Astia Film Simulation Recipe that captured Spring and Summer Greens
All of a sudden, the bare bitterness of Winter has disappeared and green leaves are everywhere again. These bold and bright greens can be tricky to capture, and some film recipes make them look washed out or brown. That’s when a springtime film recipe with a focus on green tones is needed, and this one might be just the right one for your next photo session. It’s lovely in trees and woodlands, and anywhere with natural greens.
Astia is a vibrant film simulation with exciting colour and tone. With some simple adjustments, these base qualities can be steered towards a look that loves green leaves and spring and summer colours. It retains a natural feel, and adds just the right amount of warmth and contrast control. Some of this control comes from the Color Chrome Effect, but this recipe is also easy to adapt to older Fujifilm cameras that don’t have this option.
A springtime walk in the woods with the Spring Greens film recipe
Spring Greens Film Recipe
Simulation: Astia/Soft
Grain Effect: Weak, Small
Colour Chrome Effect: Weak
Colour Chrome Blue: Off
White Balance: Daylight
WB Shift: +1 Red, -3 Blue
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlights: +1.0
Shadows: -1.0
Color: +2
Sharpness: 0
ISO Noise Reduction: -4
Clarity: 0
EV compensation: -1/3
Warm tones with control and seasonal greens, captured with the Spring Greens film recipeMoss on a river rock, using the Spring Greens film recipe
A good choice for natural subjects in sunny conditions, Spring Greens film recipeSigns of Spring are easy to capture with the Spring Greens film recipe
Blues and greens look vibrant and natural when using the Spring Greens film recipeDreamy golden hour tones in the Spring Woodland, using Spring Greens film recipeLooking up at the leaves in the late afternoon sun, Spring Greens film recipe
Capture springtime scenes with lots of depth and colour, with the Spring Greens film recipeFlowers and leaves look lovely when using the Spring Greens film recipeMorning dew abstract, with the warmed greens of the Spring Greens film recipe
A bright and cheerful Reala ace film simulationrecipe, ideal for X100VI in the Spring season
For those of us living in the Northern hemisphere, Spring is bursting out all over and teh greens of nature are filling the landscape. In my Film Recipes App, I notice that the film recipes being set as favourites are bright and colourful, ready for capturing this Spring season. Recipes like; Arboria, QE2 and Endor, as welll as several exclusive to app users.
This inspired me to get creative and develop a brand new recipe for Spring 2025, which I am sharing with you here. It is based on Reala Ace, a simulation available in newer cameras, like hte X100VI, X-M5 and X-T5. It has wonderful colour as standard, and makes a great base for a fresh air look like this.
As always, the colour balance has been tweaked, and I also made small adjustments to the tone curve. The biggest change is a nice big blast of extra colour, with a +3 saturation setting. I hope you’ll enjoy this new recipe and will find it fun to use in the Spring and Summer seasons.
A film recipe for Springtime in the fresh air – Oxygen film recipe
Oxygen Film Recipe
Simulation: Reala Ace
Grain Effect: Weak, Small
Colour Chrome Effect: Weak
Colour Chrome Blue: Strong
White Balance: 5500K
WB Shift: -2 Red, -2 Blue
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlights: 0.0
Shadows: -1.0
Color: +3
Sharpness: 0
ISO Noise Reduction: -4
Clarity: 0
EV compensation: +1/3
This recipe uses Reala Ace, which is not available on older cameras. In this case, you can try the recipe settings with Provia and Color +2, or Pro Neg Hi and Color +4.
Spring greens, captured with the Oxygen film recipe
Big bold colour is a feature on blue sky days, with the Oxygen film recipe
Creamy spring whites with a subtle green color shift, using the Oxygen film recipeFull of the joys of Spring … Oxygen film recipe
A warm day exploring along the river, with the Oxygen film recipe
Vibrant sunset tones are easy to capture with the Oxygen film recipe
A reliable companion on misty mornings … Oxygen film recipe
A trip to the summer Olympics with the Oxygen film recipe
Film like Classic Negative recipe, designed for rainy days but excellent in all conditions.
Throughout the winter the weather was dull and wet and I was really starting to miss photography. So, I decided to try and embrace the conditions and create a number of film simulation recipes for gloomy and wet days. I’ve made a bunch of these, and added them into my new Film Recipes app.
This film recipe is one of those creations, and I’ve been using it happily in grey and drizzly conditions for a few months now. I even featured it in my new Film.Recipes YouTube channel.
For owners of my film recipes app, there are regular photo challenges to enter, and in one recent round, Umbrella was one of the challenge film recipes. I love these challenges, not only because it gives that little extra push to get out there and take some photos, but with other Fujifilm photographers taking part from around the world, I get to see the film recipes in all sorts of new situations. This was the case with Umbrella.
Several of the photographers took this recipe and used it in bright sunny weather and in new locations and situations. Feedback began to come in explaining how much everyone was enjoying this recipe, and how it had a film like aesthetic that hadn’t really been seen too often before.
NOW AVAILABLE – THE FILM RECIPES APP
The Film Recipes App is available for iOS and Android devices, and is the best way to enjoy my growing library of film recipes. It has the largest selection, the best ways to explore them, and fresh challenges to join in with each month.
1,000+ regular users, an active community, hundreds of exclusive recipes. Get it now!
So here is Umbrella, which I am now making a free to all recipe. It was made for rainy days. but is a recipe that loves all weathers and brings a wonderfully toned film like feel to your photos. The more I use it, the more I love it, and I hope that you will too. It’s quite possibly my best ever film recipe!
A film like mood on wet days, with the Umbrella film recipe
Umbrella Film Recipe
Simulation: Classic Negative
Grain Effect: Weak, Large
Colour Chrome Effect: Weak
Colour Chrome Blue: Strong (IV) / Weak (V)
White Balance: Auto
WB Shift: +1 Red, -8 Blue
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlights: -1.0
Shadows: +1.0
Color: -3
Sharpness: 0
ISO Noise Reduction: -4
Clarity: -3
EV compensation: 0
There’s more in the app …
The film.recipes app contains over 750 film recipes, including these similar to Umbrella …
Jealousy
XXO Green
Living Daylights
The app is available for iOS and Android, and your purchase supports this project and the creation of more film recipes for you to try.
A walk in a local park on a winter morning, using the Umbrella film recipe in bright sunlight
Let’s go walking in the rain, with the Umbrella film recipe
A day by the sea, using the Umbrella film recipe in sunny conditionsGreen color shifts and a film like feel are marks of the Umbrella film recipeWhatever the weather, the Umbrella film recipe will give you photo options
The changing seasons, captured with the Umbrella film recipe
A vacation in Austria, captured with the Umbrella film recipeThe passing storm, with the Umbrella film recipeSunset over the sea, using the Umbrella film recipeRipples in the sand at sunset, with the tones of the Umbrella film recipeAn analog look in gloomy weather – the Umbrella film recipe
The entrance to the forest trail. Umbrella film recipeMoods and feels. With the Umbrella film recipe, bad weather is now great weather for photos!
Everyday monochrome film recipe for capturing a wide range of subjects with high grain and contrast
For the most part I shoot in colour, and I enjoy a softer look. From time to time though, I dip into black and white photography and find myself getting excited about light and shade all over again. When I do, I tend to love bright light shooting and film recipe with deep shadows and visible grain.
I’ve had these phases of black and white excitement with three recipes in recent months. Firstly, Olympic Acros, which I used in Paris in extremely sunny conditions. Secondly, Tirolean Mono, which I took on a vacation to Austria and found it my favourite recipe in the mountains. And now, the third time is with this latest creation. I call it Newsprint because of how it was designed with old newspapers in mind. In truth this has more contrast than printed papers would ever show, but the thought was there.
Sleeping in the sunlight, taken with the Newsprint film recipe
Newsprint Film Recipe
Simulation: Acros Yellow Filter
Grain Effect: Strong, Large
Colour Chrome Effect: Weak
Colour Chrome Blue: Off
White Balance: Auto
WB Shift: -5 Red, 0 Blue
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlights: +2.0
Shadows: +2.0
Mono Shift: WC +2, MG +0
Sharpness: +2
ISO Noise Reduction: -4
Clarity: +2
EV compensation: 0
You can find this film recipe and many others in the Film Recipes app, available for iOS and Android devices.
Candid snaps taken at a tennis tournament, with impactful mono tones from the Newsprint film recipeTextures on a boat ramp in afternoon sun, with the Newsprint film recipe
In the wheatfield in the evening sun, with deep shadow from the Newsprint film recipe
Weathered wooden posts on the beach, captured with the Newsprint film recipe
The weather is dull and grey, but Newsprint film recipe renders wonderful tones
Frosty details on winter leaves, with the strong contrast of the Newsprint film recipe
Early morning on the Padel court, using the monochrome Newsprint film recipeIt’ll soon be springtime. Snowdrops with the Newsprint film recipe
Lomochrome Color 92 film recreated with Classic Negative for Fujifilm cameras
In the Film Recipes Facebook Group, we often discuss how to recreate a particular look seen elsewhere, whether that be the style of a photographer or a film from a particular manufacturer. One of our members asked recently about the unique look of Lomochrome Color 92 film, with its deep shadows and speciifc colour appearance.
When I saw the sameple images (I’ve included one here), I was compelled to try and reproduce at least a similar look for our Fujifilm cameras.
The key elements were the color tone and low saturation, the deep shadows, creamy neutrals and heavy grain. To me, this all seemed possible by working with Classic Negative as a starting point.
My process involved a lot of fiddling with settings in X RAW Studio, working with RAW files from visits to forests, beaches and, to include some people, a tennis tournament from earlier in the year. Here is my resulting film recipe, which I have been enjoying testing out in the wild, and am pleased to share here with you now.
This recipe has been available as an early releast in the Film Recipes app for the past few weeks. The app is always the best place to find all of my recipes, including many more that aren’t available anywhere else.
A high contrast, low saturation style, inspired by the Lomochrome Color 92 film.
Ready to recieve, at the Barcelona tennis tournament. Lomochrome 92 film recipe
Working well with blues and oranges, candid shots with the Lomochrome 92 film recipeAutumn tones in a bramble patch, with the Lomochrome 92 film recipe
Moody and deep tone images are easy to capture with the Lomochrome 92 film recipe
Winter explorations in the old forest, using the Lomochrome 92 film recipeLet’s go sailing! Lomochrome 92 film recipe
Down at the beach in Winter, using the Lomochrome 92 film recipeSunset in the autumn ferns, with the deep shadow of the Lomochrome 92 film recipeGreat for sunset silhouettes, the peachy tones and impact of Lomochrome 92 film recipeAnd one more sunset capture by the pine tree, with Lomochrome 92 film recipe
Around the grounds at the Barceona Open, using Lomochrome 92 film recipeWe went to see this famous racket in action (Rafa Nadal). Lomochrome 92 film recipeAutumn leaves in the New Forest National Park, using Lomochrome 92 film recipe
Golden browns are highlighted with the Lomochrome 92 film recipeRed and the blue greens of Classic Negative are a feature of the Lomochrome 92 film recipeBlue skies can show a subtle pink tone with the Lomochrome 92 film recipeCold morning with mist rising from the dew, captured with Lomochrome 92 film recipeThe red and white cap of a Fly Agaric Amantia mushroom, using Lomochrome 92 film recipe
Winter ferns on a cold sunny day, with the Lomochrome 92 film recipe
Dark green film recipe with lots of mood for gloomy and bad weather days
Over recent months, a lot of my focus has been directed towards completing and publishing my Film Recipes app. Apart from all the new things I have learned about apps, data and phones during this process, I’ve also had great fun adding many new recipes into the app. As I do this development, the mood of the current season is often reflected in the film recipes, and in the middle of a UK winter, gloomy conditions and bad weather have sent me in search of new looks to make the most of the weather.
One of the recipes I created is this one, which I call Barbour Green after the deep green tone that reminds me of country outdoor clothing, and as a recipe for getting out despite the weather, it seems appropriate. It’s become a personal favourite, but does come with two important notes; make sure to underexpose, and do try it in gloomy conditions, either dull weather or twilight. That’s where this recipe really comes to life.
Explore a deeper palette of dark country greens and earth tones with the Barbour Green film recipe
Barbour Green Film Recipe
Simulation: Eterna Bleach Bypass
Grain Effect: Weak, Small
Colour Chrome Effect: Weak
Colour Chrome Blue: Strong (IV) / Weak (V)
White Balance: 5500K
WB Shift: -4 Red, -7 Blue
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlights: -1.0
Shadows: +4.0
Color: +4
Sharpness: -2
ISO Noise Reduction: -4
Clarity: -4
EV compensation: -2/3
If you wish to try and adapt this recipe for a camera without Eterna Bleach Bypass, such as X100V or X-T3, try it with Pro Neg. Std and a colour setting of -4, and blue at -4 also. The look will be quite similar, and you too can get out in dull weather and have photography fun!
There’s more in the app …
The film.recipes app contains over 750 film recipes, including these similar to Barbour Green …
PNW
Puddleduck
Jealousy
The app is available for iOS and Android, and your purchase supports this project and the creation of more film recipes for you to try.
Deep moody tones in the winter forest, with the Barbour Green film recipeOrdinary scenes take on a new cinematic mood with the Barbour Green film recipe
Twilight is a new playground with the moody Barbour Green film recipe
A new experience at sunset, with deep shadow from teh Barbour Green film recipeWill you become as addicted to the Barbour Green film recipe as I am?Shooting into the sun through winter bracken ferns, using the Barbour Green film recipe.
Finding forest details on winter walks, with the Barbour Green film recipeSuburban Southampton becomes the Pacific Northwest with the Barbour Green film recipe
A simple woodland path takes on a new moody feel with the Barbour Green film recipeLichen detail, captured in sunlight with the Barbour Green film recipe.
Exploring the darkess of the ocean, with the deep tones of the Barbour Green film recipeMoody creativity with winter leaves, and the Barbour Green film recipeNew details become visible in photos taken with Barbour Green.
A strongly toned brown look film recipe to give a deep and rich warmth with a nostalgic vibe
When I take photographs, I enjoy thinking about the mood and feel of the light and look to use film recipes to magnify this. So, if the light is soft, I use a soft look film recipe. If there is a dominant tone to a scene, I will often use a recipe that works with that, whether it’s green tones, blue tones or the cream tones of golden hour.
In this film recipe, I wanted to work with two elements; the winter tones of the trees and leaves at this time of year, and the golden light that you can enjoy in the extended winter golden hour that those of us living at northern latitudes experience in Winter. This recipe goes all out for brown, orange and golden tones, and works well in these conditions.
My preference to maximise the impact is to shoot towards the sunlight, giving strong dark shadows and golden lens flare effects. Finding leaves backlit by the sun, or interesting shapes to silhouette can be great fun with this recipe.
Golden browns are maximised, especially in the golden hour, with the Brownout film recipe
Brownout Film Recipe
Simulation: Classic Chrome
Grain Effect: Off
Colour Chrome Effect: Weak
Colour Chrome Blue: Strong (IV) / Weak (V)
White Balance: Auto
WB Shift: +6 Red, -6 Blue
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlights: +2.0
Shadows: +2.0
Color: -4
Sharpness: -2
ISO Noise Reduction: -4
Clarity: -2
EV compensation: -1/3
This recipe uses Classic Chrome, a simulation that has additional contrast and reduced saturation built in. If you wanted an even richer colour, you could switch to Provia, and for further muting, go to Eterna Bleach Bypass. For that second option, change the Shadow setting to -1.
Some similar recipes to review are: Yakisugi, Gilt Trip, Brontosaurus and Gold Leaf. Each works well with golden hour light and produces a creamy or golden look.
At the beginning or end of the day, Brownout film recipe is a great choice for golden tones.
Capturing golden hour light at the marina, using the Brownout film recipe
Using the last moments of the winter sun, with the Brownout film recipeFallen leaves become golden highlights on the forest floor. Brownout film recipeA dog walk along the gravel spit exposed at low tide. Golden tones from the Brownout film recipe
Finding seashells on the beach, with the Brownout film recipeIt’s a misty morning on the country road. Brownout film recipe
Misty morning scenes with golden tones from the Brownout film recipeDeep tones and dark shadows, on the forest road with the Brownout film recipeDew drops on the end of branches, using the Brownout film recipeLast to lose their leaves, the brambles are golden in the sunlight with Brownout film recipe
Gloomy weather and beach huts along the shore. Brownout film recipeA film recipe for the golden hour … Brownout film recipe
Underexposed Classic Negative film recipe for a dark tones look at sunset or sunrise
Over the winter months gloomy weather can dominate the days and when the sun is out, it can be low in the sky and disappear earlier in the day. Certainly in the UK we can lose it by 4pm. So, for these shorter days I’ve been experimenting with moody looks that play with darker tones and use underexposure as part of the toolkit.
I’ve been sharing some of these moody looks in the Film Recipes Facebook Group and adding them to the 500+ collection that will be part of the Film.Recipes app. This one though was so much fun that I really had to get it released to everyone as part of this site.
This recipe is a specialist, and really does need the right conditions to get the best from it. Ideally, you’ll be using the first or last moments of sunlight, and shoot into the light to have fun with silhouettes and flare. Critical to the look is also the underexposure, which can be set at least -1EV but can go further.
That said, if you have no sun to work with, you can have fun with gloomy conditions and get a deep tone moody look from shady and cloudy scenes as well. Scroll for samples and you’ll see what I mean.
Timing is everything to get coppery sunlight and a deep mood with the Underglow Film Recipe.
Underglow Film Recipe
Simulation: Classic Negative
Grain Effect: Off
Colour Chrome Effect: Weak
Colour Chrome Blue: Strong (IV) / Weak (V)
White Balance: Auto
WB Shift: +4 Red, -7 Blue
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlights: -2.0
Shadows: +2.0
Color: -4
Sharpness: -2
ISO Noise Reduction: -4
Clarity: -2
EV compensation: -1 EV or more
Getting creative with the last of the sunlight and the Underglow film recipe.The character is different when using mid-afternoon light. Underglow film recipe
Sunset is play time with the deep contrast of Underglow film recipeGloomy weather bring a different possibility when using the Underglow film recipe
Bad weather is now a good excuse to go out taking photos, with the Underglow film recipe!
A hazy Summer morning using the Underglow film recipe
Not an obvious choice for vacation photos, but fun for added mood. Underglow film recipeCoastal flowers in the afternoon sun, using the Underglow film recipeA later autumn fern in the morning sun, with deep tones from the Underglow film recipe
Coastal sunsets, captured using the Underglow film recipeLast summer sunset captured in amongst the wheat with Underglow film recipe
Forest moods are given the deep and dark treatment with the Underglow film recipeTry something different with the underexposed look of the Underglow film recipe
Justin’s Kodak Portra 400 Film Recipe for X100V, X100VI and Fujifilm X-Series cameras
I’ve taken a few passes at the Kodak Portra look in my experiments with film recipes. These have included my first (and entirely servicable) version, Kodak Portra and a stylised variant, Kodak Portra Grainy which works well in sunny conditions. I also published Kodak Portra Daily, which was designed to be more usable in a wide range of conditions, and has a lovely film-like tone and character.
But of course, film can have a varied character, and in the hands of different photographers and in different environments the results can be different. I follow a number of film photorgaphers and film photography groups, and began to see more and more Portra photos that had a look that was softer and not as creamy as some of the other Portra recipes out there.
Inspired by these sophisticated and soft toned examples, my interpretations evolved and I published my Aged Kodak Portra recipe, a Kodak Portra 160 film recipe, and now, this revisit of the Kodak Portra 400 look. In these latest three, I have switched to Eterna as the base simulation, finding that it more accurately matched the samples that I most enjoyed.
The result of all this time and testing is my Kodak Portra 400 film recipe, with a cinematic film-like feel, lots of versatility, and a wonderful output that has a sophisticated analog vibe. I’m very pleased with it, love shooting with it, and am happy to add it to the recipe collection.
LIttle boats in Brixham, captured using Kodak Portra 400 film recipe
Kodak Portra 400 Film Recipe
Simulation: Eterna/Cinema
Grain Effect: Weak, Small
Colour Chrome Effect: Weak
Colour Chrome Blue: Strong (IV) / Weak (V)
White Balance: Fluorescent 1
WB Shift: -2 Red, -4 Blue
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlights: +0.5, or 0 on X100V
Shadows: +0.5, or +1.0 on X100V
Color: +2
Sharpness: -2
ISO Noise Reduction: -4
Clarity: -2
EV compensation: +1/3
There’s more in the app …
The film.recipes app contains over 750 film recipes, including these similar to Kodak Portra 400 …
Universal Chrome
Kodak Portra Too
Weekend Portra
The app is available for iOS and Android, and your purchase supports this project and the creation of more film recipes for you to try.
Exploring the meadows in the Austrian Tirol, with the Kodak Portra 400 film recipeCalros Alcaraz is w heading for another win, with the Kodak Portra 400 film recipe
Iga Swiatek is serving, captured with the Kodak Portra 400 film recipeIt’s not always sunny of course, so here are a few grey day autumn leaves with Portra 400 film recipe
Hunting the last of the fall colors in mid-December, with the Portra 400 film recipeThe last moment … captured with the Kodak Portra 400 film recipe
A photowalk around the marina, using the Kodak Portra 400 film recipeSummer grasses on a hot, bright day, with Kodak Portra 400 film recipe
Summer greens are warm and soft with the Kodak Portra 400 film recipeThese wooden buildings are a common sight in the mountain meadows. Kodak Portra 400 film recipe
Ferns turning from green to red marks the end of Summer. At sunset with the Kodak Portra 400 film recipeThe sun has risen over the mountain. In Seefeld, Austria with the Kodak Portra 400 film recipeA simple dock on the Walchensee, captured with the Kodak Portra 400 film recipe
Calm waters and summer relaxation, taken with the Kodak Portra 400 film recipe
Soft tones and creamy hints, characteristics of the Kodak Portra 400 film recipeNot just for sunshine. A misty day using Kodak Portra 400 film recipe
Along country lanes in the morning mist, with Kodak Portra 400 film recipe
My recreation of the classic look of prints made with Fujicolor Superia 400 35mm film
As I approach the milestone of 300 film recipes added to this site, I have been looking again at some of the iconic 35mm film looks that inspired the Fujifilm film simulations. Whilst the Classic Negative simulation isn’t explicitly described as a mimic for Fujicolor Superia, there is a strong likeness, espeically to prints from Superia film dating back 20 or more years.
Each of these is perfectly fine for exploring this style, but each is in a way a characature of the film look, expressing one feature of another. In this take, I have tried to present a recipe that is just that is closer to reality, perhaps more subtle, and bit more usable in a wide range of conditions.
Fujicolor Superia 400 Film Recipe
Simulation: Classic Negative
Grain Effect: Weak, Small
Colour Chrome Effect: Off
Colour Chrome Blue: Weak (IV) / Off (V)
White Balance: Auto
WB Shift: 0 Red, -4 Blue
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlights: 0.0
Shadows: -1.0
Color: +2
Sharpness: -1
ISO Noise Reduction: -4
Clarity: 0
EV compensation: +1/3
Try this recipe as a general carry around, or for a little more warmth, see also my Expired Superia recipe.
The greens are natural, when shooting with the Fujicolor Superia 400 film recipeSoft tones that blend with nature. That’s the style of the Fujicolor Superia 400 film recipe
Admiring the views from the mountain, with the Fujicolor Superia 400 film recipe
Autumn beeches, still holding their colourful leaves into November, with Fujicolor Superia 400 film recipe
Capture luscious Spring greens with the Fujicolor Superia 400 film recipeFilm-like hues on a crisp Winter morning. Classic Negative tuned into the Fujicolor Superia 400 film recipe
Frosted teasels in the sunlight, taken with the Fujicolor Superia 400 film recipeTrying out Fujicolor Superia 400 at the Paris Olympics.
Scenes at the Roland Garros stadium, using the Fujicolor Superia 400 film recipe.Looking across the site from the main stadium, with Fujicolor Superia 400 film recipe.Looking through to the lake, with Fujicolor Superia 400 film recipeIt’s late afternoon at the Cotswold Water Park, and I’m testing the Fujicolor Superia 400 film recipe
Gloomy weather is no obstacle for the Fujicolor Superia 400 film recipeIt’s time to drive to work. Fujicolor Superia 400 film recipeNovember sunshine in Germany, captured with the Fujicolor Superia 400 film recipe
Exploring along the river valley, using the Fujicolor Superia 400 film recipe
