This last Saturday I had a quick adventure to Los Angeles, and it was my first time using my brand-new Fujifilm X-E5. In fact, the picture below, Sky Harbor Tower, was frame 0001. I had plenty of experience with the X-E5 already because Fujifilm had loaned me one shortly after it was announced, but I had to give it back after a couple of weeks. While I’ve had my X-E5 for a week, I didn’t have an opportunity to use it until this trip.
I charged the battery the day before, and set the camera up, programming 11 Recipes into it. The ones I chose for C1-C7 are Kodak Portra 400 v2, Kodak Pro 400, Kodachrome 64, Kodak Tri-X 400, Superia Negative (Film Dial Recipe), Reala Ace, and 1970’s Summer. I set Xpro ’62 as the “Nothing Selected” Recipe in the IQ Menu. On the Film Dial, I programmed Pacific Blues into FS1, Kodak Vericolor VPS into FS2, and 1960 Chrome into FS3. I don’t know if I’ll keep those 11 for awhile or switch some of them out—I’m still deciding—but those are the ones I had available in the camera on this trip. I didn’t use all of them this time around, only five.
The purpose of this trip was to lead a Fujifilm X half photowalk with Samy’s Camera and Fujifilm. If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve already seen the X half pictures. I flew in that morning from Phoenix and flew out of LA that night. It was a quick adventure. I had a lot of fun, and it was great to meet some of you in person and photograph with you.
A lot of times when I travel I take way too much gear with me. I go back-and-forth, actually. I’ll take a ton of gear and feel overwhelmed and burdened by it, so I’ll slim it back to a real minimal kit, but it will slowly get larger and larger and larger over time as I think I might need this or that, then the cycle repeats. I’m at the minimal kit spot right now. The only gear I brought along was the X half and the X-E5 with the 23mm f/2.8 pancake lens, plus one spare battery. Everything else stayed home. This seemed to work out quite well, but I’m sure pretty soon I’ll pack more gear into the bag before heading off on an outing somewhere, and it will once again begin to get bulkier and heavier. I have to remind myself: oftentimes, less is more.
Can – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-E5 – 1970’s Summer
Marshaller – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-E5 – 1970’s Summer
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Pershing Square – Los Angeles, CA – Fujifilm X100VI – Appalachian Negative Recipe
This Appalachian Negative Film Simulation Recipe was sent to me by Logan Ballew. Like a lot of Fujifilm photographers, he really likes Classic Chrome Recipes, but one day he thought he’d like to try the Nostalgic Neg. film simulation. Instead of loading one of my Nostalgic Neg. Recipes into his camera, he simply used Nostalgic Neg. instead of Classic Chrome with my Kodak Portra 400 v2 Recipe; however, the results weren’t quite right, so he made a number of tweaks and adjustments until he got the look that he wanted. While this Recipe initially began as Kodak Portra 400 v2 but with Nostalgic Neg., it doesn’t much resemble that now, and produces a significantly divergent look.
Logan’s goal was an aesthetic reminiscent of home: the Appalachians near Asheville, North Carolina. “I spent most of my time as a kid hiking around the Blue Ridge Mountains or with my grandfather,” he told me. While his grandfather, Lanny Phillips, was an avid photographer (among other arts, including woodworking), it wasn’t until after college that he picked up a camera and began his own photographic journey; he’s been a hobbyist photographer for about five years now. This Recipe reminds him of his childhood memories in the Appalachians.
Breakfast Home – Anaheim, CA – Fujifilm X100VI – Appalachian Negative Recipe
“The foliage back home is super dense, and trying to capture that without blowing out the greens and messing up the saturation is somewhat of a task,” Logan said. “What’s nice about Nostalgic Negative is that it gives this amber color to your images.” While this Recipe is specifically intended for photography in the Appalachians, he found that it works well in many other environments, too. After using it in Los Angeles, California, I can attest that this one works quite well for urban scenes. I especially like the feelings of nostalgia that this Recipe infuses into the photographs.
Logan is enlisted in the U.S. Navy, and is currently stationed in Norfolk, Virginia. Joining the Navy allowed him to travel quite extensively—not just across the country, but internationally. However, he initially found Virginia to be photographically underwhelming; however, Logan says that Jason Hunter and other local photographers have been a huge help and inspiration, and now he spends a lot of time walking the boardwalks and driving around town capturing things that he would have overlooked before.
Beware my Fuji X-Pro3 – Los Angeles, CA – Fujifilm X100VI – Appalachian Negative Recipe
Thank you, Logan Ballew, for sharing this Recipe with me, and allowing me to share it with the community! This Appalachian Negative Film Simulation Recipe is compatible with all fifth-generation X-Trans cameras, which (as of this writing) are the Fujifilm X-H2s, X-H2, X-T5, X-S20, X100VI, and X-T50. I’m sure it can be used on newer GFX models, too, but will likely render slightly different (try it anyway, though). Logan encourages the use of a diffusion filter, such as a 5% or 10% CineBloom, with this Recipe. I used a 5% CineBloom for all of the photographs captured in Los Angeles.
Film Simulation: Nostalgic Neg. Dynamic Range: DR400 Grain Effect: Weak, Large Color Chrome Effect: Strong Color Chrome FX Blue: Weak White Balance: 5200K, +2 Red & -2 Blue Highlight: -1.5 Shadow: 0 Color: +4 Sharpness: +2 High ISO NR: -4 Clarity: 0 ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: +2/3 to +1 1/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured using this Appalachian Negative Film Simulation Recipe on my Fujifilm X100VI:
Yellow Pants, Blue Cart – Los Angeles, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Urban Photographer – Los Angeles, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Urban Flowerbed – Los Angeles, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
City Tree – Los Angeles, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Urban Bougainvillea – Los Angeles, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
The Skateboarding Photographer – Los Angeles, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Midair – Los Angeles, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Push Cart – Los Angeles, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Left Circles – Los Angeles, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Local Metro – Los Angeles, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Crossing – Los Angeles, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Parking – Los Angeles, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
No Stopping Any Time – Los Angeles, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Palms & Blue – Anaheim, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Quintessential California – Los Angeles, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Joe’s – Los Angeles, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
City Smoke – Los Angeles, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Street Level View – Los Angeles, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Hope the Light Changes – Los Angeles, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Yellow Car – Los Angeles, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Red Car – Los Angeles, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Classic Chrysler – Los Angeles, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Vehicle Exit – Los Angeles, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Red Box – Anaheim, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Careful Which Way You Go – Los Angeles, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Bokeh Tree Lights – Anaheim, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Fire Fountain – Anaheim, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Jon in Golden Light – Anaheim, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
Paseo – Anaheim, CA – Fujifilm X100VI
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