Rainy Day | FUJI X WEEKLY

Recipes For Rain

*Raindrops on a Branch* – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X100V – “Elite Chrome 200“

In my series, Which Film Simulation Recipes, When?, I’m trying to help out those who are unsure what Film Simulation Recipe to use in a given situation (after all, there are more than 250 to choose from). One of those situation is when you’re shooting in overcast conditions on a dreary day. I provide a recipe suggestion, plus five alternatives, to try. This topic was also discussed briefly in the last SOOC broadcast. The problem is that it’s all subjective; what I think might work well on a rainy day, you might disagree with. The aesthetic that I like you might not. Everyone has their own opinions.

What makes a Film Simulation Recipe work well on an overcast day? First, I think it needs to accentuate the mood. To me, that’s most important, although feelings are abstract and variable, so the task of saying “this recipe has the right mood” is difficult. Whether it should be punchy or muted, warm or cool, depends on the mood you want to convey. The recipe also needs to be able to handle the grey sky and not blow it out, while also dealing with low-contrast situations that you’re likely to encounter. It also has to look good at higher ISOs, because if it’s thick overcast, you’re likely dealing with higher ISOs (thankfully, most recipes do well at higher ISOs because of the X-Trans sensor and processing).

Fujifilm X-Photographer Nathalie Boucry published an excellent article today tackling this topic that I want to direct you to (click here—I promise that it is worth your time to do so). Obviously she doesn’t look at every recipe or even most recipes, but she does a comparison of a handful of them, and you can decide for yourself which one (or ones), if any, stand out to you as something to try. Since it is subjective, what she likes—or what I like—might be much different than what you like, and that’s perfectly ok—it’s about finding what works for you. Nathalie and I are both trying to take you on a path of discovery, so that you can find the recipes that work for you, and in the process you’re likely to find some that aren’t your style.

*Comparison courtesy of Nathalie Boucry.*

The best path to discovery involves action. You have to try a recipe in a given situation to figure out if it does well or not, and if you appreciate the results of it. You have to be willing to fail—by fail, I simply mean that you might find a recipe that you don’t like to use in a given situation while attempting to find one that you do like for that situation. In a way, it’s a little like playing the classic board game Clue. Was it Colonel Mustard in the Library with the Candlestick? Maybe. You have to suggest it to find out. Will the Elite Chrome 200 recipe work well for you on a rainy day? Maybe. I can suggest it, but you need to try it for yourself to find out. Nathalie’s article might be particularly helpful to you, because she did the hard work, and one of those recipes that she used might just stand out to you as one to try the next time you are photographing in the rain.

Now it’s your turn! What is your favorite Film Simulation Recipe to use on overcast, dreary, rainy days? Let me know in the comments!

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Film Simulation Review: Dreary Day with Fujicolor Superia 800

Posted on May 12, 2020 by Ritchie Roesch

Gone Fishin’ – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm

I get asked frequently what film simulation recipes are good for which situations. It can be hard to know when to use each one. When faced with a scene, which recipe should you choose? I hope that this Film Simulation Review series helps to bring clarity to this.

On grey-sky days there’s one film simulation recipe that I love to use: Fujicolor Superia 800. When I invented this recipe, I had no idea how good it was for dreary days. Fuji X Weekly reader Luis Costa shared his use of this recipe on a grey day, and it blew me away! Ever since, when there’s overcast sky and a little rain, for color pictures, my Fujicolor Superia 800 film simulation recipe is what I use.

This series of pictures were captured on a recent dreary day using the Superia 800 recipe. I used a Fujifilm X-T30 with a Fujinon 90mm f/2 lens attached to it. This 90mm lens can be difficult to use just because of its focal length, which is full-frame equivalent to 135mm, but it delivers excellent results. It’s super sharp and nearly flawless. It’s such a great lens!

My Superia 800 recipe is based on Fujicolor Superia X-tra 800 film. Fujifilm introduced this consumer grade high ISO color negative film in 1998 and discontinued it in 2016. It was a common film to find at the local store. It was an excellent choice for low-light situations, and it was commonly used by photojournalists. All of the pictures in this article are camera-made JPEGs using my Superia 800 film simulation recipe.