. It made tiny exposures on the disc of film, and the film prior to Kodacolor VR, which was called Kodacolor II, was too grainy and not sharp enough for the small exposure to produce good results. Kodak’s solution was to create a sharper film with finer grain, which they originally named Kodacolor HR, and quickly renamed Kodacolor VR after making a small improvement. Kodacolor VR was available in ISO 100, 200, 400 and 1000 film speeds. This film simulation recipe most closely resembles Kodacolor VR 200, in my opinion. Kodacolor VR was replaced by Kodacolor VR-G in the mid 1980’s, which was later renamed Kodak Gold. Kodacolor VR was technically discontinued in 1986, but the ISO 200 version was renamed Kodacolor 200 and later ColorPlus 200, which is surprisingly still available today.

Kodak Flying Disc – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

One characteristic of Kodacolor VR is that it’s not particularly tolerant to underexposure (for color negative film), so a common technique was to overexpose the film (to prevent accidental underexposure). The side-effect of this, which is a common side-effect of most Kodak color negative films, but it’s especially pronounced on this particular film, is cyan sky. Blues tend to become an unnatural lighter color. That’s what this film simulation recipe looks like: Kodacolor VR 200 that’s been overexposed. It’s also a close proximity to Portra 400 that’s been overexposed, although it’s not quite as strong of a match for that as Kodacolor VR.

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

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured using my Kodacolor film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30:

Echo Canyon Morning – Echo, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Morning Light In Echo Canyon – Echo, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Tree On The Rocky Ledge – Echo, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Western Cliff – Echo, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Rock Bowl – Echo, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Echo Mesa – Echo, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Summer Witches – Echo, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Trees Dotting The Rock – Echo, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Blue Sky Rocks – Echo, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Weber River Thistle Blooms – Coalville, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Yucca Blossoms – South Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Sky Tree – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Sycamore Seeds – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Green Cottonwood Leaf – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Cottonwood Sun – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Vintage Sunset – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Blue Hole – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Summer Clouds Behind The Green Hill – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Summer Blue & Green – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Big Cloud Behind The Mountain – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Grey Sky Hill – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Car Wash – South Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Burger Umbrellas – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Renew or Replace – Riverdale, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Red Curve – Riverdale, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Red Corner – South Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Moore Motor – Coalville, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Better Days Behind – Coalville, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Building For Sale – Coalville, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Brick Angles – Coalville, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Suburban Garage – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Gas – Echo, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Gas Cafe – Echo, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Neighborhood Fence – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

The Joy of Driving Rain – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Man of Steel – Coalville, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Bicycle Back Tire – South Weber, Utah – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Chaos Wheel – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Hat On A Bed – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Couch Pillows – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Wall Curtain – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Intelligence Game – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

The Trouble With Age – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Ketchup – Riverdale, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Orange – South Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Playing With Fire – South Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Mastrena – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Be The Light – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Adidas – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Balloon Maker – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Standing In The Water Balloon Pool – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Water Balloon Fight – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Recording Summer Fun – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Wearing Grandpa’s Hat – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Johanna – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Echo Canyon Morning Freight – Echo, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Freight Train At Echo – Echo, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

Eastbound Freight Through Echo Canyon – Echo, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Kodacolor

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My Fujifilm X-T30 Redscale Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on June 22, 2019 by Ritchie Roesch

Red Hill – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Redscale”

Redscale is a photographic technique where you shoot film backwards. Instead of shooting the film through the front, you shoot it through the backside. In order to do this, one must load the film into the canister backwards, or buy film that’s already been purposefully loaded backwards. Normally, in color negative film, the red layer is exposed last, for the light has passed through other layers and filters before it reaches it. When you shoot from the wrong side, light hits the red layer first. The results can be quite unique!

What’s interesting about Redscale photography is that the results can vary greatly, depending on the film, exposure and development. Most commonly, Redscale images have a strong maroon, red, orange or yellow color cast. Sometimes the color cast can be extraordinarily bold and sometimes it can be quite subtle. Even one roll of film can produce different looks depending on the light and how it was shot. Generally speaking, darker images tend to be more red and brighter images tend to be more yellow, but there are certainly exceptions to that. A Redscale image is easy to spot when you see one, but it can be difficult to strictly define the aesthetic.

Peach Morning – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Redscale”

I was asked by Fuji X Weekly reader Aycan Gonenc to create a Redscale film simulation. He had developed one already and shared his settings with me, but was hoping that I might make some improvements. I made some changes and adjustments and the results are this recipe, so it is a collaborative effort. What I will say is that the settings can be adjusted considerably, and one can still achieve a Redscale look. Simply change the film simulation from Astia to something else and you will create a different Redscale look. The white balance can be dropped to as low as 7700K, and the shift can have blue added or subtracted. Any of the settings can be adjusted to taste. These settings are only what I felt would produce a good Redscale facsimile, and I believe it does that.

Astia
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: +1
Shadow: +2
Color: -2
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: -2
Grain Effect: Strong
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
White Balance: 10000K, +9 Red & 0 Blue
ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: -1/3 to +1/3 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured using my Redscale film simulation recipe on a Fujifilm X-T30:

Building Sky – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Cloud Around The Ridge – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Red Mountain – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Overcast Ridge – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Clouds Floating Above The Mountain – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Orange Hill Under Red Sky – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Westbound I-84 – Peterson, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Evening Freight – Henefer, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Wood Fence Roses – South Weber, Utah – Fujifilm X-T30

Red Rose Fence – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Really Red Rose – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Pink Bud – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Floral Red – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Yellow Rose Gold – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Daisy Red – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Small Wild Blossoms – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Corner Trunk – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

T is for Tree – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

An American Home – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

299 – Coalville, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Red Engineer – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Continental Bike Tire – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Red Window – South Weber, Utah – Fujifilm X-T30

Night Window – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Red Cross – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Tree Top – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Sunlit Leaf – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Russian Red – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Bolsey Orange – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Red Birds – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Red Eye Horse – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Girl & Hungry Horse – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Cat Cone – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Tractor Mirror – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Stucco Lamp – South Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Iced Coffee Cups – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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My Fujifilm X-T30 Faded Monochrome Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on June 21, 2019 by Ritchie Roesch

All Aboard Boy – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Faded Monochrome”

I love the results of my Faded Color recipe, so creating a Faded Monochrome recipe was a natural next step. This film simulation recipe requires the use of the double-exposure feature of the camera. The first exposure is a normal photo, and the second exposure is of something plain white. I’ve tried different things, but for me a 4″ x 6″ plain white index card works well. No need for the second exposure to be in focus. It’s a simple idea that I wish I had thought of earlier. I think I’ve just scratched the surface of what can be created using this technique.

In film photography, you could achieve a similar look by printing with a low-contrast filter. You could also develop the film for low contrast by adjusting any number of things in the lab. You might also get this look by accident if you reused the fixer one too many times. Sometimes underexposed pushed-processed film has a very similar aesthetic. It’s possible for negatives to fade over time, especially if not stored correctly, and that, too, might create a similar look. While “faded” is in the title of this recipe, the look isn’t so much faded as it is low-contrast with “milky” blacks. It works especially well for high-contrast scenes.

Morning Coffee – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Faded Monochrome”

To use this recipe, you will create two exposures using the double-exposure feature of your camera. The first exposure is the main image, and the second exposure is of something plain white, such as a 4″ x 6″ plain white index card. There is no need for the second exposure to be in focus. The exposure compensation for the second exposure can vary greatly depending on how bright the white is and how you want the picture to look. You will have to play around with it to figure out what works for you. The good news is that your camera will give you a preview of the finished image and will allow do-overs.

Acros (Acros+Y, Acros+R, Acros+G)
Dynamic Range: DR100
Highlight: +4
Shadow: +4
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: +2
Grain Effect: Strong
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Toning: 0 (Neutral)
ISO: Auto up to ISO 12800
Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +1 (main exposure), 0 to -2 (second exposure)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using my Faded Monochrome recipe on a Fujifilm X-T30:

Grey Rose – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Grey Lake – East Canyon SP, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Lake Boat – Willard Bay SP, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Tree Limbs – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Well – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Don’t Give – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Urban Escape – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Big Brick Buildings – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Center Reflection – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Urbanscape Monochrome – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Less Is More – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Urban Leaves – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Small Flower In The Big City – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

48064140758_b261db0d8c_c

Park Bench – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Joshua Monochrome – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Happy Girl – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Children On A Park Slide – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Instax Photographer – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Joy In The City – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Bank Time – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Water On The Glass – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Club – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Stepping By – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Vibes – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Quiet – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Urban Cloud – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Angles & Lines – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Utah Artist – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Treading Lightly – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Marlboro Man – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Come Inside – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Mono Chrome – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Stop In Ogden – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

UTA Station – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Train Ride Abstract – Kaysville, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Empty Train Seats – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Train Passenger – Roy, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Passenger Window – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Train 19 – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

UTA 19 – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Train Host – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Hungry Traveler – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Caboose Steps Monochrome – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Caboose Display – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Industrial Sunlight – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Ladder Climb – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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My Fujifilm X-T30 Faded Color Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on June 15, 2019 by Ritchie Roesch

Fading Memories – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Faded Color”

This recipe is a failure. More accurately, it’s a failed attempt at a certain aesthetic. It doesn’t look like what I was hoping it would look like. It’s close, but no cigar. What it does look like are faded color photographs from perhaps the 1950’s through 1970’s. I have some old issues of Arizona Highways magazine from the 1950’s, and these pictures have a similar look to what’s found in those magazines. You might have some old family photos that have faded over time and perhaps look like the pictures that this recipe creates. You can also achieve this washed-out “milky” look through darkroom techniques. Even though this recipe doesn’t look like what I was trying to create, it looks really amazing, and I am astonished that this look can be achieved in-camera.

What I was trying to create was a certain cinematic characteristic. I was asked by a Fuji X Weekly reader to create a film simulation recipe that produces a look similar to the aesthetic of the Wong Kar Wai movie Chungking Express. I had never seen this movie, so I had to do much research, and thankfully a lot of great information was easily found online. I discovered that the motion picture film used in the movie was Agfa XT320, and that it was often (but not always) push-processed, sometimes one stop and sometimes two. A technique called flashing was used a number of times in the movie, which involves flashing the film with light to give it a smoky, atmospheric, or faded feel, lowering contrast. It’s a type of double exposure, except that the second exposure is nothing more than a little light. Another technique that was used in the movie was to give different scenes a certain color cast using gels. Wong Kar Wai likes to create scenes with one predominant color, and so you will find elements in the scene that are the same color as the color cast. He used a slow shutter speed in the movie to blur motion. There were a ton of different techniques used, and so you can probably understand the difficulty of the task. You cannot incorporate everything into one recipe, so I had to make some choices and create a plan to try to achieve something that looks similar to the movie.

My idea was to attempt a recipe that resembled push-processed Agfa XT320 that has been flashed and has a color cast. I decided to use the double-exposure feature on my Fujifilm X-T30 and white balance shift to achieve this. For the second exposure, which needed to be white, I tried a number of things, including a miniature portable studio, but after some trial-and-error, I settled on a plain white 4″ x 6″ index card. I would hold it a few inches in front of the lens and make the second exposure. Auto-focus would never lock onto it, and I figured that a blurry exposure might actually be preferable. For the color cast, I found that one exposure should not have a shifted white balance and the other should. Initially I was adding the color cast to the main exposure and not the white exposure, but then I switched that and liked the results better for some reason. I used the 16:9 aspect ratio to make it a more cinematic shape. Unfortunately, I could never get the results to look quite right for Chungking Express. I think I was in the general ballpark, but not as close as I was hoping. Fortunately, what I did create was pretty interesting, so I kept shooting with it, except I used the 3:2 aspect ratio.

Main Motion – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Faded Color”

To use this recipe, you must set the camera to double-exposure, which on the X-T30 is found on a knob on the top. You capture the main exposure, then you must make some adjustments for the second exposure. The white balance must be shifted and the exposure compensation must be adjusted. For the white balance shift, I found going almost to the extremes works well. For a yellow cast, choose 0 Red & -8 Blue. For an orange cast, choose +8 Red & -8 Blue. For a red cast, choose +8 Red and 0 Blue. For a purple cast, choose +8 Red & +8 Blue. For a blue cast, choose 0 Red and +8 Blue. For a cyan cast, choose -8 Red and +8 Blue. For a green cast, choose -8 Red & 0 Blue. For green-yellow cast, choose -8 Red & -8 Blue. The exposure compensation for the white exposure is a little tricky. A lot depends on how bright the white is (whether it has direct light on it or if it is in shade) and how faded you want the image to look. It takes a little practice, but the good news is that the camera shows you exactly what the results are going to be, and even allows you do-overs if you don’t like it. I found that sometimes 0 was good, I found that sometimes -2 was good, and often -2/3 or -1 was a good choice. Each picture should get individual consideration. The second exposure is a picture of something white, such as the blank index card that I already described, although you could certainly try other things if you find something that might work better for you. This creates a faded look that almost seems unbelievable that it came out of the camera unedited.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR100
Highlight: +3
Shadow: +4
Color: +4
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Sharpening: +2
Noise Reduction: -4
Grain Effect: Strong
White Balance: Auto (use a shift on the second exposure)
ISO: Auto up to ISO 12800
Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +1 (main exposure), 0 to -2 (second exposure)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using my Faded Color recipe on a Fujifilm X-T30: