Photography | FUJI X WEEKLY

Why Bokeh Is Overrated

Posted on December 16, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

Kitchen Flowers – Pawhuska, OK – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm

Within photography circles, bokeh is an often discussed aspect of an image, and this is especially true over the last ten or fifteen years. If you aren’t sure exactly what bokeh is, don’t worry, you are not alone, as a lot of people misunderstand it. I will do my best to explain it to you and also explain why it’s not as important as many people think.

Bokeh is defined as the quality of the out-of-focus area of an image. It’s how well a lens renders blur, the aesthetics of it. It’s often described in terms like good, creamy, smooth, bad, harsh, distracting, swirly, soap bubble, and so forth. It’s very subjective, and you can use any adjective you want to help describe it. What might be characterized as good bokeh by you might be described differently by another person.

I don’t remember hearing the word bokeh spoken even once when I studied photography in college 20 years ago. It’s not that it didn’t exist, because obviously bokeh did exist, but it didn’t really matter. You either liked how a certain lens rendered blur or you didn’t, and few were trying to quantify it or rate it. Nowadays people spend a lot of time and energy searching for lenses that produce the best bokeh, analyzing reviews and charts that attempt to rate it.

You will hear terms like “bokeh monster” when describing a lens and “bokeh master” when describing a person. People will say that a certain lens produces a lot of bokeh, which doesn’t make any sense, because bokeh is defined by character and is not a measurement. It’s a misunderstanding of what bokeh is. You can’t have more bokeh or less. You can only have nice or ugly bokeh, or some other description of the quality of the aesthetics.

Holiday Decor – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 & 90mm

People confuse bokeh with depth-of-field, but they are two entirely different things. Depth-of-field is the amount of an image that is in focus, determined by the aperture, subject distance and non-subject distance, focal length of the lens, as well as the physical size of the sensor or film. A lot of people mean depth-of-field when they say bokeh. It’s a misunderstanding of terms! Depth-of-field is a mathematical calculation, while bokeh is subjective. Depth-of-field is objective and can only be described by measurement terms. A shallow depth-of-field creates a blur in a photograph, while bokeh is the description of the quality of that blur.

To achieve an out-of-focus area within an image, one needs to use a large aperture or focus really close to the end of the lens or both, which will create a shallow depth-of-field. A lot of people think that you need a large aperture, such as f/2, to achieve blur, but it depends on how close the subject is to the end of the lens. For example, in macro photography, you might have a shallow depth-of-field with an aperture of f/16 because the subject is so close to the lens. It is a math equation, and people have created calculators to help more easily understand what settings are needed to attain certain results. Generally speaking, you will have a smaller depth-of-field, which will render more blur, when using a larger aperture.

Rating bokeh is overrated. It’s something photographers on message boards talk about much too much. It doesn’t matter anywhere close to what some people would have you believe. The vast majority of people who view your pictures have no opinion whatsoever on the quality of the blur that they’re looking at. For anyone to even notice, there has to be something about it that stands out, such as swirly bokeh or really bad bokeh. Most modern lenses are precision engineered, so the flaws that make bokeh stand out don’t exist. Almost all newer lenses produce bokeh that’s at least mediocre, and most people, particularly non-photographers, cannot distinguish mediocre bokeh from great bokeh.

Tricycle In The Woods – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-E1 & Helios 44-2

Bokeh doesn’t matter because it’s subjective. What looks mediocre to you might look fantastic to someone else. People have different opinions. As long as it’s not bad bokeh, which I would define as being distracting to the image, then I’m perfectly fine with the quality of the blur, however the lens renders it. It’s actually difficult to find a lens that produces bad bokeh. Perhaps some cheap zoom lenses are prone to it. Most lenses render blur decently enough that viewers don’t notice the quality of it and, perhaps more importantly, they don’t care.

Ansel Adams said, “There’s nothing worse than a sharp image of a fuzzy concept.” A fuzzy image of a fuzzy concept might be worse. Either way, the point is that the concept is what’s most important, and the other aspects, such as sharpness and bokeh, are not particularly critical. You can have a great image with poor bokeh and a poor image with great bokeh. The quality of the bokeh has little to do with the outcome of a photograph. It’s better to spend time and energy on image concepts than technical qualities.

Bokeh is the quality of the blur in an image. I’ve already said that, but it’s a good reminder of just how insignificant it really is. Think about it, we’re talking about the background blur. There are so many other more important things that we could be discussing! Bokeh is a popular topic, and a lot of people want to know more about it and are searching the internet for opinions. It’s good to know what it is, but it’s not something to get wrapped up in. You either like how a lens renders blur or you don’t, and either way it’s not a big deal.

Weekly Photo Project, Week 19

Posted on December 9, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

I don’t feel as though this week was particularly photographically productive, but I did manage to capture at least one photograph every day. I also managed to create a few pictures that are decent. The end of this week marks 133 straight days with at least one image captured, which is a pretty darn good accomplishment. Hopefully I can keep this going through the winter, which I anticipate being the most difficult season for this project. Even if each photograph isn’t amazing and only one each week is good, that still means I have 52 good pictures over the course of a year. I still have a long ways to go, and it’s best not to count chickens before they hatch, so I better keep moving forward one day at a time.

Monday, November 26, 2018

Cow Field – SLC, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Tuesday, November 27, 2018

Amanda & I at the Great Salt Lake – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Wednesday, November 28, 2018

The Last Two Leaves – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Thursday, November 29, 2018

Light Beyond The Wet Window – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Friday, November 30, 2018

Boots – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Saturday, December 1, 2018

Light Dust of Snow – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Sunday, December 2, 2018

Frosty Fall – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Week 18 Week 20

How To Add “Light Leaks” To Your Photos Using Page Markers

Posted on December 9, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

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I much prefer to create a look in-camera than to use software to achieve it. I’m a big fan of avoiding post-processing whenever I can because I don’t like sitting in front of a computer anymore than I absolutely have to. Sometimes it’s not possible to achieve my photographic vision without editing, but most of the time with a little care I can get the exact look I want straight out of the camera. Whenever I find a trick that might help me get in-camera the results I want, I’m willing to give it a try.

Recently I came across an article where photographer Maciej Pietuszynski used colorful sticky page markers, also sometimes called popup index tabs, to create light leak effects without software. Stick the colorful page markers in front of the lens and watch the magic happen! It works quite well and is surprisingly convincing.

In the film days, light leaks would happen when a camera became worn or damaged. When the seal that keeps the inside of the camera completely pitch black is compromised, unwanted light enters and exposes the film. If film isn’t handled correctly during development, it’s also possible to get light leaks that way. The two pictures below are examples of light leaks that I have experienced.

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Light leaks come in all sorts of colors and shapes. They’re not typically uniform. Some people love them and some people hate them. There are some photographers who actually seek out cameras that leak light, and even a few who will purposefully damage a camera in order to create light leaks. There was even a 35mm film that was produced that had light leaks already on it, so that you could get the effect with a camera that wasn’t damaged.

In the digital world, you can mimic the light leak effect using software, which is something that I occasionally did using Alien Skin Exposure (I haven’t done this in several years). Using a faux light leak is fun every once in awhile, and it works well for certain images, but it can seem kind of gimmicky if you apply it too often. Below are two pictures of mine that include fake light leaks using software.

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Using page markers is a good technique to achieve a light leak effect without using software. I played around with it on my Fujifilm XF10 over the last two days, and I was able to get some interesting results that did in fact resemble light leaks. In my opinion, it made the images look a little more analog. In the pictures where the effect is really subtle, it gives the images a slight atmospheric feel that is still intriguing. I don’t think this something I’d want to do all of the time, but in the right situations it can be effective. At the very least it’s a fun technique to experiment with. It’s very lomography in spirit.

If you find yourself bored on a Saturday morning or you just want to try a new technique to produce a more analog-like result, I invite you to give the page marker light leak trick a try. It’s something that you could file away for use at some later time when you have a certain look in mind, or maybe you’ll find it to be useful in your regular workflow. Below are photographs that I have captured using this technique.

When Film Photography Is On The Table – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Norfolk Southern Caboose – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Caboose Interior – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Creepy Brakeman – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Light & Mural – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Window Vase – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Fake Flower In The Window – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Dry Lavender Dish – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Christmas Camera – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Yosemite Ornament – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Merry And Bright – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Dead End Sign – Sunset, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Icy Leaf & Grass – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Holding On Despite The Challenges – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Snow On A Tree Trunk – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Boy, Sledding – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Joy In The December Yard – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Winter Fun – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Not Much of a Rose – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Late Autumn Leaves – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm XF10

My Fujifilm Camera Recommendations

Posted on December 7, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

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I’ve been asked several times lately which Fujifilm camera one should buy. People are looking for camera recommendations, and they’re interested in my advice. Since it’s December and Christmas is right around the corner this is something that’s on many people’s minds. I don’t necessarily like giving my opinion on this because everyone’s wants and needs are different, so what would be great for one person might not be for another, but I will do my best since it is a topic of interest for some of you out there.

Fujifilm makes many different cameras with many different features because the wants, needs and budgets of photographers can vary greatly. There is, however, one camera that’s easy to recommend, and that’s the Fujifilm X-T20. This is a great all-around middle-road offering that’s rich on features, not too expensive and a great choice no matter your skill or budget. The X-T20 is a camera that’s easy to suggest to anyone.

Stark Salt – Wendover, UT

If you’re thinking that the X-T20 is not high-end enough for you, there are four great alternatives: the X-T2, the X-Pro2, the X-H1 and the X-T3. The X-T2 is the best bargain of the four, the X-Pro2 is my personal favorite of the four, the X-H1 is the only one with in-body-image-stabilization, and the X-T3 is the latest and greatest. If video capabilities are important, the X-H1 and the X-T3 are your best bets. If you want the very best, that’s probably the X-T3, although I’d argue that any of the four could be “best” for different reasons.

If you’re thinking that the X-T20 is too expensive, you have three good options: the X-T100, the X-A5 and the X-A3. These three cameras have a traditional Bayer sensor instead of an X-Trans sensor and have a more basic processor, but they are still good cameras that are capable of excellent image quality. The X-T100 is the best of the bunch, but even the X-A3, which is a couple of years old now, is a great low-budget option and perhaps the best choice for someone’s very first interchangeable-lens camera.

Snake River Fog – Grand Teton NP, WY

There are a few alternatives to the X-T20 that I haven’t mentioned yet. The first is the X-E3, which is very similar to the X-T20 but with a different design and slightly different features. The X-E3 would be my second-place recommendation and is definitely worth taking a look at. Next is the X100F, which is a fixed-lens camera that is quite excellent and easy to love, but it might not be for everyone. Perhaps it is a good gift option for the photographer who has everything. Finally, there is the XF10, which is also a fixed-lens camera but is on the bargain end of things. It’s the smallest camera mentioned in this article (and one of the cheapest, too), yet it is capable of capturing beautiful pictures.

There, you have it! If you are camera shopping, look first at the X-T20, then decide from there if you need to move up to the more expensive models, move down to the cheaper models, or look at one of the other alternatives. You really can’t go wrong with any of the cameras, because they could all serve a purpose no matter who you are, but I think the middle is a good place to begin a search.

Keyhole Monochrome – Salt Lake City, UT

Alternatively, buying an older model second-hand isn’t a bad idea at all. My first Fujifilm camera was a used X-E1, which I captured many great pictures with. It’s very much a capable camera today. There are a lot of great Fujifilm models that are a little older, but are still good quality cameras, such as the X-T1, X-T10, X-E2 (with or without the “s”), X-Pro1, X70, X100T, etc. You can get a used model that’s not quite as good as what’s brand new but not all that far from it either, for significantly less money.

You might be wondering about the photographs above. I purposefully didn’t label what camera they were captured with because I wanted it to be a surprise at the end. The picture Stark Salt towards the top was shot with a Fujifilm X-A3, which is an incredibly cheap camera right now because it’s not the latest model. The next image, Snake River Fog, which is one of my all-time favorites that I have hung on my wall at home, was captured using a Fujifilm X-E1. The last picture, Keyhole Monochrome, was shot using a Fujifilm XF10. These three cameras can be found for $500 or less, which demonstrates that even the cheapest options are still good options. It’s never about how expensive your camera is, it’s always about how you use what you have.

Downtown Salt Lake City With A Fujifilm XF10

Posted on December 3, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

Downtown Keyhole – SLC, UT – Fujifilm XF10

A couple of weeks ago I found myself in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah. I had my Fujifilm XF10 with me and hoped to do a little street photography. It was a cold Sunday morning, and downtown was basically a ghost town. I barely saw anybody! Undeterred, I proceeded to walk around and capture some photographs.

Did I mention that it was cold? The sun was just beginning to rise and it hadn’t warmed up at all yet. I wasn’t really dressed for the temperature, which was in the upper 20’s Fahrenheit. I kept moving, though, and survived a trip around the block. It reminded me of some photography advice, I believe from Richard Steinheimer, that I heard many years ago: for great photographs you often have to be at places others don’t want to be and at times when others don’t want to be there. After getting back to the car I was more than happy to jump in and warm up!

The XF10 did a great job of capturing pictures. It’s small, lightweight and inconspicuous. It can be easily shoved into a pocket, which I did many times on that morning while trying to keep my fingers from freezing. I didn’t stay long. All things considered I’m pretty happy with the pictures that I came away with, even if I didn’t capture exactly what I was hoping for.

Parking – SLC, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Waiting Alone For The Train – SLC, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Blue Line – SLC, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Downtown Buildings – SLC, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Lights & Reflections – SLC, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Ever Reaching – SLC, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Diamond In The Sky – SLC, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Morning Reflections – SLC, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Keyhole Monochrome – SLC, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Abstract Reflection – SLC, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Falcon Bird Watch – SLC, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Jungle Gym – SLC, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Weekly Photo Project, Week 18

Posted on December 2, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

During this week I used my wife’s Fujifilm X-T20 quite a bit. I promised her that I wouldn’t take it over, but I’ve enjoyed using it so much that I kind of did take it over. Well, I asked nicely if I could use it each time, and I’ve also shared my cameras with her (or, at least made the offer to). I think when the X-T30 comes out, which might be sometime next year, it will be very tempting to pick one up.

Monday, November 19, 2018

Crevasse Tree – Snow Canyon SP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Tuesday, November 20, 2018

A Pine Among The Rocks – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Wednesday, November 21, 2018

Past & Future, or Fad? – Nephi, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Thursday, November 22, 2018

Where Fall & Winter Meet – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Friday, November 23, 2018

The Little Engineer – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Saturday, November 24, 2018

Cold & Chancy Commute – Layton, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Sunday, November 25, 2018

Mountain Snow Cloud – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Week 17 Week 19

My Fujifilm X100F Ilford HP5 Plus Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on December 1, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

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Back when I shot lots of film, my favorite black-and-white options were Ilford Delta 100, and Ilford Delta 400 when “high ISO” was necessary, as back then I considered ISO 400 to be high ISO. I didn’t use Ilford HP5 Plus very often, but I have used it on several occasions. I still have a few rolls of the film lying around, which I should go out and use just for the fun of it. The differences between Delta 400 and HP5 Plus aren’t huge. Delta 400 uses tabular-grain, which is supposed to be a finer grain that produces sharper images, but I think in real-world use it’s not really noticeable. Delta 400 has a hair more contrast than HP5 Plus and in my opinion is a bit better for push-processing, but HP5 Plus seems to have more exposure latitude, making it more forgiving if you didn’t get the exposure quite right. Overall the two films produce very similar results.

I’ve been asked a number of times to make an Ilford HP5 Plus film simulation recipe for Fujifilm X-Trans III cameras. The title of this article says “Fujifilm X100F” but these settings can be used on any X-Trans III or IV camera. In fact, you’ll find a few Fujifilm X-T20 examples at the bottom. I already have a number of different black-and-white film simulation recipes that I like, so I didn’t really need to make a new one, but I enjoyed doing this and I’m pleased with how it turned out.

A few days ago I was asked if my Agfa Scala recipe is a close match to HP5 Plus, and as I thought about it I realized that it’s not all that far off, and only some small changes would be necessary to get it right. Of course, any time that you attempt to mimic a certain film the problem is that the film can vary in look. How was it shot? Developed? Printed? Scanned? There isn’t necessarily one aesthetic that’s right because there are so many variables. Still, I feel like this is recipe is in fact pretty close to Ilford HP5 Plus film.

I captured the photograph below, Airport Lobby, using a Canon AE-1 about 20 years ago using Ilford Delta 100 film. I printed it on Agfa Classic paper using a split-filter technique and toned it with sepia (just barely). This is a (rather poor) scan of the print. I included it in this article for the heck of it, as it doesn’t really have much to do with this film simulation recipe. My experience with Ilford films goes back pretty far, and perhaps that’s the point of including the picture with this article.

Airport Lobby – McKinney, TX – Ilford Delta 100 printed on Agfa Classic paper.

You could modify this recipe to shadows +3 if you need more contrast or shadows +1 if you needed less, or highlights to +3 if you need to prevent clipped highlights. If you feel as though the recipe needs some changes to best capture an image, don’t be afraid to make those adjustments. I don’t always stick rigidly to my recipes, and I’m not afraid to adjust them when needed. The example photographs in this article are all the exact recipe, but with some other pictures (that I didn’t include) I made some modifications to the settings because the scene required it. A few of the pictures here might have been better off with a modification to the shadow or highlight, but I wanted to demonstrate the aesthetic of this recipe as is.

Acros (Acros+Y, Acros+R, Acros+G)
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: +4
Shadow: +2
Noise Reduction: -3
Sharpening: 0
Grain Effect: Strong
ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: 0 (typically)

Example photos, all camera-made JPEGs captured using my Fujifilm X100F Ilford HP5 Plus Film Simulation recipe:

Grey Salt Lake – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100F “Ilford HP5 Plus”

Kids On The Salt Lake Shore – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100F “Ilford HP5 Plus”

Hurry Up & Wait – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100F “Ilford HP5 Plus”

Downtown Workday – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X100F “Ilford HP5 Plus”

Monochrome Caution – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X100F “Ilford HP5 Plus”

Window Pentax – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X100F “Ilford HP5 Plus”

Tunnel Chevy – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X100F “Ilford HP5 Plus”

Virgin River From Canyon Jct Bridge – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X100F “Ilford HP5 Plus”

Monochrome Vista In Zion – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X100F “Ilford HP5 Plus”

Zion Juniper – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X100F “Ilford HP5 Plus”

Rock & Trees – Zion NP, UT – Fuji X100F “Ilford HP5 Plus”

Fujifilm X-T20:

Frozen Leaf & Grass – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 “Ilford HP5 Plus”

The Last Leaf – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 “Ilford HP5 Plus”

Morning Clouds Around The Mountain – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 “Ilford HP5 Plus”

Grey Sky Over Antelope Island – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 “Ilford HP5 Plus”

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Weekly Photo Project, Week 17

Posted on November 26, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

I’m continuing last week’s theme of alternating between color and black-and-white. Monday and Saturday were the only two days that I didn’t capture a whole lot, and the pickings were slim. Otherwise I had at least a handful of photographs to choose from for each day. Amazingly enough, I’m about 1/3 of the way through this 52 week project, which is hard to believe because it seems like I just started. I’m anticipating that winter will be the most difficult season, but I’m staying hopeful that I can complete it without missing a single day.

Monday, November 12, 2018

Every Rose Has Its Thorns – Layton, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Tuesday, November 13, 2018

Lights & Shadows – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Wednesday, November 14, 2018

Steve – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Thursday, November 15, 2018

A Paleontologist Happily Working – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Friday, November 16, 2018

Little White Pumpkin On The Mantel – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Saturday, November 17, 2018

Classic Russian Camera – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Sunday, November 18, 2018

Waiting Alone For The Train – SLC, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Week 16 Week 18

Travel: Zion National Park in Autumn

Posted on November 26, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

Virgin River From Canyon Junction Bridge – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Zion National Park was the third most visited National Park in America in 2017, right behind the Grand Canyon. Utah has five National Parks–only Alaska and California have more–and of the five Zion is by far the most popular, with Arches National Park a distant second. It’s no surprise that Zion is usually quite crowded. I was surprised at just how packed it was when I visited in the middle of the week in the middle of November. Isn’t this supposed to be the off-season when fewer people are there?

I arrived with my family in the morning about an hour after sunrise. We waited in a somewhat short line to get into Zion. Once inside we found the parking lot at the visitor’s center to be completely full, with a number of cars circling hoping that somebody would leave. We decided that we’d explore what we could of the park by automobile and hope that the parking situation would be better a little later.

This was our first time to Zion National Park and we really didn’t know what to expect. We didn’t anticipate the gobs of people and we didn’t expect that there’s not much one can see of the park from the car. There is the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel, which is over one mile long, and a few pullouts along the road that were packed full of cars (I illegally parked to get the photo at the top of this article). There are some things that can be seen and experienced from behind the wheel, but most of the park is accessible only by the park’s bus system or by foot. Once we figured this out we put a more serious effort into finding a place inside Zion to park the car. Unfortunately, parking was still scarce and we were lucky to find a spot in an overflow lot that required a small hike to the nearest bus stop; however, we soon discovered that we left the kid’s sweaters at the hotel and it hadn’t warmed up enough yet to be out without them.

Vista From Mount Carmel Tunnel – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

We left the park feeling a bit defeated and disappointed. We found a combination coffee shop and gift shop in Springdale, which is the small town right outside of the park entrance, and purchased some warmer clothes for the kids and the wife and I sipped on some coffee. We decided to park in town and take the free shuttle to the park. This turned out to be a much better way to get into Zion. The bus dropped us off right outside the park, and a quick walk across a short bridge brought us to Zion’s shuttle stop. Unfortunately, the line for Zion’s shuttle was about 400 people deep, but thankfully there were a lot of buses running and the line moved surprisingly quick.

The bus was completely packed. We rode it to the end, which is where the Riverside Walk trail is located. This trail is about two miles round trip and very easy, even for the kids. It’s also extraordinarily scenic! The draw to this place is quite apparent. It’s a landscape photographer’s playground. It was also packed with people and at times felt like we were strolling through New York City and not a canyon in southern Utah. Even so, we had a good time enjoying the amazing natural sights around us.

After our hike we got back on the bus, which we had to wait in a line for and was again filled to the brim. We had intended to stay in the park longer, but we dared not get off the bus at a different stop because we might not find seats on another bus. So our stay in Zion was short. There is no doubt that this park is one of the most beautiful, but it’s too crowded. Next time I will have to ensure that it’s a less busy time of the year for a visit. I hear the park is beautiful dusted with snow.

For these pictures I used a Fujifilm X100F, a Fujifilm XF10 and a Fujifilm X-T20 with an Asahi Auto-Takumar 55mm f/2.2 lens attached using an M42 adapter. The Asahi lens is fantastic, with just a little corner softness that improves as you stop down, and I paid only $30 for it (and it came with a camera). Despite the crowds, Zion is incredibly beautiful with photographic opportunities literally everywhere. I spent a partial day there and came away with these pictures. I felt like I left many great photographs behind. Zion National Park is a magical place for photography, but it’s not a very good place to find solitude, at least not when I was there.

B&W

Virgin River Through Zion Canyon – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Rocky River – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Sun High Over The Canyon – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Zion Canyon Sun – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Sun Over Bridge Mountain – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Amanda & Johanna Asleep – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Rock Wall – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Trunks & Leaves – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Monochrome Vista From Mount Carmel Tunnel – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Color

The Family, Zion Bridge In Autumn – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm XF10

A Pine Among The Rocks – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Mount Carmel Tunnel & Chevy – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Autumn River – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Virgin River In November – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Strolling Through Zion Canyon – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Rock Ledges – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Yellow Tree Against Red Rock – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Yellow Trees Below Bridge Mountain – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Rocks of Zion – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Desert Juniper – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Virgin River Through Zion – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Yellow Tree, Zion Canyon – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Canyon Tree in Fall – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Yellow Leaves in Zion – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Autumn Tree & Rock – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Sunlight Through The Trees – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

The Yellow of Autumn – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Autumn Along The Virgin River – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm XF10

River Along The Autumn Path – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Flowing Through Zion Canyon – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm XF10

River In The Canyon – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

River & Canyon – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Rushing Virgin River – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Vibrant Autumn Forest – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Weekly Photo Project, Week 16

Posted on November 18, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

You might notice that I alternated color and black-and-white photographs this week, which I did just for fun. Every day except for Monday I had both color and monochrome images to choose from, so it was easy. Alternatively, I could have made this an all-color week. If a theme presents itself I might try to do that on some weeks just to spice up this series a little.

You might notice that five of the seven pictures were captured at my house. It’s nice when you can travel someplace to do photography, but sometimes that’s just not practical. If you have a camera and a creative mind, it’s possible to create interesting images right where you’re at, wherever that is. It might seem like you’re in a boring location without photographic potential, but try hard enough and you’ll soon spot things worthy of pointing your camera lens towards.

Monday, November 5, 2018

Porch Light – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Tuesday, November 6, 2018

Sitting Room – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Wednesday, November 7, 2018

Union Station Waiting Room – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Thursday, November 8, 2018

Peculiar Water – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Friday, November 9, 2018

Time to Dust Off My Film Photography – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Saturday, November 10, 2018

Jonathan’s Smile – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Sunday, November 11, 2018

Wasatch November – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Week 15 Week 17

My Fujifilm X-T20 Aged Color Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on November 17, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

White Duck – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 “Aged Color”

During World War II there was a shortage of rubber, and an effort was put forth to create synthetic rubber. There were many ideas and experiments to create rubber in the lab, most of which failed. One of those failures was a silicone-based elastic substance that could bounce, float in water, and lift print off of newspaper. This substance was created by mistake while trying to invent something else. It was a twist of fate. It was a happy accident. It was Silly Putty.

Recently I was experimenting with the JPEG settings on a Fujifilm X-T20, trying to replicate the look of some different films. I’ve been working on four different film simulation settings for several months, only hitting dead ends. I haven’t been able to achieve the desired results, but I did stumble across an interesting look. Like the discovery of Silly Putty, I made a happy accident! Even though I used an X-T20 for this recipe, you could apply these settings to any X-Trans III camera and get the same exact results.

This look doesn’t quite resemble any specific film that I’m aware of. I think it produces an analog film aesthetic, even though I couldn’t tell you which one. There are a couple of films that I can see maybe some resemblance, but overall it’s not an exact match. Actually, what it reminded me of is a group of four Alien Skin Exposure presets under the “Color Films – Aged” tab called Color Photo. These presets are similar to each other but each one has a slightly varied look. My new film simulation, which I’ve named Aged Color, produces a look that resembles those Exposure presets, although I will admit that it’s more of general aesthetic than a carbon copy. It’s just what I think it most closely resembles, by coincidence.

Below are three pictures of mine that were edited with those Alien Skin Exposure Color Photo presets:

Hidden Waterfall – Lava Hot Springs, ID

South Pasadena – Pasadena, CA

Three Kids In The Water – Carlsbad, CA

While Alien Skin Exposure gives you four preset options for this look, and each of those can be heavily customized, I only have one Aged Color recipe, but you are more than welcome to tweak it to your liking. I find that it produces muted yet lovely colors and slightly faded shadows. If the scene doesn’t have a lot of contrast the images can come out a little flat. The skin tones in the pictures below show a lot of red, but some of that can be attributed to cold temperatures, and I think that under normal conditions skin will look a little more natural. This film simulation recipe is an interesting option to achieve a look that is perhaps unexpected from a digital camera and looks a bit more film-like. I doubt that it’s everyone’s cup of tea, but I think some of you will really appreciate it.

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

Example photos, all straight-out-of-camera JPEGs captured on a Fujifilm X-T20 using my Aged Color Film Simulation recipe:

Brother & Sister Fun – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Playground Play – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Joshua Throwing Leaves – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Evening Leaves – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Swingset Post – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Oak Tree Autumn Sun – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Last Leaves – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Sunlight Through The Branches – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Ducks Swimming In A Pond – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Late Blooms – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Dry & Yellow – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Old Town Clock – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Little White Pumpkin On The Mantel – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Lego Food Stand Creation – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Boy Reading – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Hot Coffee Brew – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Potted Succulent – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Asahi Pentax SLR – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

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Weekly Photo Project, Week 15

Posted on November 11, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

Wow! It’s hard to believe that I’m already 15 weeks into this photo-a-day project. Daylight Savings ended and the clocks were set back one hour, and it almost derailed this series. Thankfully I had a camera with me and I was able to snap an image out the car window while driving down the highway just before the last light of day disappeared.

Monday, October 29, 2018

Window Pentax – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Tuesday, October 30, 2018

Empty Church Seats – Layton, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Wednesday, October 31, 2018

Stretching Scrub – Kaysville, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Thursday, November 1, 2018

Fog On The Ridge – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Friday, November 2, 2018

Clouds Over The Great Salt Lake – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Saturday, November 3, 2018

Autumn Morning Sunlight – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20

Sunday, November 4, 2018

Sunset From Legacy Parkway – Centerville, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Week 14 Week 16

Fujifilm X-T20 Impressions

Posted on November 11, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

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Back in June I bought my wife, Amanda, a Fujifilm X-T20 for her birthday. She’s a little more into video than stills, and her interest in photography has been fairly recent. This is her first interchangeable-lens camera. I promised that I would not take over her X-T20, which I’ve stayed true to, but I have used it on several occasions, and I have formed a few opinions based on those experiences.

This is not a review of the Fujifilm X-T20, but more of a discussion of who this camera is for. I will share my impressions and talk about the things that I believe others might want to know. What differentiates this article from a review is that this won’t be nearly as in-depth, as I won’t talk about many of the technical aspects of the camera, but I will offer several opinions. This will be a fairly short article. I hope that it will be helpful to those who are trying to decide if they should buy this camera or not.

The Fujifilm X-T20 is an X-Trans III camera, which means it has a 24-megapixel APS-C sensor. It has the same sensor and processor as the X-T2, X-Pro2 and X-E3 and is capable of the exact same image quality, which is nothing short of excellent. What differentiates the different camera models are the features that are and are not included. There’s also the X-T100, which is the closest camera in design to the X-T20, but it has a different sensor and processor, which means that it differs a little in image quality.

I’m actually quite impressed with the X-T20. It has a lot of great features! There are a few things that are missing, such as weather sealing, the focus joystick and a dedicated ISO dial on the body. The first one may or may not be a deal breaker, depending on the conditions you plan to use the camera in. The later two can be worked around fairly easily, and, while they’re nice to have, I doubt anyone would dislike this camera because they’re missing.

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What is included on this camera is a tilting touch screen. It’s not quite as adjustable and has more limited touch options than the one found on the X-T100, but it is definitely a nice addition. It makes the camera easier to use in certain situations. There’s a knob on top of the camera that allows quick access to some of the functions that you might not often use but would otherwise have to dig through menus to find. I don’t find it particularly handy for myself, but if you do panorama pictures or video or use the advanced filters this makes it a tad quicker to access.

If you are familiar with Fujifilm X-Trans III cameras, you will feel right at home using the X-T20. It’s a solid choice for a second camera body to backup an X-T2 or X-Pro2. The learning curve will be extraordinarily small and the images will look just like what your other camera produces. If I was in the market for a second camera body to go along with another Fujifilm camera, this is one I would look very closely at. Between the X-T20 and X-E3, you have two really great options that won’t break the bank.

The X-T20 is a great camera for the hobbyist photographer, or someone who thinks that they might become a hobbyist photographer. There are plenty of tools to help you improve your photography yet some great auto-features that will allow you to capture nice pictures even when you don’t really know what you’re doing. It’s a good camera to learn on. If I was looking for my first interchangeable-lens camera, I think this is an excellent choice but I would also take a look at the X-T100, which might be a slightly better option because it is more designed for beginners. If this wasn’t my first interchangeable-lens camera, but I was upgrading from an older camera, I would definitely recommend it. The X-T20 is a great value as it really does delivers a lot for the price!

If you are looking for a camera that is great for both still photography and video, the X-T20 is an excellent option because it’s good at both, which is the reason I chose it for my wife. It creates beautiful exposures, and the different film simulations are great for those who prefer JPEG over RAW. The 4K video quality is quite good, and all of the different film simulations can be applied to video. If you are primarily a videographer you might want to consider the X-H1 or X-T3 instead, which are Fujifilm’s two best cameras for video, but if you are interested in a budget-friendly camera that is capable of high-quality video recording, the X-T20 is a fine choice.

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The Fujifilm X-T20 seems like an all-around good camera for everyday use. It’s small and lightweight enough to carry around all day without feeling cumbersome. It’s quick. It functions very well. It captures very nice still photographs and video. It does everything well! It’s the jack-of-all-trades camera. It’s a camera that you could recommend to anyone and feel good about it. It’s simple enough for inexperienced photographers and advanced enough for professional use. I think anyone could buy this camera and be happy with it.

The X-T20 does have some minor shortcomings, and that’s why it has an MSRP of only $900 for the body. It can be found for less on sale ($700 at Amazon as of this writing), which is a heck-of-a-deal for what you get! It doesn’t feel like it’s a camera that should be at that price point when you are using it. It’s a quality camera that is versatile yet affordable. There are better cameras, such as the X-T2, X-T3, X-H1 and X-Pro2, but they also cost more, and they’re not significantly better, just slightly better in a couple of ways.

My wife loves her X-T20! She uses it for still photography and video. She’s still learning (aren’t we all?), but I can see that her photography has improved quite noticeably in the five months that she has had the camera. It turned out to be a great decision to buy this particular camera for her. I think that she will use her X-T20 for several years to come.

Below you’ll find 10 photographs captured by my wife, Amanda, and I using her Fujifilm X-T20. I think that her four pictures included here are quite nice!

Counters – McKinney, TX – Fujifilm X-T20 – by Amanda

Lone Hiker – Great Sand Dunes NP, CO – Fujifilm X-T20 – by Amanda

Iced Iced Coffee – Waco, TX – Fujifilm X-T20 – by Amanda

Jonathan’s Smile – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 – by Ritchie

Fog On The Ridge – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 – by Ritchie

November Rain – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 – by Ritchie

Mueller Hike – Bountiful, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 – by Amanda

Last Leaves – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 – by Ritchie

Autumn Morning Sunlight – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 – by Ritchie

Fallen – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T20 – by Ritchie

RAW Doesn’t Make You Better

Posted on November 10, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

Canyon Pinion – Canyonlands NP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

I read something yesterday that bothered me. A really talented photographer, who has a blog that I like to read sometimes, posted an article stating that the number one thing you can do to improve your landscape photography is to shoot RAW. His argument was, essentially, that post-processing is a necessary aspect of photography, so you might as well fully embrace it and start with a RAW file. I get that if you plan to significantly manipulate your photographs you should probably use RAW because a JPEG is limited in how far you can take it before it begins to degrade. I disagree that post-processing is always or even usually needed, and I don’t think anyone should feel like they must fully embrace it. Edit if you want, or save yourself a bunch of time and strive to get the look that you are after using the options found in your camera. Most of the time it’s possible to get the look that you want straight out of camera, no editing necessary.

Fujifilm cameras are especially great at JPEG processing. Using the different film simulations, which can be significantly customized, and the dynamic range options, it’s possible to get polished images straight out of camera that resemble edited RAW photographs. In fact, while I do some light post-processing occasionally, most of the time I do not edit my photographs whatsoever. I don’t need to! Fujifilm cameras save me so much time because they can produce really nice pictures that don’t require editing, such as the two in this article.

In the early days of digital photography, cameras had a narrow dynamic range, were not particularly good at anything above base ISO, were spotty at white balance, and weren’t programmed to make JPEGs any better than mediocre (at best), so RAW was indeed necessary. Even just 10 years ago camera-made JPEGs weren’t especially great, although on most camera brands they had improved significantly. There was a time when the “you must shoot RAW” argument was valid. It’s not 1998 or 2008 anymore, and almost all cameras are capable of making nice JPEGs. Some cameras are better than others, and that’s why I shoot Fujifilm, but almost any camera make and model manufactured over the last five or so years can make a good JPEG if you take the time to program it to your liking.

Storm Over San Luis Valley – Alamosa, CO – Fujifilm X-Pro2

I’d much rather spend an extra moment setting the camera to what I want before capturing the image than sitting at a computer later fiddling with a RAW file. I’d rather let the camera do the work for me in the field so that I don’t have to at home. My photography doesn’t suffer for it. You wouldn’t know that my photographs are camera-made JPEGs if I didn’t tell you. I don’t know about you, but I already spend too much time sitting at a computer, so the more I can reduce that the better off I am.

Shooting RAW doesn’t make anyone a better photographer. Use RAW if you want, but it’s just a tool to achieve the results that you’re after, just as the JPEG processor in your camera is a tool to achieve desired results. Use the tool that works best for you. Don’t think that you must shoot RAW because someone doesn’t understand how to get good results without it. If the person who wrote the article took the time to set up their camera in the field, I’m sure that they could create the images they want without the need for Lightroom or Photoshop. It’s fine that the person didn’t, but I think it’s unfair to suggest that RAW is necessary for “better” photography. It’s untrue that you must embrace post-processing to create great photographs, because which format you choose has no bearing on your talent.

Photoessay: Antelope Island State Park Buffalo Corral

Posted on November 4, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

Buffalo Corral – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Antelope Island is the largest island in the Great Salt Lake. It’s home to about 700 wild buffalo. Every year Antelope Island State Park rounds up the buffalo herd so that they can be counted, examined, and vaccinated. This event, which is open to the public, happens every autumn and takes place over a seven day period.

I had the opportunity to photograph a portion of this year’s buffalo roundup, which I was very excited about. I missed the actual roundup, where a bunch of cowboys on horseback traverse the island to guide the bison to the corral, but I did get to witness the second phase, where the animals are seen one at a time by a veterinarian. This operation takes a team of about 40 people several days to complete. It’s fascinating to watch, but it’s also a slow process and there is a lot of downtime where very little is happening.

I used my Fujifilm X100F to capture these photographs, which are all unedited camera-made JPEGs. For the camera settings I used the [Not] My Fujifilm X-Pro2 Tri-X Cross Process Film Simulation Recipe, utilizing the X100F’s built-in neutral density filter so that I could use high ISOs even in bright midday light. I took a photojournalist approach, and I think these settings worked particularly well for it. I’m pleased with how this series turned out and I hope that you enjoy the pictures!

White Rock Bay – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Park Patrol – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Time To Watch Buffalo – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Waiting For A Buffalo – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Buffalo Corral Workers – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Buffalo Head – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Cautious Buffalo – Antelope Island, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Running Bison Calf – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Roundup Downtime – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Rope On The Gate – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Leather Gloves – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

A Buffalo – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Workers Waiting – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Between Buffalo – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

On The Fence – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Utah Cowboys – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Park Ranger – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Bison Barriers – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

From The Holding Pen – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Mother & Calf – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Buffalo Track – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Three Bison – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Tractor Ride – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

State Park Workday – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujfilm X100F

Circular Gate Operator – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Rope Preparation – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Bison Spying – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Rope Pull – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Pulling Hard – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Rope Runner – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Waiting Games – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Waiting Buffalo – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Bison Skull – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Island Shore View – Antelope Island SP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Weekly Photo Project, Week 14

Posted on November 3, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

The interesting thing about where I live is that I have a front-row seat to the progression of autumn. I can see the colors turn first at the top of the mountain, which is clearly visible out the back door, and move down the hill over the following weeks. As the leaves begin to disappear off of the trees on the mountain, they start to turn from green to yellow, orange and red down in the valley, which is where I live. The fall colors have mostly disappeared off of the mountain, but they’re still vibrant in the foothills, although the trees have thinned out considerably. There’s probably one more week of autumn trees. Soon the landscape will be somewhat stark and barren, with the chill of winter quickly coming.

Monday, October 22, 2018

Autumn Tree Leaf – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Tuesday, October 23, 2018

The Yellow Tree – Layton, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Wednesday, October 24, 2018

Joy Rider – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Thursday, October 25, 2018

Yellow Tree Behind Fence – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Friday, October 26, 2018

Weber County Public Library – South Ogden, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Saturday, October 27, 2018

Pentax Camera – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Sunday, October 28, 2018

Sycamore Autumn – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Week 13 Week 15

Fuji X Weekly is now on Instagram

Posted on October 27, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

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I’ve been on and off Instagram a few times over the years. I think it can be a fun way to share one’s photographs, but there are things about it that I don’t care a whole lot for. There’s a lot that’s fake, such as people buying likes and followers in hopes of reaching fame and fortune. I’ve been away from it for a number of months and it has been nice. If you are ever feeling frustrated with Instagram, I highly recommend stepping away from it for a period of time, perhaps six months or a year. It feels really good, like a social media cleanse. It helps to reaffirm what is and isn’t important in life. And Instagram is most assuredly unimportant.

With the growing popularity of Fuji X Weekly, I get asked frequently what my Instagram handle is. People are interested in seeing my photographs in a different forum than this blog. People also want to share their Instagram feed with me. I figured that it was a good time to jump back in, so I created a Fuji X Weekly Instagram page. Search for @fujixweekly and it should pop right up. I invite you to follow me. If you do, I will check out your feed as well, time permitting. That “time permitting” statement is an important one as I do not intend to spend gobs of time on Instagram. I like social media to take up a very small space in my life. Other things come first, and that’s a priority for me.

If you’d like, follow Fuji X Weekly on Instagram by typing @fujixweekly in the search box on your app. I hope to keep it interesting and fresh so that it’s worth your time and attention, but I also don’t want it to become time-consuming. It will be a balancing act for sure. Hopefully it is one small thing that I can do to improve the experience of this blog.

My Fujifilm X100F Cross Process Film Simulation Recipe

Posted on October 15, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

Silos – Waco, TX – Fujifilm X100F “Cross Process”

Cross processing film is a technique where you develop a film in chemicals intended for another film. For example, the most common cross process is to develop color transparencies, which require the E-6 process, using color negative film chemicals, which is known as the C-41 process. For slide film, the photographs typically increase in contrast and grain and the colors shift dramatically. There are other types of cross processing, as well. I’ve done cross processing before, and the results can be fun. It’s a great experiment if you’ve never done it before!

Different films will look different when they are cross processed. Overexposing or underexposing or even how the development is handled can effect how the image is rendered. The aesthetic can vary significantly, but usually you can spot a cross processed photograph when you see it. Below are a few examples of actual film that I’ve cross processed:

Westbound CA HWY 58 – Tehachapi, CA – Fujifilm Velvia 50 cross process

Flare & Flag – Barstow, CA – Fujifilm Velvia 50 cross process

Old Tractor – Tehachapi, CA – Kodak Gold 400 cross process

Notice how the three photographs are quite a bit different from each other. There is not a singular look that is cross process, but rather an aesthetic spectrum. The images tend to be less literal and more abstract.

There is a significant challenge in developing a film simulation that mimics the look of cross processing. Most notably, which film and process? There are so many, and besides, one film can give many different looks. For example, the two Velvia images above were from the same 36 exposure roll of film, and one has a much more pronounced yellow-green cast than the other. What I decided to do was create something that could conceivably fall within the aesthetic spectrum, while not copying any specific film.

While this film simulation recipe does not copy one specific film, I do think it’s close to Kodak EliteChrome that’s been cross processed, or perhaps Ektachrome 100G. I think it’s close to Fujifilm Sensia sometimes, although I’d emphasis the word sometimes. These settings are never going to produce results that will always match a certain film because one film can vary in look from frame-to-frame. It’s convincing, but should be thought of in generic terms.

Truck Stop Cross Process – Bowie, TX – Fujifilm X100F “Cross Process”

Because the results of actual cross process film can vary so much, it would be fun to change up this recipe as you shoot. Maybe add a little more to the shadows or highlights sometimes and change the white balance shift a little after a few frames. I haven’t tried this, but it sounds like a good idea. I did change the Dynamic Range setting a number of times, going between DR100, DR200 and DR-Auto. After some playing around I settled on DR200, although I think you’d be fine with whichever Dynamic Range setting you’d prefer.

Provia
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: +2
Shadow: +3
Color: +4
Noise Reduction: -3
Sharpening: 0
Grain Effect: Strong
White Balance: Auto, -3 Red & -8 Blue
ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +2/3 (typically)

Example photos, all camera-made JPEGs using my Fujifilm X100F Cross Process Film Simulation recipe:

Taos Umbrella – Taos, NM – Fujifilm X100F “Cross Process”

Pentax Shutter Dial – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X100F “Cross Process”

Get 1 Back – Draper, UT – Fujifilm X100F “Cross Process”

Umbrella Tie – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X100F “Cross Process”

Covered Hoppers – Westlake, TX – Fujifilm X100F “Cross Process”

Counters – McKinney, Texas – Fujifilm X100F “Cross Process”

Kitchen Cross Process – Waco, TX – Fujifilm X100F “Cross Process”

Speaker – Riverdale, UT – Fujifilm X100F “Cross Process”

Grain Elevator – Kaysville, UT – Fujifilm X100F “Cross Process”

Two Towers Cross Process – Dallas, TX – Fujifilm X100F “Cross Process”

Weekly Photo Project, Week 10

Posted on October 7, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

It’s hard to believe that I’m sharing Week 10 of this project already. It’s seems like I just started! While there have been days where I really had to try hard to capture even one or two exposures (such as September 29), for the most part things have become easier. Routine has set in a little. It is what I do now. The Fujifilm XF10 has certainly helped. On most days I’m able to make a number of pictures, perhaps a handful or two. Hopefully as the days become shorter and colder I’ll still be able to keep this up.

Monday, September 24, 2018

Disc 4000 – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm

Tuesday, September 25, 2018

Ghosts of the Past – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

Autumn Countryside – Whites Crossing, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Thursday, September 27, 2018

Plastic Fingers – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Friday, September 28, 2018

Scattering of Red – Fruit Heights, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Saturday, September 29, 2018

For Professionals – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm

Sunday, September 30, 2018

Storm Over Ensign Peak – SLC, UT – Fujifilm XF10

Week 9 Week 11

My Favorite Fujifilm Film Simulation Recipes

Posted on October 7, 2018 by Ritchie Roesch

Fujifilm – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm

I’ve shared many film simulation recipes for Fujifilm X-Trans III cameras, such as the X100F and X-Pro2, and some of them have become quite popular. I’ve been asked a few times to share which ones are my favorites. Which film simulation recipes do I use?

I have used all of them at one time or another, but there are a handful of recipes that I really appreciate and use regularly. I have my favorites! Let me share with you which ones I currently use.

Kodachrome II

Quaker State – Midway, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm

My favorite film simulation recipe that I created is my Kodachrome II Film Simulation recipe, which I initially made for the X-Pro2 but I also use on the X100F. I really love the way these settings render color images. It gives my exposures a beautiful vintage analog look right out of camera. It takes Classic Chrome to a whole new level of goodness! I use this recipe as much as the scenes allow because I love it so much.

Velvia

Red Leaves In The Forest – Wasatch Mountain SP, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm

Typically I use my Velvia Film Simulation recipe only occasionally, but with the autumn season I’m currently using it often. However, I’ve modified the original recipe to be Highlight +1, Shadow +2 and color +3 to give it more punch, while also setting Noise Reduction to -3 and Sharpening to +1. This is a better version of the recipe, except when there is a lot of contrast, which is where the original settings will likely produce better results. The great thing about these different recipes is that they can be seasoned to taste.

Upcoming Recipe??

Sundance Chair Lift – Sundance, UT – Fujifilm X100F

I’ve been working on a new film simulation recipe that I’m currently only moderately happy with. It’s a work-in-progress, and right now it only produces good results occasionally. It seems to be very situation specific, and that means it’s difficult to get enough quality example photographs to publish an article. Even if I get everything ironed out and I find the best settings, it may still be awhile before I can share it. I’ve been shooting with this now and then over the last couple of weeks, and I’ll probably continue to do so over the next several weeks or months.

Honorable Mentions

Flat Tire – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm

There are other recipes that I use for color photography, including PRO Neg. Hi, Ektar 100 and Portra 400, but as I was going over my recent photographs I realized that I haven’t used these much at all lately. It seems that my Kodachrome II recipe has essentially replaced them. That’s not to say that I won’t use them, as I like these recipes and they have their place, but I just haven’t picked them very often lately.

Tri-X Push Process

Disc 4000 – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 60mm

This Tri-X Push Process recipe is my favorite black-and-white film simulation option, but it’s not my invention. I stole it from Luis Costa who published it on his blog. It’s absolute genius, but its limitation is that it doesn’t always work in bright-light situations because it requires a high ISO. Whenever I can use it I do use it. It produces the most film-like results that I’ve ever seen from a digital camera.

Acros Push Process

Clouds Around Timpanogos – Heber City, UT – Fujifilm X-Pro2 & 50-230mm

Whenever I want results that are similar to the Tri-X Push Process settings but I need to use a lower ISO, I choose my Acros Push Process recipe. It’s not quite as good as Tri-X Push Process, but it’s a close second best. It was my favorite monochrome recipe until I discovered Luis Costa’s settings.

Agfa Scala

Epic Zip Line – Sundance, UT – Fujifilm X100F

When I want a black-and-white image with a little less contrast, I use my Agfa Scale Film Simulation recipe. It produces great results in higher-contrast scenes or whenever you need something that’s a little less bold than the two “push process” options. I don’t use it all of the time, but it definitely comes in handy from time-to-time.

Your Turn

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Which film simulation recipes are your favorites? It can be one of mine or your own creation. Please share in the comments what JPEG settings you use on your Fujifilm cameras because I want to know!