Anders began by looking at some old prints he has, which were captured on Kodak Gold 200 film. He noticed that these prints looked a little different than my Kodak Gold 200 recipe, but one film can have many different looks depending on how it was shot, developed, printed and/or scanned, or even which generation of the emulsion you’re viewing. This recipe mimics the aesthetic of his prints, but he noticed that it also matches many examples of Gold 200 that he found online.
Kids in a Tree – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Gold v2”
This recipe is compatible with the Fujifilm X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II cameras. To make this recipe work on the X-T3 and X-T30, Anders suggests using Grain Strong, White Balance 5900K (with the same shift), and ignoring Clarity—I suggest that you consider using a weak diffusion filter, such as 1/8 Black Pro Mist or 5% CineBloom, in leu of Clarity. In addition, for X-Trans III, ignore Color Chrome Effect. The results will be slightly different, but nearly the same. Anders suggests trying this recipe with a 3200K white balance for night photography.
Classic Chrome Dynamic Range: DR200 Highlight: 0 Shadow: -1 Color: -1 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpness: -1 Clarity: -2 Grain Effect: Strong, Large Color Chrome Effect: Weak Color Chrome Effect Blue: Off White Balance: 5800K, +2 Red & +4 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: 0 to +2/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this new Kodak Gold v2 film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X100V:
Moon Behind Pine – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Moon Behind Cattails – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Safe Zone – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Makeshift Gate – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Wood Post – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Trail to Visitors Center – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Green Leaves in January – Farmington UT – Fujifilm X100V
Hanging Red Berries in Winter – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Berries and Barren Branches – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Brown Reeds – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Jo in a Tree – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Jo Under The Tennis Net – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
I call this recipe “Pulled Fujicolor Superia” because it is similar to Fujicolor Superia Xtra 400 film that’s been pulled one stop. Of course, how any emulsion is shot, developed, printed and/or scanned has an impact on its aesthetic, and one film can have many different looks. I didn’t set out to recreate the look of pulled Superia film, but, in fact, it does look surprisingly close to some examples I found. It’s better to be lucky than good, right? I wouldn’t say that this is 100% spot-on for pulled Superia 400 film, but it’s not far off at all.
Break – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Pulled Fujicolor Superia”
Because this recipe uses the Classic Negative film simulation, Clarity, and Color Chrome Effect Blue, it is compatible with the Fujifilm X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II cameras. I think it works best on sunny days, but I did use it with some success in overcast and indoor situations.
Classic Negative Dynamic Range: D-Range Priority Strong Color: +3 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpening: -2 Clarity: +2 Grain Effect: Weak, Small Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome Effect Blue: Strong White Balance: Daylight, -4 Red & -2 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: 0 to +2/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this “Pulled Fujicolor Superia” film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X100V:
Packed Parking Garage – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Dee’s – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Salt Lake Shoreland Preserve Boardwalk – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Wetland Grass & Mountains – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Grass – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Fence & Hidden Building – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Playing Pokemon – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Looking Through Binoculars – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V
My Four Kids – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Jonathan at f/3.6 – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Yellow & Green Grass – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Pops of Fall – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X100V
A Little Splash of Autumn – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X100V
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Payette Lake Between Trees – Ponderosa State Park, ID – Fujifilm X100V
I recently visited Ponderosa State Park just outside of McCall, Idaho. It was a dreary day—off-and-on it drizzled rain from the grey overcast sky—with cool temperatures. This might be my favorite weather conditions, and was perfect for a hike through the forest with my Fujifilm X100V, which has some weather sealing, so it’s fine that it got a little wet. I loaded the camera with my Fujicolor Pro 400H film simulation recipe and headed down the trail through the tall trees.
Ponderosa State Park sits on a peninsula on Payette Lake in the middle of Idaho. It’s heavily forested and green. The lake is very clear. As I was exploring, it felt like Ponderosa could be a National Park and not a State Park. It’s missing a headliner feature that would propel it into National Park status, and that’s fine because it wasn’t crowded, so I enjoyed the feeling of being in a National Park without all of the people. At some points it seemed like I had the place all to myself.
The Fujicolor Pro 400H recipe delivered a great analog-like aesthetic on this outing. It captured the scenes how I wanted it to. This recipe does great in sunny conditions, but it also does well on overcast days, like this one. It was a wonderful time for photography, and it was also great to just be in nature, enjoying the sights, sounds and scents of the forest. Enjoy the pictures!
Evergreen Trunks – Ponderosa State Park, ID – Fujifilm X100V
Mossy Trunk – Ponderosa State Park, ID – Fujifilm X100V
Deer In The Forest –Ponderosa State Park, ID – Fujifilm X100V
Broken Down – Ponderosa State Park, ID – Fujifilm X100V
Fallen – Ponderosa State Park, ID – Fujifilm X100V
Forest Trail #1 – Ponderosa State Park, ID – Fujifilm X100V
Forest Trail #2 – Ponderosa State Park, ID – Fujifilm X100V
Trees & Pond – Ponderosa State Park, ID – Fujifilm X100V
Curved Trees Over Pond – Ponderosa State Park, ID – Fujifilm X100V
Lily Marsh #1 – Ponderosa State Park, ID – Fujifilm X100V
Lily Marsh #2 – Ponderosa State Park, ID – Fujifilm X100V
V Tree – Ponderosa State Park, ID – Fujifilm X100V
Trees & Lake – Ponderosa State Park, ID – Fujifilm X100V
Rain Clouds Over Payette Lake – Ponderosa State Park, ID – Fujifilm X100V
Lakeshore – Ponderosa State Park, ID – Fujifilm X100V
Above Payette – Ponderosa State Park, ID – Fujifilm X100V
The Superia Xtra 400 recipe is a good one that I appreciate using. It’s got a great analog aesthetic. I think it did well for the subject and conditions. Every time I use this recipe I wonder why I don’t use it more often.
If you have a few free moments, I invite you to watch the video, which I’ve included above. It’s only a couple minutes long. If you like it, be sure to give it a “thumbs up” and subscribe to the channel if you don’t already. Thanks!
After George Coady shared with me his wonderful Fujicolor C200 recipe, he showed me his initial attempt at a recipe for Pro 400H, which inspired me to try my hands at a better Fujicolor Pro 400H Overexposed recipe using the new JPEG options found on the newer cameras, such as Classic Negative, Color Chrome FX Blue and Clarity. At first glance I was disappointed with my results because it didn’t look exactly like what I was hoping for, but then I realized what I actually had created (which I’ll talk more about in just a moment); however, first let’s briefly discuss the film that this recipe is based on.
Table Tulips – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Fujicolor Pro 400H”
Fujifilm introduced Fujicolor Pro 400H in 2004 and it’s been a popular color negative 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, and the effect can range from subtle to pronounced, but generally you know overexposed Pro 400H film when you see it.
It was that pastel look that I was hoping to achieve with this recipe, and at first I thought I had failed—it looked more like Pro 400H overexposed by one stop or maybe two, but not three or four where the pastel colors are found. Even though I didn’t get that wonderful pastel aesthetic, the recipe looked really great nonetheless. Still, I wondered if it would be possible to get closer to that overexposed look simply by increasing the exposure. Sure enough, it worked! The two images below are examples of this, with exposure compensation set to a whopping +2 2/3!
Toys on a Chair – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Fujicolor Pro 400H”
Messy Hair – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Fujicolor Pro 400H”
As you can see, there are pastel colors in those two pictures, much like well-overexposed Pro 400H film. Does it closely match the film results? It’s closer than my previous attempts, but it’s not perfect. It’s as close as you’re likely going to get straight-out-of-camera. It’s fun to do this, but you’d have to be pretty brave to shoot a wedding with this much overexposure—I’d do it, but, then again, I’ve sandpapered a camera; I have a history of doing some risky (stupid?) things in the name of art.
What about Fujicolor Pro 400H that’s not overexposed? Can this recipe mimic that, too? Yes, sort of. By not overexposing this recipe, you get results that don’t look overexposed (imagine that), but does it closely resemble the film? It’s not as exact as I’d like it to be, but not far off, either. It’s more convincing as an overexposed recipe, but it also does well when not mimicking that. The two pictures below are examples of this, with exposure compensation set at +1/3.
Yard Toys – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Fujicolor Pro 400H”
Ivy Leaves – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Fujicolor Pro 400H”
As you can see, there’s a certain beauty in not overexposing when using this recipe.
The two sets of pictures below are examples of +1/3 exposure compensation, +1 1/3 exposure compensation, and +2 1/3 exposure compensation. In my opinion, the best results are found in the middle category, with exposure compensation in the +1 to +1 2/3 range, but sometimes reducing or increasing the exposure produces interesting results. In other words, oftentimes the best results are with exposure compensation set to +1 to +1 2/3, but try anywhere from +1/3 to +2 2/3, because, depending on the light and subject, you can get good results across a large range of exposures.
+1/3 Exposure Compensation
+1 1/3 Exposure Compensation
+2 1/3 Exposure Compensation
+1/3 Exposure Compensation
+1 1/3 Exposure Compensation
+2 1/3 Exposure Compensation
This film simulation recipe (as of this writing) is only compatible with the Fujifilm X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10 and X-E4 cameras. I used a Fujifilm X100V to capture all of the images in this article. For some of the pictures I used a Tiffen 1/4 Black Pro Mist filter to diffuse the highlights, particularly the ones with a bright light source; because you are bumping up the exposure so much, this recipe pairs especially well with a diffusion filter, producing a more film-like result.
Classic Negative Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: -2 Shadow: +4 Color: +4 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpening: -2 Clarity: -4 Grain Effect: Strong, Small Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome Effect Blue: Weak White Balance: 4900K, 0 Red & -4 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: +1 to +1 2/3 (typically), but try between +1/3 to +2 2/3
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this new Fujicolor Pro 400H film simulation recipe:
Forest of Light – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Bright Leaf – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Pink Flowers & Green Leaves – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Spring Sunshine – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Country Trees – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Bright Tree – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Evening Creek – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Tree Fence – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Wild Weeds – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Field of Wishes – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Make A Wish – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
White Tree Blooms – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Forest Fence – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Gnarled Tree – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Creek Trail – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Jon in the Forest – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Trail Bridge – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Flatcar Bridge – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Dandelion Bench – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Lighter Tree – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Fresh Aspen Leaves – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Farmington Creek – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Onion Flower – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Bright Rose – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Rose Bush & Wall – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Rosebush & Vine Ladder – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Ready to Float – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Hide – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Sibling Yard Play – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Kids & Outdoor Table – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Waiting For Food – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Heavenly Hot Cakes – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Smiling Joy – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Art & Craft Tray – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Johanna & Jonathan – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Fisher Price Phone – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Indoor Basketball Hoop – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Slapfish – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Three Fake Plants on a Shelf – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
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Nobody pays me to write the content found on fujixweekly.com. There’s a real cost to operating and maintaining this site, not to mention all the time that I pour into it. If you appreciated this article, please consider making a one-time gift contribution. Thank you!
Yesterday I published an article entitled One Year with the Fujifilm X100V. That wasn’t a review, per se, but some brief commentary about the camera after owning it for one year. If you haven’t already done so, you can also read my full review of the Fujifilm X100V. Anyway, I was thinking this morning, as I was trying to come up with a topic for this third installment of Fuji Features, which is a weekly roundup of Fujifilm related articles based on a topic (first one here, second one here), that maybe others have written similar articles about the camera. It turns out that there aren’t many—I couldn’t find any, actually—but I did find several YouTube videos. So this Fuji Features doesn’t include any articles, just videos, but I hope it helps get you through another hump day nonetheless.
Enjoy!
This post contains affiliate links, and if you make a purchase using my links I’ll be compensated a small amount for it.
One year ago my wife, Amanda, gifted me a Fujifilm X100V for my birthday. That was literally the best birthday gift that I’ve ever received, maybe ever will receive. It’s a tough one to beat! Now it’s one year later, so I wanted to give some brief comments on why I love the X100V just as much today as the day that I first opened the box.
The Fujifilm X100V is a wonderful camera because it fits into a large pocket, or it can be worn around the neck, and it’s small and lightweight enough that it doesn’t ever get in the way. Chase Jarvis famously coined the phrase, “The best camera is the one that’s with you,” and the X100V is easy to be the camera that always have with you. While some other cameras might be just as convenient (or perhaps more so) to always have with you, the X100V has features and delivers image quality that far exceed its compact size.
What features? Well, for starters, the nearly silent mechanical shutter is perfect for inconspicuous photography. This mechanical shutter happens to be a leaf shutter, which allows you to use a flash at higher shutter speeds; combining the leaf shutter with the camera’s built-in fill-flash, which Fujifilm has programmed to expertly balance with ambient light, is a game-changer for some. There’s also a built-in Neutral Density filter, which comes in handy when photographing moving water, or when you want to do high-ISO photography in bright light (yes, this is a thing). Did a mention that the X100V has some weather sealing (just make sure you add a filter to the front)? I wouldn’t dunk it in a bucket of water, but a little rain won’t hurt it.
The X100V has the same sensor and processor as the X-Pro3 and X-T4, so there’s no question about the image quality being excellent. It’s simply great—just look at the pictures I captured with this camera! The lens is wonderful and everything you’d expect from Fujinon glass. The 23mm (35mm equivalent) focal length is very useful, particularly for street, travel, and documentary photography.
Because the lens is permanently attached to the front, the philosophy of the X100V is one camera and one lens. I learned a few years back that many of the great photographers of yore often used just one camera and one lens for many years. Nowadays we have kits with multiple bodies and a collection of lenses, but it wasn’t always that way. I believe that most of the time one camera and one lens is all that you need. It’s great to have an interchangeable-lens option to go along with the X100V, but oftentimes you don’t need it because the X100V is a great tool for the job, almost no matter the job.
I thought it would be fun to celebrate the one-year anniversary of my Fujifilm X100V by showing you one picture from each month that I’ve had the camera, 13 pictures total. These pictures are all camera-made JPEGs from my X100V using my various film simulation recipes. Obviously this isn’t a collection of my 13 best pictures, just one that I like from each month. Some months were more productive than others. Still, I feel like this is a good set that I hope you enjoy!
May 2020
Boy with a Bubble Gun – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – Classic Negative
November Tree – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Fujicolor Negative”
Fuji X Weekly Patrons have had early access to this Fujicolor Negative film simulation recipe since the launch of the Fuji X Weekly app, but now it is available to all! What film does this recipe resemble? I’m not completely certain. I was messing around with the settings and stumbled upon something that I liked, which means that this recipe wasn’t intended to mimic any specific film; however, I think it’s kind of similar to Fujicolor F-II or Fujicolor Super G, but it’s not really like either. It does have a vintage Fujicolor vibe thanks to the Classic Negative film simulation that it uses as its base. Whatever film this recipe might or might not resemble, it looks beautiful!
I really enjoy using this recipe—it just produces good results that have a film-like quality. It has good contrast and natural or perhaps somewhat muted colors. This could be my go-to settings for everyday photography—that is, if I wasn’t constantly creating new recipes!
Coming Out of the Shadows – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Fujicolor Negative”
This Fujicolor Negative film simulation recipe is only compatible (as of this writing) with the Fujifilm X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10 and X-E4 because it uses Classic Negative and Clarity. If you have a GFX camera like GFX-50S that has Classic Negative but doesn’t have Clarity, give this recipe a try anyway—it won’t be exactly the same but should be pretty darn close.
Classic Negative Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: -2 Shadow: +3 Color: -4 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpening: -2 Clarity: -3 Grain Effect: Strong, Small Color Chrome Effect: Off Color Chrome Effect Blue: Off White Balance: Auto, -1 Red & -6 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: +2/3 to +1 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Fujicolor Negative film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X100V:
Winter Berries – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Small Stop Sign – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Waste Management – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Pile of Pots – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Spilled Sakrete – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Framed – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Reserved Rose – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Oh Deer – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Book of Film – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Succulent Shelf– Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
This post contains affiliate links, and if you make a purchase using my links I’ll be compensated a small amount for it.
Nobody pays me to write the content found on fujixweekly.com. There’s a real cost to operating and maintaining this site, not to mention all the time that I pour into it. If you appreciated this article, please consider making a one-time gift contribution. Thank you!
Inspiration for film simulation recipes can come from unusual places. This recipe, for example, was inspired by a promotional photograph of Ron Howard for the movie American Graffiti hanging on the wall of Mels Diner in Reno, Nevada. A little trivia: Ron Howard shoots Fujifilm cameras—or, at least, he’s been spotted sporting an X100F. Anyway, it seems unlikely, but it’s true, that an old image of Ron Howard from 1973 hanging on the wall of a restaurant in Reno inspired a new recipe that will be used by hundreds—maybe thousands—of Fujifilm photographers across the world.
This particular picture, which you can see in the image below towards the left-side, had a cross-process look to it, like reversal film developed in negative film chemistry. Of course, cross-processed film can have many different looks, depending on several factors, including (especially) the film used. I have no idea what film or process was used for that Ron Howard picture—I tried researching it, but came up empty; however, while I was waiting for my dinner to arrive at the table, I fiddled with the settings on my Fujifilm X100V and created a facsimile to that picture aesthetic.
Picture of Ron Howard (left-side) that inspired this recipe… captured with this recipe.
The photographer who captured the picture is most likely Dennis Stock. I couldn’t find a whole lot about what films he used for his color photographs or his darkroom techniques. Dennis was a legendary Magnum photographer who was best known for his celebrity photographs. His picture might not actually be cross-processed film, but it has a cross-processed look nonetheless.
The reason why I named this recipe “Xpro ’62” is because Xpro is a common abbreviation for “cross-process” and 1962 is the year that American Graffiti takes place. Promotional posters for the movie often included the question, “Where were you in ’62?” I thought that “Xpro ’62” would be a logical fit. Because this film simulation recipe uses the Classic Negative film simulation and other new JPEG options available on the newer cameras, it is only compatible with (as of this writing) the Fujifilm X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10 and X-E4. Also, for some of the pictures in this article I used a Tiffen 1/4 Black Pro Mist filter to diffuse the highlights (such as Empty Diner at the top).
Wharf – Santa Cruz, CA – Fujifilm X100V – “Xpro ’62”
Classic Negative Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: +3 Shadow: 0 Color: +4 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpening: -4 Clarity: -4 Grain Effect: Strong, Large Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome Effect Blue: Strong White Balance: Auto, -3 Red & -9 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: 0 to +1/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this new “Xpro ’62” film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X100V:
Cigarettes – Reno, NV – Fujifilm X100V
Wall Harley – Reno, NV – Fujifilm X100V
In Bottles – Reno, NV – Fujifilm X100V
Stay Apart – Hollister, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Casa de Cherries – Hollister, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Basketball Hoop Unused – San Francisco, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Stop Turning – Santa Cruz, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Tracks & Bridge – Santa Cruz, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Suburban Truck – Reno, NV – Fujifilm X100V
Electric Intersection – Reno, NV – Fujifilm X100V
Flower by the Path – Reno, NV – Fujifilm X100V
Flowers & Stone – Hollister, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Lower Yosemite Falls – Yosemite NP, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Tree & Lower Falls – Yosemite NP, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Yosemite Trees – Yosemite NP, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Sentinel Above Merced River – Yosemite NP, CA – Fujifilm X100V
Upper Yosemite Falls – Yosemite NP, CA – Fujifilm X100V
El Cap – Yosemite NP, CA – Fujifilm X100V
El Cap & Merced – Yosemite NP, CA – Fujifilm X100V
This post contains affiliate links, and if you make a purchase using my links I’ll be compensated a small amount for it.
Nobody pays me to write the content found on fujixweekly.com. There’s a real cost to operating and maintaining this site, not to mention all the time that I pour into it. If you appreciated this article, please consider making a one-time gift contribution. Thank you!
Country Fence in Winter – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Faded Negative”
I’ve created a number of film simulation recipes that require double exposures, including Faded Color, Vintage Color Fade, Faded Monochrome, Faded Monochrome for X-Trans II, Split-Toned B&W, and Bleach Bypass. These recipes are a little more difficult to use, and, because they require further explanation, you won’t find any of them on the Fuji X Weekly app. This one, called Faded Negative, won’t make the app, either (perhaps there will be a way to include them on a future update). These double-exposure recipes aren’t for everyone, but some people love them because you can create a great vintage look that you’d never expect to get straight-out-of-camera. I know that this Faded Negative film simulation recipe will be greatly appreciated by some of you.
To use this recipe, you’ll need to first select “Average” under “Multiple Exposure CTRL” in the Shooting Menu. What’s great about this particular double-exposure recipe is that the only change you will need to make in the settings between the first and second exposure is exposure compensation (many of these require more adjustments than just exposure compensation). You want the first exposure, which is the scene you are capturing, to be bright, and the second exposure, which is a green piece of construction paper, to be a little darker. You can control how much “fade” there is by the second exposure—the brighter the exposure, the more fade there will be.
What makes this recipe work is the second exposure of a medium-green piece of construction paper. You want this exposure to be out-of-focus. If it’s in-focus, you’ll get the texture of the paper in the image, which is perhaps something you want, but probably not. You can manually focus a blurry image, or if you just hold the paper closer to the lens than the minimum focus distance, the paper will be blurry even with autofocus.
Me, with an X100V and green paper, photographing with this recipe. Photo by Joy Roesch.
This is what happens when the second exposure is in-focus instead of out-of-focus.
No photograph will last forever. Some films are more prone to fade than others, and some prints are more prone to fade than others. Faded pictures are a reality of photography. While some people would consider faded images to be a negative thing, there are others who appreciate the aesthetic, and want to incorporate it into their art. This Faded Negative film simulation recipe is for those who want to achieve that look straight-out-of-camera. This recipe is compatible with the Fujifilm X100V, X-Pro3, X-T4, X-S10 and the upcoming X-E4.
Classic Negative Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: +3 Shadow: +4 Color: -2 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpening: -2 Clarity: 0 Grain Effect: Weak, Large Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome Effect Blue: Strong White Balance: Auto, +4 Red & -6 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: +2/3 to +1 1/3 for the 1st exposure, 0 to +1/3 for the 2nd exposure (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this new Faded Negative film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X100V:
Reeds & Blue Sky – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Faded Tree – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Pine Snow – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Blackberry Leaves in Winter – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Winter Road – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Snow Covered Wagon – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Dark Forest Sunlight – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Jon Riding Shotgun – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Faded Negative”
Polaroid Presto Girl – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Analog Cameras – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Fake Plant – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Tulip on a Table – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Shelf Greenery – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Broken Barn – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Winter Forest Fence – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Snow on a Wood Fence – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
This post contains affiliate links, and if you make a purchase using my links I’ll be compensated a small amount for it.
Nobody pays me to write the content found on fujixweekly.com. There’s a real cost to operating and maintaining this site, not to mention all the time that I pour into it. If you appreciated this article, please consider making a one-time gift contribution. Thank you!
The upcoming Fujifilm GFX100S has a brand new film simulation called Nostalgic Negative. Even though this camera hasn’t even been released yet, I’ve had many requests to create a film simulation recipe for it. That’s a tough challenge because there’s so little about Nostalgic Negative that’s known and very few sample pictures floating around the internet.
Back when Eterna was new—before I had a chance to try it myself—I made a faux “Eterna” recipe, and it turned out to be not particularly close. Even though it didn’t faithfully mimic Eterna, it’s one of the more popular recipes on this website. When Classic Negative first came out, I made a faux “Classic Negative” recipe, and even though it also turned out to be not particularly close, I’ve had several people tell me that it’s their favorite recipe. There’s two important points to this: 1) this “Nostalgic Negative” recipe will likely turn out to be an inaccurate facsimile to the real Nostalgic Negative film simulation and 2) there are people who love it anyway. With that disclaimer out of the way, let’s get into what Nostalgic Negative is and how you can achieve a similar aesthetic on your Fujifilm X camera.
Watch and Jewelry – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Nostalgic Negative”
Fujifilm stated that the Nostalgic Negative film simulation is based on “American New Color” photography of the 1970’s. They studied photographs by William Eggleston, Stephen Shore, Joel Sternfeld and Richard Misrach in order to create it. Eggleston and Sternfeld largely shot on Kodachrome—II and X in the early 1970’s, 25 and 64 in the late ’70’s—while Shore shot mostly Kodacolor, and Misrach shot a lot of Vericolor. All of those are Kodak films, but with different aesthetics. These four photographers had different styles and different darkroom processes, and they each had a unique look; the commonality that Fujifilm found was an “overall atmosphere based on amber.” That’s a basic explanation of what Nostalgic Negative is.
I didn’t count, but I’d estimate that I found about 20 examples of the Nostalgic Negative film simulation on the internet. I noticed that there were some large discrepancies between the pictures, as some looked much different than others. I wondered if the default settings were used on some images and not others, and if some of them weren’t straight-out-of-camera but had received some level of post-processing. I also wondered if Nostalgic Negative behaves similarly to Classic Negative in that the aesthetic changes a little depending on the exposure. There’s a lot of uncertainty to what exactly the new film simulation looks like. Overall, I think you can expect something along the lines of Eterna gradation, the Classic Chrome color palette (however, with a warm shift), and vibrancy a little beyond Astia. Low-contrast, high-saturation and warm is a quick synopsis of Nostalgic Negative.
Reflected Red – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Nostalgic Negative”
Interestingly, there are some already existing film simulation recipes that come close to Nostalgic Negative. My Eterna recipe (and there are versions for X-Trans II, X-Trans III and X-Trans IV cameras) is almost identical to one of the aesthetics that I found in the sample pictures. The contrast is likely slightly too high in those recipes, but it’s very close. For some other sample pictures, I thought that the Kodachrome 64 recipes (the X-T1 recipe, the X-T30 recipe and the X100V recipe, but especially the X100V version) are pretty darn close. For some other pictures, the Kodak Vision3 250D recipe looks quite similar, while this Kodacolor recipe looks close to some others. I think that my Kodak Gold, Kodachrome II, Kodak Ultramax (both for X-Trans III and X-Trans IV), Kodak Ektar, Kodak Portra 800, Kodak Portra 400 (both X-T30 and X100V), Kodak Portra 400 v2 (both the X-T30 recipe that’s only available right now to Patrons on Fuji X Weekly App and X100V), and Polaroid (although perhaps increase Color) have some similarities to Nostalgic Negative. If you have an X-Trans II, III or IV camera, you already have some options that are in the neighborhood of this new film simulation, so don’t fret that your camera doesn’t have it. You’ll just have to decide which option you like best.
Speaking of your camera not having Nostalgic Negative: it’s not coming to X-Trans IV, in my opinion. Fujifilm said, “For Nostalgic Negative, Fujifilm needs a large sensor. It can’t be implemented simply to APS-C. Fujifilm needs time to develop Nostalgic Negative for the APS-C system.” To me, that’s code-speak for, “Expect it on X-Trans V cameras.” Of course, Fujifilm hasn’t announced that sensor yet, so they can’t talk about it, but that’s where I would expect to see it.
I don’t know if this new recipe that I created will turn out to be accurate to Nostalgic Negative. Most likely not, but I hope that you like it anyway. I chose Clarity -5 because that’s the best I could do for imitating the gradation of Eterna, but feel free to use -4 or -3 if you feel that -5 is too much for your tastes. On cameras that can adjust by .5, I would consider setting Shadow to -0.5 instead of 0. This recipe is only compatible with the Fujifilm X100V, X-Pro3, X-T4, X-S10 and (the upcoming) X-E4.
Classic Chrome Dynamic Range: DR200 Highlight: -1 Shadow: 0 Color: +4 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpening: 0 Clarity: -5 Grain Effect: Weak, Large Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome Effect Blue: Strong White Balance: Auto, +3 Red & -5 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +1 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this new “Nostalgic Negative” film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X100V:
Red Soccer Ball – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Suburban Sky – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Sky & Garages – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
JP Elect – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Bear in the Snow – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Boy & Bear – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V
RedBrick Building – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Waiting Girl – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
City Fountain – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Last Light Through Reeds – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Mirror Image – Orem, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Window Light on Chair – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Joshua’s Space – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
X-T1 on a Shelf – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Film Drawer – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Colorful Pens – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Garage Globe – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Jon’s Hands – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Evening Park Joy – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Rainbow Rays – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Autumn Sun – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
This post contains affiliate links, and if you make a purchase using my links I’ll be compensated a small amount for it.
Nobody pays me to write the content found on fujixweekly.com. There’s a real cost to operating and maintaining this site, not to mention all the time that I pour into it. If you appreciated this article, please consider making a one-time gift contribution. Thank you!
760 – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Ilford Ortho Plus 80”
Many years ago I used to develop my own black-and-white film. It required removing the film from the cassette, winding it around a developing reel, and placing the reel into a developing canister—all in complete darkness! It was very tricky. If you didn’t get the film wound onto the reel quite right, it could ruin the film during development. When people think of darkrooms, they often think of dipping photosensitive papers into tubs of chemicals in dim amber light. This red light is called a safelight, and it’s safe for photographic paper, but not safe for undeveloped photographic film—that’s why you have to get the film from the cassette to the canister in complete darkness.
Ilford Ortho Plus 80 film is different, as it’s orthochromatic, which means it’s sensitive to blue and green light but not red, making it possible to transfer the film from the cassette to the canister under a safelight. This film was introduced in 2019, so it hasn’t been around very long. It produces sharp, fine-grain images that are fairly contrasty for a low-ISO film, and reds will be rendered dark. I’ve never used this film myself, so I relied on pictures I found on the internet to create this recipe. With film, how it’s shot, developed, and printed or scanned can have a big impact on how it looks, and that’s certainly a challenge for creating a facsimile on Fujifilm cameras, but I think this one is pretty close from the pictures I’ve seen. It also seems to be in the neighborhood of Washi S 50.
Monochrome Country – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Ilford Ortho Plus 80
I set Monochromatic Color (Toning) to WC +1 because many of the examples that I found had some warm toning (not sure if it’s in-software after scanning or from toned prints or both), but it’s completely optional, you can set WC to 0 if you prefer. This recipe is intended for newer X-Trans IV cameras, such as the Fujifilm X100V, X-T4, X-Pro3 and X-S10, and isn’t compatible with other cameras; however, if you disregard Clarity you can achieve something similar on the X-T3 and X-T30, but it won’t be exactly the same (feel free to try).
Monochrome+G Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: +2 Shadow: +3 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpening: +2 Clarity: -2 Toning: WC +1, MG 0 Grain Effect: Weak, Small Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome Effect Blue: Off White Balance: 7000K, -5 Red & 0 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +1 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Ilford Ortho Plus 80 film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X100V:
Thorns of Nature – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Monochrome Berries – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Icy River – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Zipping – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Playground Boy – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Silhouette Playground – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Canvas Moon – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Cat & Salmon – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Fedex Delivery – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Locked Box – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Emotion Through Glass – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Nobody pays me to write the content found on fujixweekly.com. There’s a real cost to operating and maintaining this site, not to mention all the time that I pour into it. If you appreciated this article, please consider making a one-time gift contribution. Thank you!
Signs, Poles & Wires – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Classic Monochrome”
For some reason, black-and-white film simulation recipesaren’t as popular as color, but Fujifilm cameras are capable of some great monochrome images straight-out-of-camera. This new “Classic Monochrome” recipe was made by Thomas Schwab (B&W Instagram), who has created several of the film simulation recipes on this website and collaborated on several others. He’s a friend of this blog, and I’m honored that he allows me to share his recipes here!
Thomas said that he started with one of the Ilford recipes, and this evolved from that. It’s called “Classic Monochrome” because it has a great old-school B&W print feel. The only change that I added was Toning, which is optional, but it seems to look nice with these settings. This recipe has quickly become one of my favorite black-and-white options! It’s most similar to Dramatic Monochrome, so if you like that recipe you’ll like this one, too. Thank you, Thomas!
This recipe is contrasty and clean. It reminds me of Agfapan 25 printed using a high-contrast filter (maybe a #4, or even split-filtered). It’s not intended to look like it, but that’s what it reminds me of. It does have a limited dynamic range, and it’s easy to clip highlights, so the exposure should be carefully considered, or perhaps try DR-Auto if you are concerned. It’s compatible (as of this writing) with the Fujifilm X100V, X-T4, X-Pro3 and X-S10 cameras.
Monochrome (+Y, +R, +G) Dynamic Range: DR100 Highlight: +4 Shadow: +2 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpening: +1 Clarity: +4 Toning: WC +1, MG 0 Grain Effect: Weak, Small Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome Effect Blue: Strong White Balance: Auto, 0 Red & 0 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 12800 Exposure Compensation: -1/3 to +1/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Classic Monochrome film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X100V:
Marks the Spot – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Main Line Trail – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Empty Box – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Empty Bench – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Joshua Biking – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Girl & Bike – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Horses & Ducks – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Country Road Bus – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
No Motor Vehicles – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Weed 1 – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Weed 2 – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Ice Abstract 1 – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Ice Abstract 2 – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
This post contains affiliate links, and if you make a purchase using my links I’ll be compensated a small amount for it.
Nobody pays me to write the content found on fujixweekly.com. There’s a real cost to operating and maintaining this site, not to mention all the time that I pour into it. If you appreciated this article, please consider making a one-time gift contribution. Thank you!
I ran across a picture in an article about coffee, and that picture reminded me a lot of the Classic Negative film simulation. I don’t think the picture was captured with Classic Negative; perhaps a VSCO (or some other brand) preset was used that was intended to look something like Superia film. So, with one picture as my guide, I set out to recreate the look with my Fujifilm X100V. Ideally you want more than one sample picture to study, but that’s all I had. These settings look pretty darn close to that picture, but it’s difficult to know if it’s truly accurate because I only had one sample to work with, and I don’t know how it should look in various situations. Still, I’m happy with how it turned out.
Initially I was going to name this recipe “Fujicolor Negative” because it has a Fujicolor Superia-like look, but then I stumbled across some Kodak ColorPlus 400 photographs, and they looked quite similar to these pictures. Even though the resemblance to ColorPlus 400 is completely accidental, I thought that calling it “Color Negative 400” was more appropriate because it is in the general ballpark of a film that’s not Fujicolor. Or, more accurately, it is similar to both a Kodak stock and a Fujifilm stock, and not exactly like either. I do think, no matter how close it may or may not be to an actual film, it has a nice film-like aesthetic to it that many will appreciate.
This recipe is dark and contrasty, and can be used to create a certain moody look. I think it works best in low-contrast scenes, and does well both indoors and outdoors. This recipe is only compatible (as of this writing) with the Fujifilm X100V, X-Pro3, X-T4 and X-S10 cameras.
Classic Negative Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: 0 Shadow: +4 Color: +4 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpening: 0 Clarity: -5 Grain Effect: Weak, Large Color Chrome Effect: Weak Color Chrome Effect Blue: Weak 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 this Color Negative 400 film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X100V:
Succulent Faux – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Fabric Leaf – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Holga 120N & Ilford HP5 Plus – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Table Bolsey – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
ThreeIndoor Plants – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Face Masks Are Required – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Speed Stars – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Fish on a Wall – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Waiting for Fish – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Contemplation – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Stroller Ride – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Leaning into the Frame – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Bicycle Here – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Birds in a Dormant Tree – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Nobody pays me to write the content found on fujixweekly.com. There’s a real cost to operating and maintaining this site, not to mention all the time that I pour into it. If you appreciated this article, please consider making a one-time gift contribution. Thank you!
Sage Sunset – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Portra 400 v2”
One film can have many different looks depending on how it’s shot, developed, scanned or printed. This new Portra 400 film simulation recipe, called Kodak Portra 400 v2, is an alternative aesthetic, created by studying examples of actual Portra 400 film (thanks to Julien Jarry). The “other” Fujifilm X100V Kodak Portra 400 recipe was also created by studying examples of actual film (thanks to Thomas Schwab). They’re both good options for achieving a Portra look, and neither is more “right” than the other.
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, and now another early-access recipe has replaced it, so this one is now available to everyone! You might remember that this Kodak Porta 400 v2 recipe was mentioned in the Kyle McDougall preset comparison article.
Ford Truck – Centerville, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Portra 400 v2”
If you like my other Portra recipes, you’re sure to like this one, too. Because it uses Clarity, it slows down the camera considerably. I hope that Fujifilm speeds this up with a firmware update at some point, but in the meantime, if you can, my recommendation is to embrace the slowdown. This recipe is only compatible with the latest Fujifilm X cameras: the X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4 and X-S10.
Classic Chrome Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: 0 Shadow: -2 Color: +2 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpening: -2 Clarity: -2 Grain Effect: Strong, Small Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome Effect Blue: Weak White Balance: 5200K, +1 Red & -6 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +1 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this new Kodak Portra 400 v2 film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X100V:
Stacked Pallets – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Now Hiring – Centerville, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Double-Double – Centerville, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Burger Roof – Centerville, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Julien Jarry with RED Camera – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Julien Filming – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Yellow Rabbitbrush – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Frary Peak Peeking – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Desert Brush – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Light Log – Big Fork, MT – Fujifilm X100V
Sunlight Through the Forest Trees – Big Arm, MT – Fujifilm X100V
One Lane Bridge – Big Fork, MT – Fujifilm X100V
String of Lightbulbs – Flathead Lake, MT – Fujifilm X100V
Dock at Night – Flathead Lake, MT – Fujifilm X100V
Moon Over RV – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Sunset RED – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Buffalo Point Sunset – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Nobody pays me to write the content found on fujixweekly.com. There’s a real cost to operating and maintaining this site, not to mention all the time that I pour into it. If you appreciated this article, please consider making a one-time gift contribution. Thank you!
I believe that it’s often better to spend money on experiences rather than new gear. Sometimes a book can be just as good as an experience; perhaps it can be an experience in and of itself. For Christmas my family gifted me three photography books, each one featuring the legendary photographer Ansel Adams. One of the three books was especially surprising: Polaroid Land Photography by Ansel Adams.
Did you know that Ansel Adams, the renown black-and-white landscape photographer who invented the Zone System and who was celebrated for his darkroom mastery, loved Polaroid photography? I didn’t. I was surprised to learn that one of his well-known Yosemite pictures was a Polaroid (Type 55), and this picture was found in one of the other two books I was gifted. Adams’ Polaroid book is a thorough and highly technical look at instant film. It’s the ultimate guide to Polaroid, at least from 1978 when this second edition was published. I want to share a few quotes from the book, then circle it back to this blog and Fujifilm.
“It is unfortunate that so many photographers have thought of the Land camera as a ‘toy,’ a casual device for ‘fun’ pictures, or, at best, a gadget to make record pictures! The process has revolutionized the art and craft of photography….”
—Ansel Adams
It’s clear right from the beginning of the book that Adams considered the Polaroid camera a serious photographic tool. He felt it was under-appreciated and underutilized by the photographic community at large.
“By making it possible for the photographer to observe his work and his subject simultaneously, and by removing most of the manipulative barriers between the photographer and the photograph, it is hoped that many of the satisfactions of working in the early arts can be brought to a new group of photographers. The process must be concealed from—non-existent for—the photographer, who by definition need think of the art in taking and not in making photographs. In short, all that should be necessary to get a good picture is to take a good picture, and our task is to make that possible.”
—Edwin H Land, co-founder of Polaroid
Adams included that Edward Land quote in Chapter 13, Principles of One-Step Photography, and he immediately followed it with this:
“The effect of one-step processing on both amateur and professional creative photography has been revolutionary.”
—Ansel Adams
Polaroid Land Photography is an extensive user’s manual—Adams referred to it as such many times—yet it is full of inspiration, both in written words and great photography. There is so much that I could quote, but I will refrain myself and add just one more.
“As with all art forms, we must accept the limitations of the medium as well as revel in the advantages.”
—Ansel Adams
I was reading all this as I was simultaneously celebrating the fact that I had so easily finished the pictures of my kids opening their Christmas presents. By finished, I mean finished. I captured the pictures, and in the time it takes most people to load their RAW files onto their PC or Mac, I had already uploaded them to my phone, put them into storage, and shared them to loved ones. Done. It occurred to me that this is the modern equivalent of one-step processing.
Over the last several months I have been pondering why my different film simulation recipes are so popular. Tens of thousands of photographers across the globe, from newbies to experienced pros, are using these camera settings on their Fujifilm cameras. I get feedback daily from people telling me how these recipes have changed their photographic lives. There’s been a very real impact that this blog has had on the photography continuum. Yet the why has been illusive to me, until today.
Polaroid changed photography 50, 60, 70 years ago. The biggest name in photography not only embraced it but called it revolutionary. There are a few parallels to Polaroid cameras and film simulation recipes on Fujifilm X cameras, but the biggest is perhaps one-step processing. Yes, if you shoot RAW+JPEG, you can always reprocess the RAW, but there is fun in not having to do so if you don’t want to. There’s a certain satisfaction, not to mention time saved, in having a completed picture right out of camera that needs no editing, or maybe only some small, quick adjustments. I wonder if Ansel Adams were still around today, if he would embrace the film simulation recipe the same as he did the Polaroid. Honestly, the answer isn’t important, because so many photographers are embracing it, and it’s revolutionizing photography.
Back in October I took a quick vacation to Montana. I’ve shared some of those pictures on this website, but many of them I haven’t, because I’ve been busy with other things. Today marks Winter Solstice, which means fall is officially over, yet I’ve finally just now found the time to post some of my autumn pictures from that Montana trip!
All of these pictures were captured with my Fujifilm X100V. The film simulation recipes that I used were Kodak Portra 400 v2 (currently only available on the Fuji X Weekly App for iOS), an experiment (which I had actually forgotten about until I was reviewing these pictures) where I used Classic Negative instead of Classic Chrome with the Kodak Portra 400 v2 recipe (I might have also adjusted the WB Shift a little, I don’t remember), and The Rockwell for a few pictures (I think I might have made an adjustment or two to that recipe on this trip, but, again, I don’t really remember). Most of these pictures were captured with that Classic Negative experiment, and I realize that I need to revisit it, because the results are pretty good!
The Fujifilm X100V is such a great camera to carry around on vacation. It’s small enough that it’s not in the way, yet it’s capable of capturing amazing pictures. It rained while I was there, and the camera survived getting a little wet. The X100V is my favorite travel camera hands down, and I enjoy it immensely. It’s not the right tool for every situation, but it’s the camera that I use most often, especially when on vacation.
Yellow Spots – Big Arm, MT – Fujifilm X100V
Wet Red Leaves – Big Arm, MT – Fujifilm X100V
Turning Red – Big Arm, MT – Fujifilm X100V
Red – Big Fork, MT – Fujifilm X100V
Yellow in the Forest – Big Fork, MT – Fujifilm X100V
Changing to Yellow – Big Fork, MT – Fujifilm X100V
Early Autumn Forest – Big Fork, MT – Fujifilm X100V
Golden Forest – Big Fork, MT – Fujifilm X100V
Light Log – Big Fork, MT – Fujifilm X100V
Sunlight Through The Forest Trees – Big Arm, MT – Fujifilm X100V
After publishing film simulation recipes for Superia 100, Superia Xtra 400, Superia 800 and Superia 1600 film stocks, as well as Reala 100 and Luis Costa’s Classic Negative (which are both in the Superia realm), I’ve been asked a few times to create a Superia Premium 400 recipe. I’ve never shot actual Premium 400 film, and had to rely on the internet, which isn’t ideal, especially since there are limited examples for this particular film, but I think these settings are pretty good.
Superia Premium 400 is a variant of Superia Xtra 400, sold only in Japan, intended to better replicate Japanese skin tones. It seems to have more of an orange color-cast. Premium 400 doesn’t have the “4th cyan color layer” that every other Superia film has, and that seems to be the biggest difference between it and Xtra 400. The way that this recipe came about is a Fuji X Weekly reader (sorry, I forgot who, and I can’t find the message) sent me his or her best guess of some settings to replicate Premium 400, and wanted advice on how to improve it. I took a look, made some changes, and sent it back, but it wasn’t right, so I kept working on it. After a couple weeks of experimenting, I settled on these settings, which I’m quite satisfied with.
Amanda’s Camera – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Superia Premium 400”
There are a whole bunch of options for achieving a Superia look with your Fujifilm camera. Even though this recipe is based on a more obscure variation, the results are quite interesting, and I think a lot of people are going to really appreciate it. It’s compatible with the Fujifilm X100V, X-Pro3, X-T4 and X-S10 cameras.
Classic Negative Dynamic Range: DR200 Highlight: -2 Shadow: 0 Color: +4 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpening: -1 Clarity: -2 Grain Effect: Strong, Small Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome Effect Blue: Weak White Balance: 4700K, +4 Red & -3 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: +2/3 to +1 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Superia Premium 400 film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X100V:
Masked Reflection – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Waiting Girl – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Shrub & Fountain – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Nutcracker – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Cinemark Sun – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Hill House – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Jon on a Bridge – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Setting Sun Forest – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Rural Fence – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Forget Me Knots – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Chainlink Berries – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Yellow Blackberry Leaf – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Rural Autumn Leaves – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Late Autumn Sunstar – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Neighborhood in Evening Light – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Intent – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
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Red Leaf – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Superia Xtra 400”
I’ve had a lot of requests for a Superia Xtra 400 film simulation recipe. Fujifilm introduced Superia Xtra 400, a consumer-grade color negative film, in 1998, replacing Super G Plus 400. This film has been updated a couple of times, first in 2003 and again in 2006. It’s been widely used, thanks to its low cost and versatility. I’ve shot several rolls of this film over the years.
Thomas Schwab, who has invented a few film simulation recipes, and who I’ve collaborated with on a number of others, created this Superia Xtra 400 recipe. He did this by capturing a roll of actual Superia Xtra 400 film with a film camera while capturing identical exposures with his Fujifilm cameras, then, using X RAW Studio, worked on the settings until he found a match. As you can imagine, he put a lot of time and effort into creating this! He shared with me some of his side-by-side pictures—comparing the film with this recipe—and it was tough to figure out which was which, they looked so close!
Creek Through Autumn Forest – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Superia Xtra 400”
What I find interesting is that this recipe isn’t all that much different than Luis Costa’s Classic Negative recipe. I said of Luis’ recipe, “It reminds me a lot of Superia Xtra 400 with a warming filter, or maybe Superia 200 pushed one stop.” Turns out it was pretty darn close to Xtra 400. This recipe by Thomas is even closer! But, of course, with film, so much depends on how it’s shot, developed, and scanned or printed, and the aesthetic can vary significantly. So, really, both recipes mimic Xtra 400, but this one proudly carries the name, as it is a very close match to the film.
Thank you, Thomas, for creating this recipe and sharing it! I know that many of you will love it. I love it! This Superia Xtra 400 film simulation recipe is compatible with the Fujifilm X100V, X-Pro3, X-T4, and X-S10.
Classic Negative Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: 0 Shadow: -1 Color: +4 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpening: -1 Clarity: -2 Grain Effect: Strong, Small Color Chrome Effect: Off Color Chrome Effect Blue: Strong White Balance: Auto, +3 Red & -5 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: 0 to +1 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this Superia Xtra 400 film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X100V:
Eats & Treats – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Fireplace – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Brick & Fire – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Red & Yellow Fire Hydrant – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100V
November Pumkin – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Fall Leaf in a Forest – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Forest Creek – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Autumn Branch Over Creek – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Autumn Creek – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Golden Path – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Trail Through the Forest – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Nobody pays me to write the content found on fujixweekly.com. There’s a real cost to operating and maintaining this site, not to mention all the time that I pour into it. If you appreciated this article, please consider making a one-time gift contribution. Thank you!
November Cherries – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Portra 800”
Kodak introduced Portra 800 in 1998. The Portra line has seen a number of revisions and updates over the years, but I couldn’t find any information if the current Portra 800 film is the exact same emulsion from 1998, or if it’s gone through some changes over the years like the ISO 400 and 160 versions. Portra 800 is one of the best options for high-ISO color photography, but I’ve never shot it myself.
There are some good online resources that are helpful when creating film simulation recipes for films that I’ve never used, which I did consult, but that’s not how these settings came about. You see, there’s a new version of my Portra 400 recipe (which I know you’ll love) that’s coming soon, and this recipe is a variant of that. Thomas Schwab, who I’ve collaborated with on a number of different recipes (including Portra 400), and who has actually shot Portra 800, helped me out with this one. Thanks, Thomas!
Cabela’s Boy – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Portra 800”
I know that many of will love this Kodak Portra 800 film simulation recipe! It’s really nice, and has a good film-like aesthetic. Does it faithfully resemble real Portra 800? I think it does, but film can look different depending on how it’s shot, developed, scanned or printed, and this recipe won’t mimic every aspect of the film. Even so, I think this one will be quite popular, and many of you will use it regularly. It’s only compatible (as of this writing) with the Fujifilm X100V, X-Pro3, X-T4 and X-S10 cameras.
Classic Chrome Dynamic Range: DR400 Highlight: +1 Shadow: 0 Color: +3 Noise Reduction: -4 Sharpening: -2 Clarity: -4 Grain Effect: Strong, Large Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome Effect Blue: Weak White Balance: 5200K, +1 Red & -5 Blue ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +1 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this new Kodak Portra 800 film simulation recipe on my Fujifilm X100V:
Brown Tree Leaves – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Small Shrub – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Backyard Tree Leaves – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Yellow House – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Suburban Mailboxes – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Red Fire Hydrant – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Suburban Peek – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Evening Commute – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Smith’s – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Drug – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Suburban Dusk – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Parked Car in the Dark – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Tunnel Bench – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Night Mall Architecture – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Empty Sidewalk at Night – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Christmas Decor Display – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Succulent & Globe – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Jon Wearing Cabela’s Hat – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Potted Plant on End Table – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Accidental Exposure – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Sunlight Through a Tree – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V
Nobody pays me to write the content found on fujixweekly.com. There’s a real cost to operating and maintaining this site, not to mention all the time that I pour into it. If you appreciated this article, please consider making a one-time gift contribution. Thank you!
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