Tame Your Fujifilm | FUJI X WEEKLY

Shooting with ChatGPT AI Fujifilm Film Simulation Recipes

Posted on June 15, 2023 by Ritchie Roesch

*Light in the Woods* – Prefumo Canyon, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Kodak Ektachrome E100VS v1

Open AI’s ChatGPT can make Film Simulation Recipes for Fujifilm cameras. But are they any good? Should you use them? Should you ask ChatGPT to make you a custom Recipe for your camera? What can you expect from these Recipes?

Back on June 2nd, Fujifilm X-Photographer Nathalie Boucry and myself chatted about using ChatGPT to make Film Simulation Recipes for Fujifilm cameras. We even asked the AI to create one for us live during our SOOC Live broadcast. If you’ve ever been even remotely curious about this topic, it’s worth watching—I’ve included it below.

There’s so much that could and should be said, and we covered much of that in the broadcast. If you haven’t yet watched the video, be sure to do so!

One issue about using AI to create Film Simulation Recipes is that ChatGPT only examines descriptions. For example, how does it “know” what Kodachrome film looks like? It has been trained on people’s descriptions of the emulsion. Whether or not those descriptions are accurate (or if Open AI received permission to use those descriptions) is anyone’s guess. How does it “know” what the Astia film simulation looks like? It has been trained on someone’s description of the setting. When you ask it to make a Film Simulation Recipe, it simply searches its database for descriptions that seem to match, and then spits out some settings that may or may not make sense.

*Abandoned Ford* – Cambria, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Urban Dreams

How does ChatGPT even know what a Film Simulation Recipe is? It’s been trained on Fuji X Weekly and other websites (without permission or citation). There are some significant ethical considerations, and probably some legal ones, too, that will hopefully get hashed out in time.

Another issue is that it rarely ever gives a complete Recipe. You have to know which parameters are required, spot the missing ones, and ask ChatGPT to provide them to you. Occasionally it will give you some setting that doesn’t actually exist. You have to be well versed in Fujifilm camera settings to know if you’ve actually got a complete Recipe; otherwise, you’re likely to have a few that are missing.

*Glass Maker* – Harmony, CA – Fujifilm X100V – “Vivid Summer Glow”

Aside from that, if you ask ChatGPT to make a particular Film Simulation Recipe more than once, each time you’ll get a different answer. Even with identical prompts, the answer will be different, sometimes wildly so. It all seems very random. If a particular ChatGPT Recipe is any good is more by chance than anything else. You’re just as likely to get a good Recipe from rolling dice.

This is the case because Open AI’s ChatGPT is a bit of a card trick. It’s very impressive until you spot the slight-of-hand. It will always give you a response; if you are a novice on the topic, the answer will likely be better than you could have come up with on your own, but if you are an expert, it will always be worse, perhaps much worse. Despite “learning” from human input, there’s no humanity in the answer—if you want authenticity and creativity, you need a person’s experience to be at the core. The software can do its best to take from others and spit out a Recipe, but it will always be untested, based on descriptions, without any personal experience behind it.

*Lower Sea Cliff* – Pismo Beach, CA – Fujifilm X100V – “Soft Blue Classic”

That doesn’t mean it’s not fun to try. I’ve used ChatGPT a bunch of times just to see what it comes up with and to understand what exactly it’s doing. The Kodak Ektachrome E100VS v1 and Urban Dreams Recipes are from ChatGPT. For every AI Recipe that’s good there’s probably five or more that aren’t any good. Actually, the majority are mediocre—neither terrible nor great—because ChatGPT doesn’t stray very far from the default settings, rarely ever going beyond +/- 2 on anything.

I made a video about the Kodak Ektachrome E100VS Recipe, which you’ll find below. I asked AI to make a Film Simulation Recipe that mimics Kodachrome X. What it came up with by chance looked pretty good, but didn’t much resemble the second era of Kodachrome. Take a look, if you haven’t yet seen it.

What about the Vivid Summer Glow and Soft Blue Classic Film Simulation Recipes I referenced in two of the pictures above? Those were also made by ChatGPT. Vivid Summer Glow was created live during the last SOOC Live broadcast. Soft Blue Classic was created for Nathalie during preparations for the show. In the broadcast we challenged you to shoot with Kodak Ektachrome E100VS v1, Urban Dreams, Soft Blue Classic, and/or Vivid Summer Glow, and upload your results (click here) by June 27th to be potentially featured in the next episode, and to be included in the Viewer’s Images slideshow.

Kodak Ektachrome E100VS v1 and Urban Dreams can both be found in the Fuji X Weekly App. Soft Blue Classic and Vivid Summer Glow are not “official” Recipes, so I’ve included them at the bottom of this article should you want to try them yourself.

Also on June 2nd, Nathalie and I finally finished the much-delayed conclusion to our Storytelling theme. If you missed it when it was live, I’ve included it below. Also, right below that, is the most recent Viewer’s Images slideshow video. If you don’t yet subscribe to the new SOOC Live YouTube channel, be sure to do so now!

Now, to the two new AI-made Film Simulation Recipes: Soft Blue Classic and Vivid Summer Glow!

Soft Blue Classic

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: -1
Shadow: -1
Color: -2
Noise Reduction: -2
Sharpness: +1
Clarity: 0
Grain Effect: Weak, Small
Color Chrome Effect: Off
Color Chrome FX Blue: Off
White Balance: Auto, -1 Red & -1 Blue

This AI Recipe is compatible with “newer” Fujifilm X-Trans IV cameras: X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II. For X-Trans V, just know that blue will render more deeply. For the Fujifilm X-T3 and X-T30, ignore Grain size, Color Chrome FX Blue, and Clarity (the results should be the same); for X-Trans III models, additionally ignore Color Chrome Effect.

Vivid Summer Glow

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: +1
Shadow: +2
Color: +1
Noise Reduction: -1
Sharpness: +1
Clarity: +1
Grain Effect: Strong, Large
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Color Chrome FX Blue: Strong
White Balance: Auto, +2 Red & -1 Blue

This AI Recipe is compatible with “newer” Fujifilm X-Trans IV cameras: X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II. For X-Trans V models, set Color Chrome FX Blue to Weak (instead of Strong).

As you can see, I used all four of these ChatGPT Film Simulation Recipes while on a roadtrip to California’s Central Coast. I liked Urban Dreams—which has some similarities to Kodachrome 200 film—the most, but Kodak Ektachrome E100VS v1 did pretty well for a few shots, too. Vivid Summer Glow (which isn’t a good name for the Recipe in my opinion) is not bad at all, and isn’t all that much divergent from my Kodachrome II Recipe (did AI copy it, just making a few changes?). Soft Blue Classic was my least favorite, but it can produce good results in harsh overly-warm light.

SOOC Live is Today (This time it’s for real…)!

Posted on June 2, 2023 by Ritchie Roesch

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.

SOOC Live is TODAY

Posted on May 25, 2023 by Ritchie Roesch

***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 hope to see you in the show!

Today’s Show has Been Rescheduled

Posted on April 28, 2023 by Ritchie Roesch

*Fujifilm X-T5 & Pentax-110 24mm* — *AgfaChrome RS 100 Recipe*

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.

*Fujifilm X-H1 & Fujinon 90mm — Classic Slide Recipe*

Nathalie has a good writeup about the latest episode theme on her website that you should definitely check out! She also published an article explaining the broadcast delay. Once again, I apologize that we couldn’t go live today, but I hope that it only makes it better when we can finally come together for the show. I hope that you can join us in four weeks!

Next SOOC Live is Postponed 1 Day — Now Friday April 28

Posted on April 19, 2023 by Ritchie Roesch

*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!

What will this episode be about? It’s Part 2 of our discussion on Storytelling Photography. If you missed Part 1 when it was live, be sure to watch it now (click here).

The Film Simulation Recipes that Nathalie Boucry and I are challenging you to shoot with this month are Reggie’s Portra, AgfaChrome RS 100, Classic Slide, and/or Ilford Delta Push Process. You have until this Tuesday to use these Recipes and upload the results to be included in the Viewer’s Images Slide Show and potentially this upcoming broadcast. Click here to upload your pictures—please include the Recipe name in the file name so that we know which one you used. I can’t wait to see your photos!

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!

Telling Stories with Your Fujifilm Camera

Posted on April 3, 2023 by Ritchie Roesch

*Free Spirit* – Pismo Beach, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 – Pacific Blues Recipe

Photos tell stories.

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 Live broadcast, 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 YouTube if 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!

Let’s Talk Street Photography! SOOC Live is THIS Thursday!

Posted on March 28, 2023 by Ritchie Roesch

*Roadkill* – Glendale, AZ – Fujifilm X100V – Classic Kodak Recipe

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.

*1/15 Shutter challenge — Fujifilm X100V — Kodachrome 64 Recipe*

*Silhouette challenge — Fujifilm X100V — Kodachrome 64 Recipe*

*Reflection challenge — Fujifilm X100V — Classic Kodak Recipe*

Be sure to follow SOOC Live on YouTube! You can not only catch Season 3 there, but also all of Season 1 and 2.

Street Photography with my Fujifilm X100V + 4 Film Simulation Recipes

Posted on March 20, 2023 by Ritchie Roesch

*Night on Main* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V – Serr’s 500T Recipe

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.

Nathalie and I don’t just ask you to shoot with these Recipes, but we do so, too. We’re all on this journey together. Nathalie has an excellent article on her website about this that you should definitely check out! 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 of the future episodes.

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:

*Shopping Baskets, Shadow & Girl* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V – Classic Kodak Recipe

*Need A Snack* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V – Classic Kodak Recipe

*Waiting in the Grass* – Surprise, AZ – Fujifilm X100V – Kodachrome 64 Recipe

*Bookstore* – Surprise, AZ – Fujifilm X100V – Kodachrome 64 Recipe

*Walking Past an Open Door* – Surprise, AZ – Fujifilm X100V – Agfa Scala Recipe

*Arch Abstract* – Surprise, AZ – Fujifilm X100V – Agfa Scala Recipe

*Overflowing Trash* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V – Serr’s 500T Recipe

*Night Fountain & Three Palms* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100V – Serr’s 500T Recipe

Join Me LIVE Today to Talk About Street Photography!

Posted on March 2, 2023 by Ritchie Roesch

Join myself and Nathalie Boucry today live as we talk about Street Photography!

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. Each episode will be a different theme, and Season 3 kicks off with the topic of Street Photography. If that’s something you are interested in, be sure to tune in.

Today’s broadcast begins at 9:00 AM Pacific Time (Noon Eastern Time). It’s an interactive program, so your participation makes the show better. I hope to see you soon!

SOOC Live Season 3 Kicks Off February 9!!

Posted on January 26, 2023 by Ritchie Roesch

We’re two weeks away from kicking off SOOC Live Season 3! Join myself and Nathalie Boucry as we talk about Film Simulation Recipes, Fujifilm cameras, photography, and so much more. There will be quite a few changes to the show, which we’ll discuss in the initial episode, so you’ll want to tune in. We’ll be broadcasting live on February 9th at 9 AM Pacific Time, Noon Eastern Time, and we hope that you will join us. Mark your calendars now!

One big change is that SOOC Live has its own YouTube channel. All of the “old” episodes will be added there, but it is a work-in-progress and will take some time, so please excuse the construction. You’ll want to take a moment right now to subscribe to the SOOC Live channel, that way you’ll get notified of new broadcasts. Also, the Season 3 Kickoff episode has already been scheduled, so be sure to set the reminder. You know, hit the bell and smash the button and all that fun stuff.

If you haven’t uploaded your photos, don’t forget to do so soon (click here)! Which pictures should you share? Submit up to three of your favorite images captured with the Mystery Chrome Film Simulation Recipe (which was created live during the last episode of Season 2) and/or festive photographs captured over the holiday season with any Film Simulation Recipe. Be sure to include your name and the recipe used in the file name. All the pictures submitted will be included in a slide show, and some will be shown during the show. Everyone who submits a photo will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a 12-month Patron subscription to the Fuji X Weekly App. Please submit your pictures by February 7th.

If you haven’t visited the SOOC Live website, you’ll want to do so and bookmark it. It’s also a work-in-progress, and you’ll see a few changes and updates over the coming weeks and months.

There are some big things in store for SOOC Live Season 3! Come along for the ride and see where this journey takes us.

Fujifilm X-Trans III + X-T3 & X-T30 Film Simulation Recipe: Mystery Chrome

Posted on December 9, 2022 by Ritchie Roesch

*Backlit Lightbulbs* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1 – “Mystery Chrome”

During this last SOOC broadcast, we attempted something never done before by anyone ever: create a new Film Simulation Recipe live on YouTube (which you can find at the 2:09:19 mark, if you missed the show). It was all done randomly. We spun wheels, used random number apps and programs, picked paper out of a hat, conducted a couple polls, and even had a kid pick a number—this recipe was a group effort created by you using chance. A special Thank You to everyone who participated! This was, of course, for fun. I would say that this is the least serious recipe ever to be published on this website, but that doesn’t mean you can’t use it for serious photography, because you absolutely can!

After completing the recipe, we took up name suggestions from the audience, and then ran a poll to decide which to go with, and “Mystery Chrome” won by a significant margin. The mystery is, perhaps, whether or not this is any good, or if anyone will actually use it—or maybe because it was all a mystery as it was being formed, parameter-by-parameter. We (as in the hosts, the guests, and those in the audience) also programmed this recipe into our cameras right away, and while still broadcasting live, we captured a picture, uploaded it, and shared them in the show (my picture is below). That’s the power of Fujifilm cameras and Film Simulation Recipes: within minutes of creating a recipe, people can program it into their cameras, capture an image, and share it across the globe—it can be that quick. Amazing!

*Slides* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1 – “Mystery Chrome”

Interestingly, this recipe—completely by luck—has a Kodak-like reversal film look, thanks to Classic Chrome, the white balance, and Highlight/Shadow settings. I think it’s somewhat similar to Kodachrome 200—it’s not quite right for that, but certainly in the ballpark, and probably the closest recipe on this website for that film. This is a high-contrast recipe, and is best for use in low-contrast situations or to achieve bold results in mid or high contrast scenarios. It certainly has the potential to be well-liked, but I don’t suspect it will be anyone’s go-to recipe for everyday photography.

If it were up to me, I would make one modifications to Mystery Chrome: Noise Reduction to -4 instead of +4. I’m not a big fan of the in-camera Noise Reduction, and I like to take it all the way down. For internet viewing, and even 8″ x 12″ prints, you’ll have a hard time even noticing the difference between +4 and -4, but if you zoom in or print larger, it becomes more obvious. Maybe you prefer the increased Noise Reduction; personally, I do not. All of the photos in this article were captured with Noise Reduction set to +4.

*Twin Flags* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1 – “Mystery Chrome”

This Mystery Chrome Film Simulation Recipe is compatible with all Fujifilm X-Trans III cameras—X-Pro2, X100F, X-E3, X-T2, X-T20, and X-H1—plus the X-T3 and X-T30 by simply setting Color Chrome Effect to Off. For newer X-Trans IV cameras, additionally set Color Chrome FX Blue to Off, Clarity to 0, and choose a Grain size (either Small or Large)—if you use it on X-Trans V cameras, blues will render slightly more deeply. For GFX, shadows will render slightly less dark, which you might actually prefer.

Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: +3
Shadow: +4
Color: 0
Color Chrome Effect: N/A (X-Trans III) or Off (X-T3/X-T30)
Sharpness: -4
Noise Reduction: +4
Grain: Strong
White Balance: Daylight, +3 Red & -5 Blue
ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +2/3 (typically)

Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured using this “Mystery Chrome” Film Simulation Recipe on my Fujifilm X-H1:

*Slides Plus Canisters* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1

*Corvette Abstract* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1

*Taco Lamp* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1

*Happy Girl* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1

*Late Bloomer* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1

*Rainbow Trumpets* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1

*Wren in Rome* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1

*Traffic Flag* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1

*Pergola Lights* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1

*Autumn Rainbow* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1

*Amber Autumn* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1

*Brilliant Leaf* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1

*Yellow Tree* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1

*Bougainvillea & Palm Fronds* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1

*Contrasty Tree* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1

*Saguaro Brothers* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1

*Tall Saguaro* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1

*Little Cactus* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1

*Brixton Boy* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1

*Out of the Shadows* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1

*Blending In* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-H1

Find this Film Simulation Recipe and over 250 more on the Fuji X Weekly — Film Recipes App!

Help Fuji X Weekly

Nobody pays me to write the content found on fujixweekly.com. There’s a real cost to operating and maintaining this site, not to mention all the time that I pour into it. If you appreciated this article, please consider making a one-time gift contribution. Thank you!

$2.00

Let’s Get Festive — The SOOC Holiday Special!

Posted on December 1, 2022 by Ritchie Roesch

Join me next week for a very special SOOC broadcast! On Thursday, December 8, at 8:30 AM Pacific Time, 11:30 AM Eastern, Fujifilm X-Photographer Nathalie Boucry and I, plus a number of guests, will get festive live on YouTube, as we finish our discussion of the Kodak Ektachrome 100SW Film Simulation Recipe (don’t forget to upload your pictures by December 6th—click here). We have several fun surprises planned, so this is an episode that you won’t want to miss! I hope to see you then!

For those who don’t know, SOOC is a monthly live video series, with each episode focused on a different Film Simulation Recipe. It is a collaboration between Tame Your Fujifilm (Fujifilm X-Photographer Nathalie Boucry) and Fuji X Weekly (Ritchie Roesch). SOOC is a fun and educational experience where we not only talk about Fujifilm camera settings, but also answer your questions and give tips and tricks. Basically, we’re trying to help you master your Fujifilm camera, with a focus on simplifying your photographic workflow.

If you missed the last broadcast… due to technical difficulties, it’s been divided into Part 1 and Part 2, which you can find below. Also, I’ve included the last Viewers’ Images slideshow (your pictures!) at the bottom, in case you missed that, too.

When Things Don’t Go As Planned (a.k.a. Technical Difficulties Suck) + A Special Announcement + YOUR Pictures!

Posted on November 17, 2022 by Ritchie Roesch

*Sunrise Lamp* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Fujichrome Sensia 100”

Today’s SOOC live broadcast started out well. Very well, in fact. A lot of you tuned in—even Fujirumors! There was a lot of participation. It was on pace to be one of the best episodes yet!

Then it all came to an abrupt end.

When you do a live broadcast, there’s bound to be some trouble. Especially since we’re doing this from two different continents, there’s a lot of opportunities for technical difficulties. If you’ve watched a couple SOOC broadcasts before, you’ve likely seen some of these unfortunate issues. It’s expected that things won’t go completely according to plan, and there will be some minor hiccups here and there. Today’s hiccup was far from minor. At almost the two-hour mark, as we were nearing the end of the show (but not at the end—we still had plenty to say), YouTube cut us off. The broadcast just ended, mid-sentence. We were suddenly done. We tried to get it up-and-running again, but that was a failure, too, due to additional technical difficulties.

If you didn’t watch it live, you can view the broadcast below—just know that it ends quite abruptly when it shouldn’t. It’s incomplete.

I have to apologize for this. There’s a lot of problems that we can work through. “The show must go on,” is the saying, and normally that’s what we do. There was no going on from this, though—it was a fatal flaw. The broadcast was over, and we couldn’t salvage it. I’m really sorry, because you gave up a lot of your time to tune in and participate. We want to give you our best, and we couldn’t do that. It’s embarrassing. I hope that our situation wasn’t too much trouble for you.

Nathalie and I want to finish the show. We tried to do that today, but it didn’t work out. So, instead, we’ll finish the episode with a Part 2 on Tuesday, November 22nd, at 9:30 AM Pacific Time, 12:30 Eastern. We’d like to finish our discussion of the recipe-of-the-month, Kodak Ektachrome 100SW (here and here), reveal the giveaway winner, and make a special announcement. Those are the things we couldn’t say today because we were cutoff. This special edition Part 2 on Tuesday will be a much shorter show. I hope that you can join us live!

https://youtu.be/Aih14q_hObY

I want to say a big “thank you” to everyone who submitted pictures using the Fujichrome Sensia 100 Film Simulation Recipe! The Viewers’ Images slideshow video is below, so be sure to take a look!

Load These Two Film Simulation Recipes Into Your Camera…

Posted on November 10, 2022 by Ritchie Roesch

*Evening Saguaro* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Kodak Ektachrome 100SW”

For those who watch the monthly SOOC broadcast, the current recipe-of-the-month is Fujichrome Sensia 100. We introduced that Film Simulation Recipe in the last episode, and we will finish our discussion of it in the next show, which will be in one week, on Thursday, November 17th. I hope that you’ll join us! Don’t forget to upload your photos captured with the Fujichrome Sensia 100 Film Simulation Recipe (click here) by November 15th to be shown in the next broadcast.

Speaking of the next SOOC broadcast, after we finish our discussion of the Fujichrome Sensia 100 recipe, we’ll introduce the next recipe-of-the-month, which will be Kodak Ektachrome 100SW. It produces warm and vibrant colors, which I find especially well suited for landscape photography. Be sure to set a reminder, so that you don’t miss the episode!

Even though I have my own photography projects going on and I’m always working on new Film Simulation Recipes, I also shoot with the recipes that we discuss in each episode (plus the upcoming episode). I have been using both the Fujichrome Sensia 100 and the Kodak Ektachrome 100SW recipes. I don’t just ask you to use the recipes, myself and Nathalie both use them, too—we’re doing it together as a community.

*Flag Pole* – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Fujichrome Sensia 100”

If you have a Fujifilm X-Trans III or newer camera, I invite you to program and shoot with the Fujichrome Sensia 100 Film Simulation Recipe, and share with us your results. While you’re at it, load the Kodak Ektachrome 100SW recipe into your camera, too, and have it ready to go for next week.

If you missed the last SOOC broadcast, which really was a good one, you can watch it below. It’s a bit long (we have a little problem called “time management”… 🤣), but I believe you’ll find it worthwhile.

See you next Thursday!

SOOC was Yesterday… if you missed it, you can watch it today… + YOUR Kodak Portra 400 Pictures!

Posted on October 28, 2022 by Ritchie Roesch

SOOC was live yesterday. If you missed it, you can watch it today—I’ve included the full episode at the bottom of this article. This was one of my favorite SOOC broadcasts so far, and much of the thanks for that goes to you! Everyone who tuned in and participated in some way made it exceptional. Definitely, if you couldn’t watch it live, be sure to take some time to view it now. Also, thank you to everyone who submitted pictures using the Kodak Portra 400 Film Simulation Recipe. The Viewer’s Images slideshow video is above, so be sure to take a look!

The new recipe-of-the-month is Fujichrome Sensia 100. Be sure to shoot with that and upload your pictures (click here) by November 15th to be included in the next broadcast, which will be on November 17th (mark your calendars now!).

SOOC will be LIVE this Thursday!

Posted on October 25, 2022 by Ritchie Roesch

SOOC will be live this Thursday, October 27! Join Fujifilm X-Photographer Nathalie Boucry and myself as we finish our discussion of the Kodak Portra 400 recipes, and introduce the next recipe-of-the-month: Fujichrome Sensia 100. The PreShow kicks off at 9:30 AM Pacific, 12:30 PM Eastern, and the main show begins 30 minutes later. I hope to see you then!

I’m Sick… and SOOC is Postponed to Next Week

Posted on October 18, 2022 by Ritchie Roesch

I’m currently sick with the flu, and because of that the SOOC broadcast scheduled for this Thursday has been postponed one week. Nathalie and I will instead be live on Thursday, October 27th. Sorry for any inconvenience this might cause, and I hope to see you on the 27th!

On the 27th, we’ll finish our discussion of the Kodak Portra 400 recipes, and introduce the next recipe-of-the-month: Fujichrome Sensia 100. Can’t wait to see you then!

*Fujifilm X100V — “Fujichrome Sensia 100”*

Fujifilm X100V & Kodak Portra 400

Posted on September 29, 2022 by Ritchie Roesch

Six months ago I turned my Fujifilm X100V into a monochrome-only camera, and just shot black-and-white Film Simulation Recipes with it, which was a lot of fun! I hope that someday Fujifilm makes a B&W-only model. Recently I started shooting color pictures on my X100V again, and the first three color recipes I programmed into the camera were Kodak Portra 400—three different versions of it!

My very first Kodak Portra 400 recipe is for Fujifilm X-Trans III cameras, which I published in May of 2018. It requires a hard-to-explain-and-get-right custom white balance measurement. I have had some luck in the past getting it “right” and at times not-so-much luck. I think this time I was able to get it pretty close but not exactly correct. I made three different attempts (using the three custom white balance slots), and went with the best of the three; however, I think the white balance should be slightly warmer than it is. It’s a tricky thing, and I wish it was more easily repeatable. To use this recipe on my X100V I set Grain size to Small, Color Chrome Effect to Off, Color Chrome FX Blue to Off, and Clarity to 0.

The next Kodak Portra 400 recipe is for the Fiujifilm X-T3 and X-T30, which I published in May of 2020. This one is easier to program (and probably more accurate to the film) than the X-Trans III version. To use it on my X100V I set Grain size to Small, Color Chrome FX Blue to Off, and Clarity to 0.

*Fujifilm X100V – “Kodak Portra 400” (X-T3/X-T30 version)*

The third Kodak Portra 400 recipe is for the “newer” X-Trans IV cameras, including the X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II cameras, which I published in June of 2020. Of the three versions, this one is probably the most “accurate” to actual Portra 400 film, but it is extremely similar to the X-T3/X-T30 recipe—only very subtly different.

One film can produce a variety of looks depending on a whole host of factors, including (among other things) how it was shot, developed, and scanned—even the pH balance and temperature of the water can affect it. It’s not possible for one recipe replicate all possible aesthetics. Also, different Fujifilm cameras have different JPEG options, and different sensor generations have slight variances in rendering; even though one recipe might be more “accurate” to the film, it’s certainly not always so—the variables are pretty significant. What’s more important than accuracy is finding the recipe that works best for you and your photography.

I’ve published many other Portra recipes, including Kodak Portra 160 (X-Trans II), Kodak Portra 160 (X-T3/X-T30), Kodak Portra 400 v2 (X-T3/X-T30), Kodak Portra 400 v2 (X-Pro3 & newer), Kodak Portra 400 Warm (X-Pro3 & newer), Reggie’s Portra (X-Pro3 & newer), Portra-Style (X-Pro3 & newer), Kodak Portra 800 (X-Pro3 & newer), Kodak Portra 800 v2 (X-pro3 & newer), and Portra v2 (X-Trans II). There are others recipes that aren’t necessarily modeled specifically after Portra film, but have a Portra-like aesthetic nonetheless, such as Bright Summer, Bright Kodak, Jon’s Classic Chrome, and Classic Kodak Chrome. There are plenty to choose from!

Let’s take a look at some photographs that I captured with the three Kodak Portra 400 Film Simulation Recipes on my Fujifilm X100V.

Kodak Portra 400 (original recipe, for X-Trans III)

Kodak Portra 400 (2nd recipe, for X-T3/X-T30)

Kodak Portra 400 (3rd recipe, for X-Pro3 & newer X-Trans IV)

Comparison

*“Kodak Portra 400” (X-Trans III version)*

*“Kodak Portra 400” (X-T3/X-T30 version)*

*“Kodak Portra 400” (X-Pro3 & newer version)*

I hope that seeing these three Kodak Portra 400 Film Simulation Recipes together helps you decide which to try. Maybe one stands out more to you than the others. Perhaps the camera you own is more of a determining factor than the recipe itself. I personally like all three of them, and have enjoyed shooting with them on my (no-longer-B&W-only) X100V.

Also, as a reminder, these three Kodak Portra 400 recipes are the current SOOC recipes-of-the-month. Fujifilm X-Photographer Nathalie Boucry and I will conclude our discussion of these recipes in the next broadcast (be sure to watch the last episode if you missed it!), which will be live on October 20th. Upload your images (click here) captured with one (or more) of these Kodak Portra 400 recipes by October 18th to be included in the next show. I hope to see you then!

Using the Vintage Agfacolor Film Simulation Recipe (Plus YOUR Pictures!)

Posted on September 10, 2022 by Ritchie Roesch

*Fujifilm X-E4 + Vintage Agfacolor recipe*

In the last episode of SOOC, Nathalie Boucry and myself finished our discussion of the Vintage Agfacolor Film Simulation Recipe. As you know, while we encourage you to use the recipes that we feature, we also use them ourselves. I hope that you find it to be just as enjoyable of an exercise as we do!

If you missed the last SOOC broadcast when it was live, you can find it below. It’s nearly two hours long, so buckle up!

If you don’t have time to watch the whole thing, I hope that you’ll take a few minutes to check out the viewer-submitted slideshow. These are YOUR pictures! I appreciate everyone who uploaded their photographs captured with the Vintage Agfacolor recipe—your participation is what makes these shows great, and it is much appreciated!

Below is the viewer’s images slideshow:

A couple more of my pictures using the Vintage Agfacolor recipe:

And with that we close this chapter on Vintage Agfacolor, and begin the next adventure: Kodak Portra 400! This new recipe-of-the-month is unique because it’s not just one recipe, but three. For those with an X-Trans III camera, try this Kodak Portra 400 recipe (click here). For those with an X-T3 or X-T30, use this Kodak Portra 400 recipe (click here). And for those with an X-Pro3 or newer camera, this is your Kodak Portra 400 recipe (click here). Use these recipes, and upload your pictures (click here) to be included in the next SOOC broadcast.

Here are a few of my recent pictures where I used the Kodak Portra 400 recipe:

*Fujifilm X-E4 + Kodak Portra 400 recipe*

The next SOOC episode will be live on October 20, so mark your calendars now! We’ll finish our discussion of Kodak Portra 400 and introduce the next recipe-of-the-month: Fujichrome Sensia 100! I hope to see you then!

https://youtu.be/GN-uAy6tstI

You can find all these recipes and many, many more in the Fuji X Weekly App.

Join Fuji X Weekly LIVE this Thursday!

Posted on September 6, 2022 by Ritchie Roesch

The next SOOC episode will be live on Thursday, September 9th! Join Fujifilm X-Photographer Nathalie Boucry and myself as we finish our discussion of the Vintage Agfacolor Film Simulation Recipe and introduce the next recipe-of-the-month: Kodak Portra 400. Which Kodak Portra 400 recipe? These three: Here, Here, & Here. Yes, all three! The PreShow starts at 9:30 AM Pacific, 12:30 PM Eastern Time; if you can’t make the PreShow, be sure to tune in by 10:00 AM Pacific, 1:00 PM Eastern to catch the broadcast.

Nathalie has an excellent write-up for the Vintage Agfacolor recipe on her website, so be sure to check that out!

See you Thursday!