Classic Negative film simulation recipe with a strong blue tone colour shift and cool colour balance

When designing film simulation recipes, my processes are sometime inspired by images I see, or a mood I wish to capture. Other times, I play idly in X RAW Studio, testing different settings on RAW files I have taken on recent outings. This was how I came upon the wild and crazy blue tones of this recipe.

I was testing different colour temperatures on the image of the cows in the frosty field you see below. Most film recipes with a natural or warm look have a temperature of 5500K or higher, but my experimentation led me deep into the blue zone and I settled at 4000K. Curiously, the image still had a soft of reality about it, although the grass was now very blue.

I started testing it on other images, and adjusting the other settings. The second magic power I discovered, was that this recipe was a sort of Golden Hour undo, allowing you to capture a scene in the soft hazy light of the time near sunrise or sunset, but strip away the golden tones, like it was the middle of a clear blue sky day.

I’m filing this film recipe under Extreme Styles and Recipes for Blue Tones, and although it is a novelty discoverd by idle experimentation, I quite like it, especially in bright golden light, such as with the shots below of sunlit leaves, or sunrise teasels. I hope you’ll give it a try, perhaps when you’re also feeling experiemental and want something completely different to explore.

Blue Monday Film Recipe Settings

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Blue Monday Film Recipe: Sample Photos

Using the Blue Monday Film Recipe

Each film simulation recipe has its own character and style. These features mean recipes are more suited to certain situations, or when seeking a particular look. Here are the categories that Blue Monday has been tagged with.