Luxury Among Palms – Laguna Hills, CA – Fujifilm X-T5 – Reala Ace Recipe
Today’s SOOC Livebroadcast was wonderful. Thank you to everyone who tuned in and participated—you all make it great!
We discusses the new Reala Ace film simulation, and talked at length about my Reala Ace Film Simulation Recipe. The Reala Ace Recipe is for X-Trans V cameras, and not everyone has one of those cameras, and even if you do, you might prefer a different option, so Nathalie Boucry and I offered three similar Recipes as alternatives. Specifically, we suggested Fujicolor Reala 100, Fujicolor Superia 100, and Fujicolor 100 Industrial. Watch the video below to learn more.
There are two Fujicolor Reala 100 Recipes—one for X-Trans IV (excluding the X-T3 and X-T30), and one for X-Trans V. Likewise, there are two Fujicolor Superia 100 Recipes—one for X-Trans IV (excluding the X-T3 and X-T30), and one for X-Trans V. The Fujicolor 100 Industrial Recipe is just for the X-T3 and X-T30; however, simply ignore Color Chrome Effect to use it on X-Trans III (it will look very similar, and only slightly different), or for newer cameras, set Grain size to Small, Color Chrome FX Blue to Off, and Clarity to 0.
While you are here, the long-overdue Viewers’ Images slideshow from the previous broadcast was finally published. You can watch it below. There are some really great pictures by you all, so you’ll definitely want to take a look. Thanks to everyone who submitted photographs!
I know I just told you that the next SOOC Livebroadcast will be this coming Thursday, but it’s now been delayed two more weeks, and will now be on Thursday, November 2nd. Sorry for any inconvenience this might cause you. I look forward to seeing you in a couple weeks!
While I have you here, I do have a request: keep Nathalie and Stanley in your thoughts and prayers. They had a loss in their family. It’s been a bit crazy for them, and tough emotionally. So if you can take a moment to lift up their family in whatever way that you do that, it would be really great. The Fujifilm and—more specifically—the Fuji X Weekly community is the best in all of photography, so that’s why I’m making this request to you.
Dodge Van Steering Wheel – Buena Park, CA – Fujifilm X-T5 – Reala Ace Recipe
Mark your calendar! After a two week delay, the next SOOC Live broadcast will now be this coming Thursday, October 19th. Originally, we were going to discuss double-exposure photography (as was advertised at the end of our last show), but we decided to change the topic to Reala Ace.
Why? First, life events happened, and we just didn’t have the time needed for such a big topic, as there are a whole lot of considerations and approaches to multiple-exposures worth addressing. We hope to still tackle this at some point, but understand that it’s a big undertaking, and we can only do it if we have the time to prepare everything. It just didn’t work out this time like we had hoped it would. Second, Reala Ace, which is the name of Fujifilm’s latest film simulation, is a trending subject, and my new Reala Ace Film Simulation Recipe has quickly caught on. So Nathalie Boucry and I thought that we should discuss this instead, diving more deeply into it, while also providing some alternatives.
I hope that you can join us this Thursday! It’s an interactive program, and your participation makes the show better. I’ve included the video below so that you can easily find it, but please follow the SOOC Live YouTube channel so that you don’t miss any upcoming episodes. See you soon!
This Thursday’s SOOC Live broadcast will be postponed. It might be for just one week, or it might be longer. I’ll let you know as soon as I know for certain.
Life happens. Sometimes unexpected situations arise. Unfortunately, things have to be shuffled around, and this upcoming broadcast was what had to give. I apologize for any inconvenience, and I appreciate your understanding. Hopefully you won’t have to wait too much longer for the next episode.
Tomorrow, myself and Fujifilm X-Photographer Nathalie Boucry will be discussing live on YouTube three “killer” Film Simulation Recipes. This will be a special episode of SOOC Live, with a divergent format and on an abnormal date.
This season, our broadcasts have been (with a few exceptions) the first and last Thursday of each month—the first episode introduces a theme and the second finishes the discussion. So far, we’ve talked about Street Photography, Storytelling, AI, Travel Photography, and Black & White. This month there’s only one episode, and it’s right in the middle of the month, on September 14 at 10:00 AM Pacific Time, 1:00 PM Eastern. I hope that you can join us. As always, it’s an interactive show, and your participation makes it better.
I’ve included the video below, so that you can easily locate it tomorrow. You can also find it on the SOOC Live YouTube channel. See you tomorrow!
Black-and-white pictures are abstract by nature. They’re not faithful reproductions of the world as we see it. Because it is abstract, the photographer is invited to capture the scene in a unique way, with a vision that is dissimilar to—and perhaps even the opposite of—reality. It’s not so much about what the scene is, but about how we see the scene through a divergent eye, and how we can express that to the viewer. It’s a timeless approach to fine-art photography.
The strength of color photographs is color, but it’s also its weakness. When color works within a color theory—perhaps contrasting or harmonious—it can create an especially dramatic or beautiful picture; however, when the colors within an image work against each other, it can be a distraction. B&W photos remove the distraction of color, allowing the viewer to see the important elements without color fighting for their attention—it’s the art of subtraction.
Black-and-white photography is about light and shadow. It’s about contrast. It’s about shape. Texture. Pattern. Space. Emotion. Those are very important elements to color photography, too, but they’re even more critical to B&W pictures. Mastering monochrome will make you a better photographer, even for your color work.
Join myself and Fujifilm X-Photographer Nathalie Boucry as we finish our discussion of B&W photography in-depth on SOOC Livethis Friday, August 25th, at 10:00 AM Pacific Time, 1:00 PM Eastern. I’ve included the video below so that you can easily find it on Friday. Also, if you haven’t uploaded your photographs captured with the Kodak Tri-X 400, Kodak T-Max P3200, Ilford HP5 Plus 400, and/or Acros Film Simulation Recipes, be sure to do so ASAP (click here)! There’s not much time, so don’t delay. I hope to see you on Friday!
Also, if you missed our the initial discussion of black-and-white photography, check it out below:
The world is full of color, so why would one want to photograph in black-and-white? It’s so old-fashioned anyway. Are there any good reasons to make monochrome pictures in 2023?
In 1826, the first photograph was captured by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce in France. It was black-and-white because the first process was B&W. But then in 1861 the first color picture was made by James Clerk Maxwell and Thomas Sutton in Scotland. That should have been the end of B&W photos, right? Actually, color photography didn’t catch on for a very long time because the process to create them was much more complex than B&W, and their color reproduction not particularly accurate. Kodak launched Kodachrome slide film in 1935, which was the first reasonably accurate color process. That should have been the end of B&W, but it wasn’t. In fact, many photographers shunned color photography, and derided it as for amateurs. Black-and-white was for the serious, while color was not.
The New American Color movement of the 1960’s and ’70’s is really what made color photography an acceptable art form. It challenged the idea that “real” photography was only in monochrome. Color images could be just as good as, or perhaps even better than, B&W pictures. It revolutionized photography.
Epic Zip Line – Sundance, UT – Fujifilm X100F – Agfa Scala Recipe
That was so long ago. Color photography is the norm now, not black-and-white. Your digital camera captures a color picture, and you have to convert it to B&W if you want to see in shades of grey. B&W has become a niche of sorts.
So why should you shoot black-and-white photographs in 2023? What reasons are there, other than nostalgia for a time long gone? I love B&W photography, so let me offer a few to you.
Black-and-white pictures are abstract by nature. They’re not faithful reproductions of the world as we see it. Because it is abstract, the photographer is invited to capture the scene in a unique way, with a vision that is dissimilar to, and perhaps even the opposite of, reality. It’s not so much about what the scene is, but about how we see the scene through a divergent eye, and how we can express that to the viewer. It’s a timeless approach to fine-art photography.
The strength of color photographs is color, but it’s also its weakness. When color works within a color theory—perhaps contrasting or harmonious—it can create an especially dramatic or beautiful picture; however, when the colors within an image work against each other, it can be a distraction. B&W photos remove the distraction of color, allowing the viewer to see the important elements without color fighting for their attention—it’s the art of subtraction.
Playing with Waves – Cambria, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Kodak Tri-X 400 Recipe
Black-and-white photography is about light and shadow. It’s about contrast. It’s about shape. Texture. Pattern. Space. Emotion. Those are very important elements to color photography, too, but they’re even more critical to B&W pictures. Mastering monochrome will make you a better photographer, even for your color work.
Fujifilm cameras are particularly great for black-and-white photography thanks to their wonderful film simulations: Monochrome and especially Acros. Many different Film Simulation Recipes can be made using these as the base, with a wide variety of characteristics. Pick one that looks interesting to you, and shoot with it for a day or two to see what you get. My personal favorite is Kodak Tri-X 400, but there are so many that are really good, it’s hard to go wrong with any of them.
Whether you’ve been shooting black-and-white for decades and decades, or if you never have before but are interested, I invite you to join myself and Fujifilm X-Photographer Nathalie Boucry as we discuss B&W photography in-depth on SOOC Livethis Thursday, August 3rd, at 10:00 AM Pacific Time, 1:00 PM Eastern. I’ve included it below so that you can easily find in on Thursday.
If you missed last Thursday’s SOOC Live broadcast, where Nathalie and I finished our discussion of travel photography, be sure to watch it now. I’ve included it below, or visit the SOOC Live YouTube Channel. Also, if you haven’t seen the Viewers’ Images slideshow (your pictures!), I’ve added that to the bottom of this article—be sure to watch!
We’re just two days away from the next SOOC Livebroadcast! Fujifilm X-Photographer Nathalie Boucry and I will finish our discussion on Travel Photography, share your pictures (better upload your pictures quick if you haven’t yet), and answer any questions that you might have. It will be a great time, and I hope to see you there!
Join Nathalie and I on Thursday, July 27th, at 10:00 AM Pacific Time, 1:00 PM Eastern. Your participation makes these episodes great, so I hope that you can be there. See you in two days!
If you missed Part 1 of Travel Photography, be sure to watch it. I’ve included it below:
Next week—on July 27th—Fujifilm X-Photographer Nathalie Boucry and I will be chatting about travel photography in our upcoming SOOC Livebroadcast, including showing your pictures and answering your questions. I hope that you can join us!
The Q&A shows, which are the Part 2 of our monthly topics, are always a lot of fun. They’re more relaxed and interactive. Your participation makes them great—your role is vital! If you don’t have next week’s broadcast on your calendar, be sure to mark it now. I’ve included it below so that you can easily locate it.
Two weeks ago was the Part 1 episode, where Nathalie and I introduced the theme of travel photography. We discussed all sorts of considerations and gave many tips. If you haven’t yet seen that show, you’ll want to take some time to watch it. I’ve included the broadcast below, and you can also find it on the SOOC Live YouTube channel.
In that episode we challenged you to shoot with one or more of these four Film Simulation Recipes: 1970’s Summer, Elite Chrome 200, Fujichrome Provia 100F, and Kodacolor VR. Additionally, if you want an even greater challenge, you can try to get good results from one or more of these Recipes in unfavorable light. And if you want to go boss-level, the third challenge is to print and frame one of your pictures that were captured with these Recipes. To summarize: Level 1 is to use the Recipes listed above, Level 2 is to shoot those Recipes in less-than-ideal light, and Level 3 is to print and frame one of the pictures you captured during the first two levels. Got it?
We invite you to share your results with us and the SOOC Live community. Please upload your images (click here) captured with our four recommended Recipes to be potentially featured in the next episode and also included in the Viewers’ Images slideshow. Don’t forget to include the Film Simulation Recipe name in the file name, so that we know which Recipe you used. The deadline for submission is Tuesday the 25th, which means that you still have a little time, but not a lot, so don’t procrastinate. I look forward to seeing your pictures!
Last month’s Viewers Images slideshow was delayed a little due to a few unfortunate and unforeseen circumstances. If you haven’t yet watched it, I’ve included it below. Thank you to everyone who participated!
I traveled to California’s central coast last month. If you regularly read this blog, you’ve certainly seen the pictures, such as Pacific Poppies above. Well, tomorrow—July 6th—Fujifilm X-Photographer Nathalie Boucry and I will be chatting about travel photography in our SOOC Livebroadcast. I hope that you can join us at 10:00 AM Pacific Time, 1:00 PM Eastern, as it is an interactive program, and your participation will make it better.
We have a lot of points to discuss—from Film Simulation Recipes to camera gear to practical advice and so much more! If you have any upcoming travel plans, this is a can’t-miss episode! I’ve included it below so that you can easily find it. If you don’t yet subscribe to the SOOC Live YouTube channel, be sure to do so now, so that you don’t miss any future shows.
My personal favorite of these four is Urban Dreams, which has a Kodachrome 200 vibe. Especially during overcast conditions and blue-hour, this is a Recipe that I really enjoy using—I shot a lot with it on my coastal trip. Kodak Ektachrome E100VS v1 is my second favorite, which is good for sunny days when you want colors to pop. My third favorite is Vivid Summer Glow, which has some similarities to the Kodachrome II Recipe, but I like Kodachrome II better. Last and least, Soft Blue Classic does alright when the sun is high and the light is warm, but overall I didn’t like it very much.
The next SOOC Live broadcast will be this coming Thursday, June 29th, at 10:00 AM Pacific Time, 1:00 PM Eastern. We’ll finish our discussion of these four AI-made Film Simulation Recipes, and much more. I hope that you can join us, because it’s an interactive program, and your participation makes it better!
During the last SOOC Live show, we challenged you to shoot with these four ChatGPT Film Simulation Recipes. I hope that you’ve had fun trying them! As a reminder, you have until tomorrow (June 27th) to upload your pictures captured with these Recipes (click here) for the next show, so you’ll want to do so quickly if you haven’t already. Be sure to include the name of the Recipe used in the file name, so that we can keep track of which is which.
I hope to see you on Thursday!
Pacific Cove – Montaña de Oro SP, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Kodak Ektachrome E100VS v1
Lower Sea Cliff – Pismo Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V – “Soft Blue Classic”
Wave Crashing on Rock – San Simeon, CA – Fujifilm X100V – “Vivid Summer Glow”
House on the Seaside Cliffs – Pismo Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Urban Dreams
We invite you to share with us your photographs (click here) captured with those AI Recipes to be potentially featured in the next broadcast, to be included in the Viewer’s Images Slideshow, and to enter a chance to win a one-year Patron subscription to the Fuji X Weekly App. Please upload your pictures no later than Tuesday, June 27th! That’s coming up very soon, but there’s still time if you haven’t yet begun the challenge. Don’t forget to include the name of the Recipe that you used in the file name.
If you missed the last broadcast, I’ve included it below. You’ll want to check it out if you missed it when it was live. You can find all the past episodes on the SOOC Live YouTube channel.
Today I’ll be live on YouTube! The SOOC Live broadcast will begin at 10:00 AM Pacific Time, 1:00 PM Eastern—I hope that you can join myself and Fujifilm X-Photographer Nathalie Boucry as we finish our discussion of storytelling photography, showcase some of your pictures, answer your questions, and more! This episode has been delayed a few times, but it is really going to happen today!
It’s actually a double-header, so after that broadcast we’ll jump right into the next episode. Join us again at Noon Pacific Time, 3:00 PM Eastern as we discuss using ChatGPT to make Film Simulation Recipes!
Please join us for one or both of those shows if you can! The SOOC Live broadcast is an interactive program, so the more who can join in and participate, the better it is. I hope to see you in the show today!
Also, be sure to check out the Viewer’s Images slideshow—your pictures! I want to say a big “thank you” to everyone who submitted pictures for the program, without you the episodes wouldn’t be anywhere near as good.
***Update*** The show has been postponed until June 2nd, due to technical issues. Sorry.
Just very quickly: the next SOOC Live broadcast is today at Noon Pacific Time, 3 PM Eastern (two hours later than usual). I hope that you can join Fujifilm X-Photographer Nathalie Boucry and myself as we finish our discussion of storytelling photography, showcase some of your pictures, answer your questions, and more!
If you don’t follow SOOC Live on YouTube, be sure to subscribe so that you don’t miss any future episodes.
I’m sorry to announce that today’s SOOC Live broadcast has been postponed one month, and next week’s show has been canceled. A number of unforeseen and unfortunate life events happened, and something had to give. Sadly, it became obvious late last night that today’s show just wasn’t going to work out.
The silver lining is that you have more time to shoot with the four Film Simulation Recipes that we are challenging you to shoot with: Reggie’s Portra, AgfaChrome RS 100, Classic Slide, and Ilford Delta Push Process. Be sure to try those Recipes for your storytelling photography. Additional challenges, for those who want more, are to use layered compositions and/or elicit emotion. If you missed the last episode, be sure to watch it (click here), because all of this will make a lot more sense to those who have viewed the broadcast.
For those who don’t know, SOOC Liveis a bimonthly broadcast where Nathalie Boucry and I discuss Film Simulation Recipes, give tips and tricks for achieving the results you want straight-out-of-camera, and answer your questions. Basically, we’re trying to help you master your camera, with a focus on simplifying your photographic workflow.
Underwood Typewriter – Vulture City, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – AgfaChrome RS 100 Recipe
Due to unforeseen circumstances, the next SOOC Live broadcast is being delayed one day, and will now be on Friday April 28, and not Thursday the 27th. I apologize for any issues that this might cause. I hope that you can still join us!
Don’t forget: the next show will be LIVE on Friday the 28th! It’s an interactive program, so the more who can tune in, the better it will be. I look forward to seeing you then!
Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words—a lot can be nonverbally communicated through an image. But what exactly is storytelling photography? How do we effectively become storytellers with our cameras? Those questions and so many others will be discussed at length in the next SOOC Livebroadcast, which is THIS Thursday, April 6th, at 10 AM Pacific Time, 1 PM Eastern. Mark your calendars now! I hope you can join us live!
For those who don’t know, SOOC Live is a bimonthly broadcast where Nathalie Boucry and I discuss Film Simulation Recipes, give tips and tricks for achieving the results you want straight-out-of-camera, and answer your questions. Basically, we’re trying to help you master your camera, with a focus on simplifying your photographic workflow. On the first Thursday of each month we introduce and discuss a theme—the theme for March was Street Photography—and the fourth Thursday of each month we look at the photographs captured within the theme using the Recipes, talk about lessons learned, and answer any and all of your questions. It’s an interactive show, and your participation is what makes it great!
Last Thursday was the Q&A broadcast. If you missed it when it was live, you can watch it now (see below). We had some very good discussions about street photography, so be sure to play it if you haven’t seen it yet!
Also, check out the Viewer’s Images slideshow! It was so great to see your wonderful pictures—they were quite inspiring to me—and I appreciate everyone who shared—thank you! Take a look!
Be sure to follow SOOC Live on YouTubeif you don’t already, so that you don’t miss any broadcasts. I look forward to seeing you in just a few days as we talk about Storytelling! This will be an especially insightful episode, I think, so you won’t want to miss it. See you on Thursday!
Want to talk about street photography? Yeah? Me, too!
Join myself and Fujifilm X-Photographer Nathalie Boucry this Thursday as we discuss Street Photography live! We’ll talk about the four Film Simulation Recipes—Kodachrome 64, Classic Kodak, Serr’s 500T, and Agfa Scala—that we’ve been shooting with, show a selection of your pictures, answer any questions that you might have, and much more. I hope that you can join us on March 30 at 10 AM Pacific Time, 1 PM Eastern! This is 2nd part to our discussion, so click here if you missed the last broadcast.
We are inviting you—challenging you, in fact—to shoot with one, two, three, or even all four of the Film Simulation Recipes this month. For those wanting an extra challenge, we have two: 1) use reflections and/or silhouettes in your pictures and 2) use a 1/15 shutter speed. These extra challenges are completely optional, but I am excited to see what you do with them. Upload your images by today: up to three of your favorite street photography photographs captured with one (or more) of the four Film Simulation Recipes that we suggested you try—please include the Recipe(s) you used in the file name so that we know. The uploaded pictures will be included in the Viewer’s Images slideshow video and have a chance to be featured in the next live broadcast. Don’t procrastinate! If you have something to upload, be sure to do it right now (click here to upload).
Of course, we don’t just ask you to shoot with these Recipes—Nathalie and I are doing it, too, right along with you. This is a community-wide project, which means that everyone is invited to participate. Below are a few of my street photography pictures for this month. I didn’t do real well with the extra challenges, but I feel good that I tried, even if I wasn’t all that successful.
First, before we get into this article, I’ve got to apologize to you all. You see, I went out of town, and I didn’t answer any comments or emails while gone. I just didn’t have time. Sorry. Last night I returned back home, so I’ll try to catch up on all of that over the next several days. It might take a few days to get to them all—I just ask for a little patience. Thank you! Now to the article….
The first episode of the third season of SOOC Live aired on March 2nd. This year Nathalie Boucry and I are doing things a little different, and one of the changes is that we’re discussing themes instead of a singular Film Simulation Recipe. The very first theme is Street Photography. If you missed Episode 1 when it was live, you can watch it below. Don’t worry, the shows this year aren’t two or three hours long like they often were in the first two seasons, so it won’t require quite the time commitment that they used to. Definitely check it out if you haven’t seen it yet!
The Film Simulation Recipes that we suggested for street photography are Kodachrome 64, Classic Kodak, Serr’s 500T, and Agfa Scala. We think that these four Recipes are excellent options for this genre of photography, and if you have an X-Trans III or newer model, there’s one that you can use. We are inviting you—challenging you, in fact—to shoot with one, two, three, or even all four of them this month. For those wanting an extra challenge, we have two: 1) use reflections and/or silhouettes in your pictures and 2) use a 1/15 shutter speed. These extra challenges are completely optional, but I am excited to see what you do with them. Upload your images by March 28: up to three of your favorite street photography photographs captured with one (or more) of the four Film Simulation Recipes that we suggested you try (click here to upload)—please include the Recipe(s) you used in the file name so that we know. The uploaded pictures will be included in the Viewer’s Images slideshow video and have a chance to be featured in the next live broadcast; those who upload are automatically entered into a Fuji X Weekly App Patron 12-month subscription giveaway. I can’t wait to see your pictures!
The next show will be live on March 30th at 10 AM Pacific Time, 1 PM Eastern. SOOC Live is now twice per month: the first Thursday and the fourth Thursday. The first broadcast is where we introduce the theme-of-the-month and challenge you to photograph using the suggested Film Simulation Recipes, and the second show is where we discuss lessons learned and show your pictures. I hope that you can join us on March 30th! I’ve included the scheduled video below so that you can set a reminder.
Here are a few of my street photography images captured with a Fujifilm X100V using the four Film Simulation Recipes we’re all shooting with this month:
Season 3 of SOOC Live kicked off today! I want to give a big shoutout to everyone who tuned in, and a big “thank you” to everyone who participated. It’s an interactive program, so your involvement is essential to making it great. If you missed it when it was live, you can still watch it above. Don’t forget to subscribe to the new YouTube channel.
For those who don’t know, SOOC Live is a (now) bimonthly broadcast where Nathalie Boucry and I discuss Film Simulation Recipes, give tips and tricks for achieving the results you want straight-out-of-camera, and answer your questions. Basically, we’re trying to help you master your camera, with a focus on simplifying your photographic workflow.
In the show we announced several changes for Season 3. First, we are going to have shorter but more frequent broadcasts. Beginning in March, we’ll be live on the first and fourth Thursdays of each month. Another change is that instead of discussing a single Film Simulation Recipe each month, we’ll be discussing a theme (such as street photography, the theme for March) and how to use Recipes within that theme. There are a number of other changes, too, so if you want to know them all, be sure to watch the show.
We invite you to join us on March 2 for the Let’s Hit the Streets episode about street photography. It’a already scheduled on YouTube, so be sure to set a reminder. I hope to see you then!
