Sentinel & Merced– Yosemite NP, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Vintage Color Recipe
A lot of people are interested right now in achieving a vintage aesthetic with their Fujifilm cameras. Retro renderings are in-style, but with about 300 Film Simulation Recipes to choose from on the Fuji X Weekly website (and App), it can be difficult to know which ones to use. If you are after a vintage look, let me suggest 10 Recipes to you. They all have “vintage” in the name, and each will deliver a retro analog-like rendering.
Some of the Film Simulation Recipes below are quite popular (especially the first one), and maybe you’ve even used a few of them yourself. Many of them are less popular and are often overlooked; maybe you’ve seen them, but never programmed them into your camera. Perhaps this is the very first time you’re seeing a couple of these Recipes. Whatever the case, if you are after a vintage look, pick a couple of these to try today!
The first three Recipes below are compatible with X-Trans III cameras, plus the X-T3 & X-T30; to use them on newer X-Trans IV models, set Color Chrome Effect and Color Chrome FX Blue to Off, Clarity to 0, and choose a Grain size (either Small or Large). The next five are compatible with “newer” X-Trans IV models (X-Pro3, X100V, X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II); to use them on X-Trans V, set Color Chrome FX Blue one step lower (Weak instead of Strong, Off instead of Weak). The last two are compatible with X-Trans V cameras; the second-to-last Recipe can be used on some X-Trans IV models (X-T4, X-S10, X-E4, and X-T30 II) by setting Color Chrome FX Blue to Weak instead of Off.
Take a look at the 10 Vintage Film Simulation Recipes below. If one or two or three of them stand out to you as especially interesting, go ahead and give them a try!
Glimpse of a Fleeting Memory – Gilbert, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – Vintage Cinema Recipe
Side Gate Cracked Open – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – Vintage Cinema Recipe
Ball on a Wall – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – Vintage Cinema Recipe
Find these Film Simulation Recipes and many more on the Fuji X Weekly App! Consider becoming a Patron subscriber to unlock the best App experience and to support Fuji X Weekly.
For those who don’t know, I have my very own iPhone camera app called RitchieCam. The intention of it is to streamline your mobile photography workflow. It’s easy to use thanks to its intuitive design, making it useful for both novices and pros. It embraces a one-step philosophy, as the analog inspired filters deliver images that don’t require editing. If you have an iPhone, download it from the Apple App Store for free today!
Most of you are here, though, not for iPhone photography, but because you have a Fujifilm camera. Back in 2021 I published No Edit Photography: 7 Tips To Get The Film Look From Your Digital Photos, in which I gave some tips for achieving a film-like-look from your non-analog pictures. My advice was: – Shoot with a Fujifilm camera – Use Film Simulation Recipes – Use diffusion filters, such as Black Pro Mist or CineBloom – Shoot with vintage lenses – Don’t be overly concerned with perfectly sharp pictures – Use high-ISOs – Overexpose and underexpose sometimes
Read the article to learn more about each tip. I recommend starting with both of the first two (Fujifilm cameras and Film Simulation Recipes), and then add one or two of the other five tips. For example, if you have a Fujifilm X-T20, you might use the Kodachrome II recipe plus a vintage lens. Or, if you have a Fujifilm X100V, you might use the Fujicolor Superia 800 recipe plus a 5% CineBloom filter. Anyway, you have to find what works best for you, but if you are not sure, that article is meant to provide some direction, which is hopefully helpful to you in some way.
Thank you, Leigh and Raymond, for all the kind words and support! Your video is much appreciated by me. To those of you reading this, be sure to visit their channel, watch the video, give it a thumbs-up, and subscribe if you don’t already.
More Than Double Wide – Arlington, AZ – Fujifilm X-T5 – “1970’s Summer” recipe
Fujifilm cameras have color profiles called Film Simulations, which can be customized to create various looks, including emulating the aesthetics of different types of film. Fuji X Weekly Film Simulation Recipes, which are a set of specific camera settings that produce many different looks in-camera without the need for editing, can be used to easily apply various vintage film looks to photos taken with Fujifilm cameras. These recipes can be used without the need for post-processing because they are essentially a set of camera settings that are tailored to emulate the aesthetic of a specific type of film—you get the retro analog look straight-out-of-camera.
One of the benefits of using these Film Simulation Recipes is that they can save a significant amount of time in post-processing. Instead of having to manually adjust various settings in editing software to achieve a vintage film look, photographers can simply apply the appropriate recipe in-camera and get the desired look straight-out-of-camera. The photos are finished and ready to share the moment that they are captured. You don’t even need to involve a computer at any point in your workflow, if you don’t want to. Not editing is a huge timesaver that allows photographers to be more productive thanks to a streamlined workflow.
Another benefit of using the Fuji X Weekly Film Simulation Recipes is that they can help new photographers achieve vintage film looks without having to learn cumbersome, intimidating, and expensive software. These recipes provide an easy way to experiment with different analog aesthetics. Film is expensive, and recipes are a quicker, more convenient, and cheaper alternative that still produces film-like results. And there is instant gratification when the unedited picture looks good, as if it had been post-processed or shot on film.
There are four reasons why photographers might want their pictures to have a retro analog look:
Aesthetics — Vintage looks can evoke a sense of nostalgia and give photos a timeless quality that can be pleasing to the eye.
Branding — Some photographers may want to apply vintage looks to their work as a way to set their brand apart or to appeal to a specific target market that appreciates the vintage aesthetic.
Storytelling — Applying a vintage look to a photo can also help to tell a story or convey a certain mood or atmosphere that may be difficult to achieve with a more modern look.
Experimentation — Some photographers may also want vintage looks as a form of creative experimentation or as a way to add an extra layer of meaning to their photos.
Film Simulation Recipes that produce a nostalgic aesthetic are popular. Below are 10 of my favorite Film Simulation Recipes that recreate vintage film looks.
Obviously, there are a lot more options than just these 10—in fact, there are over 250 Film Simulation Recipes published on Fuji X Weekly and found in the Fuji X Weekly App! There are a lot to choose from, and if you are not sure, the list above should provide you with at least a few to try.
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