My Fujifilm X-T30 Redscale Film Simulation Recipe

Red Hill – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Redscale”
Redscale is a photographic technique where you shoot film backwards. Instead of shooting the film through the front, you shoot it through the backside. In order to do this, one must load the film into the canister backwards, or buy film that’s already been purposefully loaded backwards. Normally, in color negative film, the red layer is exposed last, for the light has passed through other layers and filters before it reaches it. When you shoot from the wrong side, light hits the red layer first. The results can be quite unique!
What’s interesting about Redscale photography is that the results can vary greatly, depending on the film, exposure and development. Most commonly, Redscale images have a strong maroon, red, orange or yellow color cast. Sometimes the color cast can be extraordinarily bold and sometimes it can be quite subtle. Even one roll of film can produce different looks depending on the light and how it was shot. Generally speaking, darker images tend to be more red and brighter images tend to be more yellow, but there are certainly exceptions to that. A Redscale image is easy to spot when you see one, but it can be difficult to strictly define the aesthetic.

Peach Morning – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Redscale”
I was asked by Fuji X Weekly reader Aycan Gonenc to create a Redscale film simulation. He had developed one already and shared his settings with me, but was hoping that I might make some improvements. I made some changes and adjustments and the results are this recipe, so it is a collaborative effort. What I will say is that the settings can be adjusted considerably, and one can still achieve a Redscale look. Simply change the film simulation from Astia to something else and you will create a different Redscale look. The white balance can be dropped to as low as 7700K, and the shift can have blue added or subtracted. Any of the settings can be adjusted to taste. These settings are only what I felt would produce a good Redscale facsimile, and I believe it does that.
Astia
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: +1
Shadow: +2
Color: -2
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: -2
Grain Effect: Strong
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
White Balance: 10000K, +9 Red & 0 Blue
ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: -1/3 to +1/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured using my Redscale film simulation recipe on a Fujifilm X-T30:

Building Sky – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Cloud Around The Ridge – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Red Mountain – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Overcast Ridge – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Clouds Floating Above The Mountain – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Orange Hill Under Red Sky – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Westbound I-84 – Peterson, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Evening Freight – Henefer, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Wood Fence Roses – South Weber, Utah – Fujifilm X-T30

Red Rose Fence – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Really Red Rose – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Pink Bud – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Floral Red – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Yellow Rose Gold – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Daisy Red – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Small Wild Blossoms – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Corner Trunk – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

T is for Tree – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

An American Home – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

299 – Coalville, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Red Engineer – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Continental Bike Tire – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Red Window – South Weber, Utah – Fujifilm X-T30

Night Window – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Red Cross – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Tree Top – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Sunlit Leaf – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Russian Red – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Bolsey Orange – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Red Birds – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Red Eye Horse – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Girl & Hungry Horse – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Cat Cone – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Tractor Mirror – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Stucco Lamp – South Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

Iced Coffee Cups – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30

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