Fujifilm xt30 | FUJI X WEEKLY

My Fujifilm X-T30 Polaroid II Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on April 12, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

Pear Blossom – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Polaroid II”

I was recently viewing vintage Polaroid pictures online while conducting research for my “original” Polaroid film simulation recipe, and I stumbled across one picture in particular that caught my attention. It was dark, contrasty, with low saturation and a blue-purple color cast. I really liked the way that this picture looked. After digging a little deeper I discovered that this wasn’t a real Polaroid, but a digital image given a Polaroid aesthetic using a VSCO preset (I’m not sure which one). I set out to recreate that look in-camera, and that’s how this “Polaroid II” recipe came to be.

This isn’t a recipe that I would use all of the time, but it’s interesting sometimes. It’s actually somewhat similar to my Expired Eterna recipe. It’s not terribly far off from my Bleach Bypass recipe, either. If you like those two, you might also appreciate this one. In the right situations, this recipe will give you a vintage analogue look with just the right range of expression. This recipe is compatible with all X-Trans IV cameras.

Eterna
Dynamic Range: DR100
Highlight: +4
Shadow: +4
Color: -3
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpness: -4
Grain Effect: Strong
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
White Balance: Shade, +4 Red & +6 Blue
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: 0 to -1 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this “Polaroid II” recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30:

Buildings in Park City – Park City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Directv – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Roofs in a Row – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Slope – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Pine Tree & Cloud – Park City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

White Tree – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Pear Bloom – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Veiled Peak – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

You – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

You II – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Kitchen Succulent – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Map & Leaves – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Young Barista – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

The Joy of Writing – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Girl with Blue Bow – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

See also: Film Simulation Recipes

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My Fujifilm X-T30 Polaroid Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on April 11, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

Red Benches & Post Office – Park City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Polaroid”

I get asked frequently to create film simulation recipes for all sorts of different looks. Sometimes I’m successful, oftentimes I’m not. I received one such request recently that was a little unusual: the stills from the television series True Detective. The set photographer for this show is Michele K. Short. The show itself was shot using Kodak Vision3 50D and 500T film. Michele likely photographed the stills with her Leica M10-P, and edited them to look like analog pictures. Honestly, I have no idea what specific film they’re supposed to resemble, but I was able to pretty quickly create something that is in the ballpark of those stills.

I looked and looked at different films to figure out what this aesthetic might be close to. I didn’t find anything that I was satisfied with. There were a couple of films that I thought, “Well, you can make an argument, but it’s a stretch.” I decided that it most reminds me of Polaroid peal-apart film, perhaps 669. It’s not intended to resemble Polaroid, and perhaps it doesn’t do so very well, but I needed a name, and I wasn’t going to call this recipe “True Detective” so I went with “Polaroid” instead. Whether this does or doesn’t resemble Polaroid, I think you’ll find it produces interesting results. Some of you are going to really appreciate this film simulation recipe!

Abstract Architecture – Park City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Polaroid”

You can get good results with this recipe when you over, under or correctly expose, but some of my favorite pictures were overexposed. There’s a lot of latitude with this recipe. It’s fun to play around with. It seems especially well suited for high contrast scenes, although it can still be used in mid and low contrast scenes. It’s compatible with all X-Trans IV cameras and the Fujifilm X-H1.

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

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

Red, White & View – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Storm Behind Rural Neighborhood – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Thistle Evening – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Girl Unsure on Path – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Dormant Branches & Half Moon – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Reeds & Mountain – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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

House Roof – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

House – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Garage Rooftops – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Bicycle Boy – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Hooded Boy – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Joyful Girl – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Smile – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Girl with Curls – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Happily Running – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Paw Patrol – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Shoe on a Red Tricycle – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Wilting Flower – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Lots of Luck – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Lamp – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Leafy Indoor Decor – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Lamp in Daylight – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Empty Ski Lift – Park City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Trees & Lift – Park City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Pine Tree & Clouds – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Snow At The Fuel Stop – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Unused Snow Bridge – Park City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Park City’s Empty Street – Park City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Downtown Park City, April 2020 – Park City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Park City Buildings – Park City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Flag U – Park City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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

See also: Film Simulation Recipes

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Digital Holga – Turning My Fujifilm X-T30 Into a Toy Camera, Part 2

Posted on April 7, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

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Part 1

“…the Fujifilm X-T30 isn’t an especially good or practical way of achieving an out-of-camera Holga look. Can you? Sure, to an extent. The use of a couple of apps improves the results. Even so, there are only a few of these pictures that I really like. I think next time I’ll just load a roll of film into my Holga 120N.”

That statement above is how I concluded Part 1. Put more simply, the Fujifilm X-T30 isn’t a good option for digitally recreating an in-camera Holga aesthetic. Or is it? I’m not one to easily give up. Many of my different film simulation recipes took much trial-and-error to achieve. I failed over and over, but I didn’t give up. I kept trying! Yes, the Toy Camera effect isn’t a good option, but there has to be another way. And there is!

What I ended up doing was punching a hole in some black cardstock, and taping it to the front of the Industar 69 lens. This provided the vignetting that Holga cameras are known for. I added some tape to the edges of the hole to increase the blur at the frame edges. The aperture of the lens had to be preset (I chose f/4) because the cardstock and tape blocked it. I set the aspect ratio on the X-T30 to 1:1 for a square picture.

With this setup I could use any film simulation recipe that I wanted, and I could even do in-camera double exposures. This was a much better way to get an in-camera Holga look! This is a significantly better option than using the Toy Camera effect. It didn’t take very much work to add cardstock with a hole to the front of the lens. While better, this still isn’t the same as shooting film in an actual Holga camera, but it isn’t a bad facsimile, either. This was an interesting experiment that was worth doing, but I probably won’t be doing it again anytime soon.

These are straight-out-of-camera JPEGs using this faux Holga technique:

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Digital Holga – Turning My Fujifilm X-T30 Into A Toy Camera

Posted on April 6, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

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The Holga is a line of cheap Chinese “toy” cameras that (mostly) use medium-format film. Introduced in 1982, this inexpensive camera was designed to be the everyday tool to capture family moments, although poor quality made it only somewhat successful commercially. It’s known for heavy vignetting, soft focus, blur, and light leaks. While the Holga is not generally considered a good option for serious photographers, it has been used as such, and some famous pictures have been captured with this humble camera. The flaws are what make the Holga special.

I own a Holga 120N, which is perhaps the most common Holga model. I don’t use it often, but I do dust it off every once in awhile, load it with 120 film, and capture 12 square frames. Holga cameras can capture square or rectangular frames, or, if you are feeling really frisky, you can load it with 35mm film. Here are a few photographs that I’ve captured with my Holga camera:

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Like most of you, I’m staying home as much as possible right now due to the worldwide pandemic. For the most part, going places is out of the question, and I wouldn’t really want to even if I could. To foster my creative mind and prevent boredom, I decided to “convert” my Fujifilm X-T30 into a digital Holga camera. I set out to capture Holga-like images out-of-camera. Yes, I could do this by shooting RAW and using software, such as Exposure X5, but I didn’t want to. For me, that would be much less fun.

In “Advanced Filters” Fujifilm has included a “Toy Camera” effect. It’s designed to produce something similar to what you might get out of a Holga camera. Advanced Filters is misnamed, as it’s not well-designed for advanced users. It’s gimmicky. You can’t really change much with it, so what you see is what you get, for better or worse. I set my X-T30 to the Toy Camera effect, set the aspect ratio to 1:1 (square), and Dynamic Range (the only thing you can control) to DR400. To further the Holga effect, I attached my “worst” lens to the camera, an Industar 69, which has flaws not too dissimilar to the lens on my Holga camera. For some pictures, I used page markers to simulate light leaks.

Here are some straight-out-of-camera “Holga” pictures from my X-T30:

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Next, I opened up a rarely-used app on my phone called RNI Films to apply a film preset to the pictures. I used an Agfa Scala option for black-and-white and a Kodak Portra 160 for color. Below you’ll find some pictures where I used the RNI Films app.

B&W

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Color

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Of course, a Holga experience wouldn’t be complete without double exposures. With a Holga camera, if you don’t advance the film (or you forget to), you can capture multiple exposures by simply opening the shutter again. Unfortunately, you cannot make double exposures on the X-T30 using the Toy Camera effect, so I used the Snapseed app on my phone to combine two exposures. Here are a few examples of using Snapseed to combine two Toy Camera images into one double exposure picture:

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While this was a fun experiment, and I’m glad that I did this, the Fujifilm X-T30 isn’t an especially good or practical way of achieving an out-of-camera Holga look. Can you? Sure, to an extent. The use of a couple of apps improves the results. Even so, there are only a few of these pictures that I really like. I think next time I’ll just load a roll of film into my Holga 120N.

Part 2

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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36 Exposures of Portra 160

Posted on April 1, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

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Last month I loaded a 36 exposure roll of Portra 160 film into my Asahi Pentax S1 SLR, and attached a Super-Takumar 28mm f/3.5 lens to it. I walked along a trail that borders a ranch and leads to Farmington Bay, which is a wetland near the shore of the Great Salt Lake in Utah, and I snapped a bunch of pictures. I hadn’t shot Portra for a number of years, so I was excited to get the film back from the lab.

My 36 exposures of Portra came back from the lab yesterday. I was excited to see the results! As I viewed the scans on my computer, I couldn’t help but recall my great appreciation for this film and film photography. Portra 160 is wonderful! It makes me want to ditch digital and go back to my analog roots, as there’s something special about film that you just can’t replicate with modern cameras. Below are some of those 36 exposures of Portra 160 that I shot last month. Enjoy!

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You might notice that the date of this article is April 1st, which is April Fools Day. I did not, in fact, shoot these pictures on Portra film. They were captured on my iPhone. Just kidding! Yesterday I shot 36 exposures of a new film simulation recipe that will be called “Portra 160” on my Fujifilm X-T30. I did, in fact, use the 28mm Super-Takumar lens. This new film simulation recipe, which is what I used for these pictures, is compatible with all X-Trans III & IV cameras. I hope to publish the recipe later this week, so stay tuned!

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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Kodacolor Film Simulation Recipe, Part 2

Posted on March 16, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

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

One of the most popular film simulation recipes that I’ve created is Kodacolor, which mimics the look of Kodacolor VR film, and ColorPlus 200 (the same film re-branded). A Fuji X Weekly reader recently asked me to create a recipe that resembles the aesthetic of photographer Stephen Shore. Stephen has been around for many, many years, and he’s still photographing today. Over the decades he’s used many different films, and perhaps even digital in recent years, but most notably he shot Kodacolor in 35mm, 4″ x 5″ medium-format, and especially 8″ x 10″ large format.

When I was looking at Stephen Shore’s pictures, there was something about it that seemed “off” when compared to my Kodacolor recipe. Close, but off. Some of that could be attributed to the use of different films, or how the film was shot, developed and/or printed. Then I read that the medium-format and especially the large-format versions of Kodacolor film were more vibrant, more saturated, then the 35mm version, and I realized why my recipe seemed off. It needed Color to be turned up in order to mimic Stephen Shore’s pictures.

This is not a new recipe. It is my Kodacolor recipe with one change: Color is to 0 instead of -2. That’s it! The results are only subtly different, but closer to Stephen Shore’s aesthetic. I think, alternatively, setting Grain to Weak could also be appropriate, but I left it at Strong. All of the pictures in this article were captured using this modified Kodacolor recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30. This recipe (as well as the original Kodacolor recipe) is compatible with all X-Trans III & IV cameras.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: -1
Shadow: +2
Color: 0
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)

Francis Peak Afternoon – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

March Reeds – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Ready To Swing – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Potted Plant by a Window – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Pointing Towards the Sky – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

House Window – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Colorful Neighborhood – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Kiss The Crepes – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

5:20 – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Packed Parking Lot – Bountiful, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

My Fujifilm X-T30 Monochrome Kodachrome Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on March 16, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

Light on the Wall – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Monochrome Kodachrome”

Kodachrome was a black-and-white film. No, really, it was! The color dyes were actually added during development. The process to develop Kodachrome color transparencies was complex and toxic. As demand for the film decreased and Kodak experienced financial troubles, both the film and the chemicals to develop it were discontinued. If you still have some undeveloped Kodachrome film sitting around, there’s absolutely no place in the world that can process it; that is, except as black-and-white negatives. It’s true: Kodachrome can be developed to this day as a black-and-white film!

While I think that this recipe does more-or-less mimic the look of Kodachrome developed as black-and-white, that’s not necessarily the intent of it. This recipe began as an experiment by Fuji X Weekly reader Thomas Schwab, who created the Urban Vintage Chrome recipe. He took my Vintage Kodachrome recipe and replaced the Classic Chrome film simulation with Acros, Monochrome and Sepia, and the results were quite interesting! I made a couple of minor adjustments to create this recipe. This is definitely a joint effort, and it wouldn’t exist without Thomas Schwab’s experiments and willingness to share the results. Thank you!

Window & Blinds – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Monochrome Kodachrome”

What I like about this Monochrome Kodachrome film simulation recipe is that it has a great film-like quality to it. This recipe pairs especially well with vintage lenses (I used an Asahi Super-Takumar 28mm for about half of these pictures). Even though it says “Fujifilm X-T30” in the title, it can be used on any X-Trans III & IV camera. You can also use this same recipe with the Monocrome+R film simulation, for a slightly different result.

Acros+R
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: +4
Shadow: -2
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: +1
Grain Effect: Strong
Color Chrome Effect: Off
Toning: 0
White Balance: AWB, 0 Red & +9 Blue
ISO: Auto, ISO 3200 to ISO 12800
Exposure Compensation: -1/3 to +2/3 (typically)

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

Roman – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Cleaning Cart – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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

Tree Shadow on a Brick Wall – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Small Bridge – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Rural Road – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Monochrome Mountain Landscape – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

B&W Reeds – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Tennis Swing – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Engaged In Television – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Little Jo – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Hand Washing – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Faceless – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Muffins – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Pronto! – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Daylight Balanced – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

See also: Film Simulation Recipes

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My Fujifilm X-T30 Analog Color Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on March 8, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

Pentax – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Analog Color”

Sometimes accidents are happy, such as with this film simulation recipe, which I call Analog Color. I was attempting to make a recipe that mimics the looks of Kodak Portra 400 that’s been overexposed, but I was unsuccessful (at least for now); however, in the process I accidentally created this one. It was a mistake, but I liked how it looked, so I shot a bunch of pictures with it. This recipe reminds me of Fujicolor C200 or Agfa Vista 200, or perhaps even Kodak Gold 200. It’s in the neighborhood of ColorPlus 200, as well. But, it doesn’t exactly resemble any of those films perfectly. What I appreciate about this Analog Color film simulation is that it has a film-like quality to it, with a real color negative aesthetic, even if it’s not an exact match to any film that I’m aware of.

How this film simulation recipe looks depends on the light. This is true of all the recipes that don’t use auto white balance, but it seems especially so with this particular recipe. It can have a warm cast sometimes and cool cast other times, or even occasionally both a cool and warm cast within the same image. Perhaps this is one of the things that make it appear film-like. I do think that there’s something special about this recipe.

Route Running – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 “Analog Color”

I like Color set to -1, but feel free to play around with that. If you want something more saturated, increase Color to 0 or +1. If you don’t like grain, set it to Weak or off. If you like lots of grain, keep the ISO high, perhaps no lower than ISO 1600. I think that this recipe will pair well with vintage lenses, and that’s something else you can experiment with.

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

Example photographs, all straight-out-of-camera JPEGs captured using my Fujifilm X-T30 Analog Color film simulation recipe:

Red Window – Monument Valley, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30

Cut Strawberries – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Joshua Smiling – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Girl in a Blue Sweater – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Living Room Bass Pro – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Backlit Jon – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Succulent on a Shelf – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Time’s Fun When You’re Having Flies – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

46 Minutes to Ogden – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Empty Seats – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

The Bags We Carry – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

No Storage – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Rain God Mesa – Monument Valley, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30

Tree In The Dirt – Monument Valley, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30

Monument Valley Afternoon – Monument Valley, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30

Monument Valley After Sunset – Monument Valley, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30

See also: Film Simulation Recipes

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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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Comparing JPEGs: Fujifilm X-T1 vs X-T30

Posted on January 29, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

Fujifilm X-T30 with Astia film simulation.

Fujifilm X-T1 with Astia film simulation.

I’ve been trying to figure out how to make my Fujifilm X-Trans III & IV film simulation recipes compatible with my X-T1 camera, which has an X-Trans II sensor. The X-T1 has the same film simulations as my Fujifilm X-T30, minus Acros and Eterna, but many of the customization options to fine-tune the image are different. For the X-T1, everything maxes out at plus and minus two, while X-Trans III & IV cameras can go to plus and minus four on many settings. There are other tools that the newer cameras have that the older ones don’t. The simple fact is this: X-Trans III & IV recipes aren’t directly compatible with X-Trans I & II cameras; can I recreate those recipes for the older models?

When I looked at the pictures that I captured with the different film simulations on my X-T1, it seemed like the results were different than with the same film simulations on my X-T30. Do the film simulations look different on different sensors? I did some tests to determine what is the same and what is not. I think there are some subtle changes, and you won’t get precisely the same results from X-Trans II as you will from X-Trans III and IV. It’s close, but not exact.

Fujifilm X-T30 with Monochrome film simulation.

Fujifilm X-T1 with Monochrome film simulation.

Something that I determined is that, with everything set at 0, X-Trans II has slightly darker shadows and X-Trans IV has slightly lighter highlights. It makes it seem like the pictures from my X-T30 are brighter than those from my X-T1, although mid-tones are identical. I made the mistake in the test below (with the exception of Provia) of trying to compensate for that by dropping the exposure by 1/3 stop on my X-T30, which made it darker than the X-T1. That overcompensated for the highlight and shadow difference, while making the mid-tones all wrong. Instead of lowering the exposure on the X-T30, I could have adjusted shadow and highlight by one (-1 Shadow and +1 Highlight) on the X-T1 to get a closer match. Actually, if I had adjusted shadow and highlight (+1 Shadow and -1 Highlight) on the X-T30, it would have been an even closer match, as I also discovered that +1 on the two cameras are different. I think that +1 on the X-T1 is equal to about +1.25 on the X-T30 (if it could adjust in 1/4 increments), and +2 is equal to about +2.5. I think that, because highlights have a brighter starting point on the X-T30, +2 Highlight is about the same on both cameras, while +2 Shadow on the X-T1 is actually closer to +3 on the X-T30. Interestingly enough, I think that -1 and -2 highlight and shadow on the two cameras are similar to each other, and with the same exact minus settings applied to both cameras, the X-T30 will have lighter highlights and shadows than the X-T1. Color on the X-T1 seems to move in +/-1.25 increments when compared to the X-T30, which means +2 Color on the X-T1 is in-between +2 and +3 on the X-T30, while -2 Color on the X-T1 is in-between -2 and -3 on the X-T30.

There’s another difference that I discovered between X-Trans II and X-Trans IV: the white balance is not the same. The X-T1 is actually slightly warmer, leaning towards yellow or yellow-green. It’s not a huge difference, but it’s not exactly the same, which means a slight adjustment will be required to the white balance shift for recreating recipes. What I anticipate as I attempt to translate X-Trans III & IV recipes for X-Trans II is that some will be easy, and some will be difficult or maybe impossible. Because there are less tools to work with on my X-T1, the aesthetic won’t be as precise, as it’s not as fine-tune-able. Despite that, I hope to have some good film simulation recipes very soon for those with older Fujifilm X cameras.

Provia:

Fujifilm X-T30

Fujifilm X-T1

Velvia:

Fujifilm X-T30

Fujifilm X-T1

Astia:

Fujifilm X-T30

Fujifilm X-T1

Classic Chrome:

Fujifilm X-T30

Fujifilm X-T1

Pro Neg. Hi:

Fujifilm X-T30

Fujifilm X-T1

Pro Neg. Std:

Fujifilm X-T30

Fujifilm X-T1

-2:

Fujifilm X-T30

Fujifilm X-T1

-1:

Fujifilm X-T30

Fujifilm X-T1

+1:

Fujifilm X-T30

Fujifilm X-T1

+2:

Fujifilm X-T30

Fujifilm X-T1

+3:

Fujifilm X-T30

+4:

Fujifilm X-T30

Photoessay: Autumn 2019

Posted on January 4, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

Mountain Autumn – Big Mountain Pass, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 90mm

Fall might be my favorite season, but it’s always too short. Summer often overstays its welcome. Winter usually comes too quickly. Autumn gets squeezed in the middle. You have to be quick, because it’s fleeting. It comes and goes so quickly! If you don’t take time to see and experience it, you’ll flat out miss it, and you’ll have to wait another year for fall to return.

Autumn is the season of change. The weather changes. The colors of the leaves change. The food we eat and coffee we drink change (if you want them to). There’s beauty in change, and uncertainty. It ends cold and gloomy as winter budges in, but before it does autumn puts on a spectacular show. Autumn can be breathtakingly beautiful!

Apple Harvest – Logan, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 90mm

The photographs in this post were captured during the 2019 fall season. Many of them I’ve yet to share on the Fuji X Weekly blog, but you’ve probably seen a few of them in other articles. Some of the pictures are from early autumn when the weather was still warm and the leaves only beginning to change colors. Others are from late fall when the temperatures dipped cold and the scene turned drab. Still others were captured during the height of vibrant colors, which unfortunately didn’t last very long, yet long enough for me to get a few exposures made.

I used a Fujifilm X-T30, which is a great all-around camera, for all of these pictures. A number of different lenses were attached to it, depending on the image. I used a Fujinon 35mm, a Fujinon 90mm, a Fujinon 50-230mm, a Rokinon 12mm, an Industar 69, and an Asahi Super-Takumar 135mm. There’s a number of different film simulation recipes that I used, including Velvia, Kodacolor, Eterna, “Classic Negative” and possibly another one, I’m not certain. I hope that you enjoy!

Leaves of Autumn – Riverdale, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

Bent Trunk – Bountiful, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

Icy Leaf – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Industar 69

Changing Nature – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

Tree Star – Salt Lake City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Rokinon 12mm

Autumn Sun At Ogden Station – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Rokinon 12mm

Drab Autumn Drive – Bountiful, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

Flowing Creek – Bountiful, Utah – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

Flowing Fall – Bountiful, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi Super-Takumar 135mm

Gradations of Color – Big Mountain Pass, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 90mm

Change Begins – Big Mountain Pass, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 90mm

Winter Kissed Autumn – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 50-230mm

Mountainside Autumn – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 50-230mm

New Project: Farmington Bay

Posted on January 4, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

Crane Reflection – Farmington Bay, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

The Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area is a landscape and wildlife photographic treasure trove in Farmington, Utah. I’ve lived in the Salt Lake City area for almost four years now, and only learned of this place last week. I’ve passed by it thousands of times. I’ve seen it on many occasions without knowing what it was that I was looking at. I had no idea that it was accessible, and I’m so glad that I finally found it!

What is the Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area? To be honest, I’m not entirely certain. There’s a small museum and signs along the road that explain it, but I have yet to actually stop and learn anything. Educating myself is pretty high on my to-do list. What I do know is that Farmington Bay is a bay in the Great Salt Lake, and it is where Farmington Creek empties into the lake. The area where the creek approaches the lake is a marshy wetland with several ponds and small lakes. The Great Salt Lake is a massive salt water lake, but access to it is surprisingly limited. My favorite place to see it is Antelope Island State Park, which is a fascinating spot but not particularly convenient for me. There are a handful of other locations that provide access to the Great Salt Lake, but not many. Farmington Bay is very convenient for me, so that’s a huge plus, as I’ll be able to stop by often. There are several miles of roads (mostly dirt, but well maintained) that take you into the marshy bay, and several miles of trails (again, well maintained) that go even further. I’ve only been to the end of the road and back. The purpose of the Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area is, as far as I can tell, to provide a refuge for migrating birds, to protect the marshland, and to provide access for outdoor enthusiasts.

Farmington Bay in January – Farmington Bay, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

My new project that I begun 2020 with is to photograph Farmington Bay for a year. I want to capture this location under different light, different weather, and different seasons. I want to intimately immerse myself into the environment, so that I can document it as only I can. My goal is to photograph Farmington Bay no less than once every four weeks for the entirety of 2020. I will likely drop by more frequently–if I can make it once per week that would be great–but at a minimum it will be once every four weeks. If I over-commit then I’ll end up abandoning the project before it’s complete. Perhaps if everything goes well this project could turn into an exhibit or book, but for now it’s for my own enjoyment and skill enhancement. While I’ve done plenty of landscape photography over the decades, I’ve done very little wildlife photography. This project will allow me to stretch my skills and hopefully improve my photography.

I invite you to follow along as I embark on this journey. I will be posting periodic updates on the Fuji X Weekly blog. I’ll be using Fujifilm cameras and lenses throughout this project, such as my Fujifilm X-T30. The lenses that I used for these pictures are a Fujinon 90mm, Fujinon 50-230mm and Rokinon 12mm. This post contains pictures from my first outing. I hope that you enjoy these photographs of Farmington Bay!

Winter Trees Over Farmington Creek – Farmington Bay, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Tree Canopy Over Farmington Creek – Farmington Bay, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Winter Creek – Farmington Bay, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

On Thin Ice – Farmington Bay, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Hidden Wasatch Reflection – Farmington Bay, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Frary Peak From Farmington – Farmington Bay, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Salt Lake Shorebird Sign – Farmington Bay, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Water Under The Bridge – Famington Bay, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Turbulent Water – Farmington Bay, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Hiding – Farmington Bay, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Designated Parking – Farmington Bay, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Ice Water Reeds – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Cold Cranes – Farmington Bay, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Birds of a Feather Huddle Together – Farmington Bay, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Part 2

Asahi SMC-Takumar 50mm f/1.4 + Fujifilm X-T30

Posted on December 14, 2019 by Ritchie Roesch

Asahi Super Takumar 50mm f/1.4 Fujifilm X-T30 Blog

The Asahi SMC-Takumar 50mm f/1.4 is a legendary M42-mount lens made by Pentax in the mid-1960’s through the mid-1970’s. There are four different versions of the Takumar 50mm f/1.4 that were manufactured. The first version is optically different from the three that followed. Versions three and four are Super-Multi-Coated and are slightly radioactive (version two might also be radioactive, but the first version is for certain not). My copy is the fourth version. Some say that the original version is better, while some say that versions three and four are better. There are endless debates, but, regardless of which Takumar 50mm f/1.4 lens you have, you can be assured it’s a great lens!

The Asahi SMC-Takumar 50mm f/1.4 is super sharp in the center at all apertures. Even at f/16, which is subject to diffraction, the lens is pretty sharp. Below f/4 there’s some noticeable corner softness, which is quite pronounced at f/1.4. There’s vignetting when wide open, but that disappears completely by f/4. From f/4 to f/11, this lens is “tack as a Tak” (as the kids used to say), and that’s where it optimally performs. I noticed some chromatic aberrations when wide open and focused close to the end of the lens. There’s a little distortion that you’ll only notice when photographing brick walls, and even then you’ll only barely notice. It’s a tremendous lens, no doubt about it!

A lot of people talk about bokeh, and it’s a misunderstood term. People get it confused with depth-of-field. The Takumar 50mm f/1.4, which when mounted to my Fujifilm X-T30 is equivalent to 75mm, has an excellent close focus distance of about 18 inches. That’s not quite macro territory, but when you combine the focal length with the close focus capabilities and the very small maximum aperture, it’s possible to get a super thin depth-of-field. This means that you can get a whole lot of the frame out-of-focus, which some people call bokeh by mistake. Depth-of-field is the amount of blur, while Bokeh is the quality of the blur, and it is subjective. Bokeh is pretty darn good on this lens, although in my opinion the Fujinon 90mm f/2 actually has better bokeh, if you want something to compare it to. Still, you won’t be disappointed by the blur, whether the amount or quality, especially at the larger apertures.

Asahi Super Takumar 50mm f/1.4

The coating on this lens, which controls flare only moderately well, has a yellowish tint that shows up in pictures. It’s easy to correct with white balance if you don’t like it, or perhaps it adds to the charm of the lens if you do like it. I personally like it. The lens has pretty good contrast. It feels solid and well built. It’s about average size and weight for a vintage “nifty-fifty” lens. You’ll need an M42 to Fuji X adapter to mount it to your Fujifilm camera.

The Takumar 50mm f/1.4 is an all manual lens, which means that you’ll have to adjust the aperture and focus yourself. The aperture ring and focus ring work very well on my copy. It may take some practice to get the hang of using it if you don’t have much experience with manual lenses. I used full-manual cameras for many years when I shot film, so I actually enjoy it, as it’s a bit therapeutic for me.

The Asahi SMC-Takumar 50mm f/1.4 is an excellent vintage lens! It really is something special. It’s not perfect from a technical standpoint, but it’s those flaws that make it special. It’s super sharp and will produce lovely pictures. This is one of those must-have lenses if you enjoy manual photography. Below are some pictures that I captured using this lens with a Fujifilm X-T30. Enjoy!

December Mountain – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi SMC-Takumar 50mm f/1.4

December Leaf – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi SMC-Takumar 50mm f/1.4

Morning Tower – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi SMC-Takumar 50mm f/1.2

Jon In The Kitchen – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi SMC-Takumar 50mm f/1.4

Shoe Zipper – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi SMC-Takumar 50mm f/1.4

Gather For Christmas – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi SMC-Takumar 50mm f/1.4

Holiday Dreaming – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi SMC-Takumar 50mm f/1.4

Christmas Light – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi SMC-Takumar 50mm f/1.4

Beautiful Blur – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi SMC-Takumar 50mm f/1.4

Monochrome Christmas Scene – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi SMC-Takumar 50mm f/1.4

Angel Choir – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi SMC-Takumar 50mm f/1.4

Artificial Santa – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi SMC-Takumar 50mm f/1.4

Christmas Wonder – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi SMC-Takumar 50mm f/1.4

Family Holiday Portraits: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

Posted on December 12, 2019 by Ritchie Roesch

Fujifilm X-T20 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

Every November my wife, Amanda, asks me to take some family pictures for the Christmas card. Actually, for several years now she’s been wanting to hire a photographer to capture our annual holiday portraits. But, you know, I’m a photographer, and I’m also stubborn and cheap, so I usually tell her that I’ll take care of it, no need to hire anyone. I know that it’s a big challenge to be both in front of the camera and behind it at the same time, but I’ve done it before, so no big deal, right?

Amanda likes to pick the location and our clothes. Actually, location scouting is a joint venture; Amanda has an idea in her mind of what she wants, then I help her find it. Last year I photographed our family at Antelope Island State Park. The year before we went to downtown Ogden. This year she wanted a tree-lined road, and we found a good location not terribly far from our house. You wouldn’t know from the pictures that we were actually in the city, right behind a restaurant.

Everything was set, we were all dressed and ready to go, but I had already encountered a problem: one of my tripods was missing. I discovered in past photo sessions that I get the best results when using two cameras. I have a primary camera that I shoot using a remote, and I have a secondary camera offset to the side, which has the interval timer set to snap a random picture every five seconds. The primary camera captures the staged portraits, while the secondary camera captures the natural moments in-between. This setup has worked well for me, but without the second tripod it wasn’t going to happen. After much searching without success, I found some step-stools and books to stack onto each other to form a makeshift tripod, which was far from ideal but better than nothing.

Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 90mm f/2

Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 90mm f/2

Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 90mm f/2

Upon arriving at the photo-shoot location, I encountered another issue. The plan was for our family to be far away from the camera to make us smaller in the frame, but I discovered that the camera remote range was not large enough. I was too far away from the camera to remotely activate the shutter. After trying a few different things, and after much frustration, I settled on ditching the remote and using the camera’s interval timer, set to snap an exposure every three seconds. This is like spray-and-pray to the extreme. The wheels were beginning to come off, but we put on a smile and pressed forward.

I’m not a family portrait photographer. I’ve done it before a few times, but it’s really not my cup of tea. Trying to get everyone to look good simultaneously is nearly impossible. There’s inevitably always someone with a goofy look on their face. And even if you think an exposure looks good, one of the adults (usually but not always the wife) will find something insignificant to nitpick about. It seems like, as the photographer, you just can’t win. Maybe some of you have better experiences than me, but I just don’t find much joy in family portrait photography. Still, doing it myself is better than paying someone, I told myself.

In my family, the two youngest children, ages five and two, are the goofballs, and they also don’t follow instructions well, sometimes defiantly so. If you’re behind the camera, you can observe their behavior, and offer some words or bribes (candy works well) to get them to pose appropriately. When you are in front of the camera and not behind, it’s much more difficult to catch them in the act, and so you’ll get a bunch of shots where they don’t look good. The ten-year-old tries much too hard to smile, and often looks as unnatural and uncomfortable as possible. Only by telling funny jokes can you get him to loosen up. The 12-year-old thinks that she’s the boss of the other three, which sometimes causes unnecessary conflicts. The challenge is somehow getting all of this under control at just the right moment when the shutter clicks. And it’s clicking every three seconds on one camera and every five seconds on the other.

Fujifilm X-T20 & Fujinon 35mm f/2

Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 90mm f/2

Fujifilm X-T30 & Fujinon 90mm f/2

It’s actually a tiny miracle that any of the pictures turned out decent. The light was rapidly changing. At one point the sun found a place between the clouds and the trees, and put a bright hazy flare right through the middle of the frame (and not the good kind, either), and during this time someone walked through the scene. I couldn’t see this because I wasn’t behind the camera. As the sun got lower the temperature rapidly dropped, as did the spirits of those being photographed. It was all a mess, beginning to end. We did it anyway, determined to have a nice picture on the Christmas card. Afterwards we had some hot cocoa to warm us up.

The primary camera was a Fujifilm X-T30 with a Fujinon 90mm f/2 lens attached to it, set on a tripod. The secondary camera was a Fujifilm X-T20 with a Fujinon 35mm f/2 lens attached to it, which was set on top of a stack of stools and books. I used the Provia film simulation, DR400, Grain Weak, Highlight 0, Shadow +1, AWB +1R & -2B, Color +2, Sharpening +2 and -4 NR on both cameras. This is a new recipe that I created for these pictures.

This article would not be complete if I didn’t share with you the outtakes. Below are the pictures that were failures, where things didn’t go as planned, and the pictures are far from the “good” photos that we had hoped to capture. These are the “bad” and “ugly” images that show what really happened during our family holiday portrait session; not what we wanted, but certainly real life.