Film simulation recipe for rich smooth colours using the Astia Soft setting

In my process for creating film recipes for our cameras, I will often be testing lots of new combinations to see how they work in different conditions. Alongside this, I will usually also have one recipe loaded that I know will deliver the goods in the widest range of situations. This helps give a contrasting view when compared with my experiments, but also means I get at least one shot that I know I can keep, if the experiments don’t work out.

Soft Power is one of those safe film recipes that delivers a fantastic look and feel, with rich and beautiful colours, and tone control that delivers the goods in all sorts of lighting conditions.

The recipe is based on the Astia Soft film simulation, and gives a boost to the already beautiful colours that come from this simulation. In my typical style, I lift the shadows a few notches, as I prefer to see detail here, but you could keep this closer to zero, or use -1 if your camera doesn’t support the -1.5 option.

This receipe also gains some impact from a single click of underexposure at -1/3. This adjustment pairs nicely with a +1 setting for highlights. If you expose without the compensation, keep an eye on highlights to ensure they don’t burn too much. A DR400 setting helps here, but it’s a point to note.

Soft Power Film Recipe Settings

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Soft Power Film Recipe: Sample Photos

Using the Soft Power 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 Soft Power has been tagged with.