Category: Monotone Recipes

Spring & Summer

Autumn & Fall

Winter

March 2, 2025

Tirolean Mono, Black & White Film Recipe

Monochrome film recipe for easy to use tones in landscape and travel photography

Tirolean Mono

Towards the end of Summer, I ttok some vacation time in the mountains of Austria. As is typical for me, I thought a bit about which film recipes I might like to use when away, and thought that it was overdue the I tried out some black and white photography.

I’m not a particularly skilled photographer when it comes to black and white imaging, feeling that there is a different skill set, where people see more in the patterens of light and shade, than my usual territory of colour. For this reason, I tend to make mono film recipes that work well for me, who basically uses them to take exactly the same shots as I might in colour.

The advantage of these recipes perhaps is that they are easy to use for everyone, and will deliver decent results in a wide range of situations.

As it turned out, I found an additional benefit when using this look. The views across the mountains had quite a lot of haze, and often this washed out the colour of the more distant peaks, and could be distracting. With no colour in the image, this haze was magically erased, and any distracting colour wash was gone.

Features of this recipe include softened highlights, for easy use in bright conditions, and a strong grain, which adds a little extra character to shots. This grain doesn’t really show at the size of the images below, and of course is optional, should you prefer a smoother look.

Tirolean Mono Film Recipe Settings

Film Simulation	Monochrome
Grain Effect	Strong, Small
White Balance	3900K, 0 Red, +9 Blue
Dynamic Range	DR200
Highlights	‑1.5
Shadows	0.5
Sharpness	‑1
ISO N.R.	‑4
Clarity	0
EV Comp.	0
Mono Colour	WC +0, MG +0

Similar Recipes

Monographic

Black Friday

🔒 Gravity Gray

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Tirolean Mono Film Recipe: Sample Photos

Using the Tirolean Mono 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 Tirolean Mono has been tagged with.

Mono

Film Like

Cloudy Rainy & Bad Weather

Misty & Foggy

September 14, 2024

Olympic Acros, Versatile Black & White

Fujifilm film simulation recipe for black and white photography in bright light

Olympic Acros

In my preparation of film recipes to try at the Paris Olympics, I explored a number of colour looks that were highly usable in bright light, mostly neutral in colour tone, but had a nod to the creamy tones of Parisien buildings and streets. My trip was to the tennis event, but I had hoped to maybe try some street photography in the neighbourhoods too. As it played out, the evenings saw torrential rain and thunderstorms, so I didn’t get to fully explore the looks I had prepared.

One other look that I had designed in advance, was a mono recipe based on the Acros film simulation. Here, the overriding thought was that the sunlight was going to be very strong, with images taken in the middle of the day rather than the softer light of late afternoon or golden hour.

My approach therefore was to look to preserve highlights with DR400, and then to force some deeper contrast into the scene with the maximum +4 for shadows. I toyed with a sharpened result, but in the end looked more to the hazy heat for inspiration and went for a -3 sharpening and -3 clarity to bring out a a little extra character. This was a little awkward when shooting action, as the delay when saving meant I couldn’t rapid fire, but with a bit of attention to my timing, I was happy enough to leave the clarity active.

Using it at the tennis event left me very happy with the result. I feel that the images produced have a lovely feel to them, with the additional shadow depth working well. I also found that, whilst scenes were often very busy, the subject really stood out and the images had a timeless quality.

Olympic Acros Film Recipe Settings

Film Simulation	Acros
Grain Effect	Off
White Balance	Auto, 0 Red, 0 Blue
Dynamic Range	DR400
Highlights	‑0.5
Shadows	4
Sharpness	‑3
ISO N.R.	‑4
Clarity	‑3
EV Comp.	0
Mono Colour	WC +1, MG +0

Similar Recipes

🔒 123 Acros

🔒 Washi Deep Mono

🔒 Bridgestone

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Olympic Acros Film Recipe: Sample Photos

Using the Olympic Acros 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 Olympic Acros has been tagged with.

Film Like

Mono

Cloudy Rainy & Bad Weather

Frost Ice & Snow

People

August 26, 2024

Acroscape, Landscape Acros Recipe

Mono film recipe tuned for landscape photography using Acros simulation

Acroscape

I shoot almost entirely landscape and natural scenes, and really love soft tones and muted colours. As a result, I find that I don’t use many mono recipes. Personally, I find it harder to ‘see’ scenes that will work well in mono, and I think that some of this is how most mono recipes have shadows that appear deeper than I expect, and this puts me off using them.

So, I have made a couple of landscape friendly recipes that are great for all around outdoor shooting. These have tone profiles that feel more natural to me, when shooting landscapes, forests and so on. Firstly, I made Monographic, then Kodachrome Mono, and now a third take on a landscape mono, which I call Acroscape. Of the three, this one has the deepest shadows, but is still a highly usable recipe in everyday outdoor conditions.

The main element for this look is a single step of over-exposure, with the dial set to +1/3. HIghlights are preserved with a DR400 setting and a -1 setting for highlights. In my test, I enjoyed a little hazy softness with a -2 clarity setting, but this does cause a short saving delay, so do leave this off if that bothers you.

Acroscape Film Recipe Settings

Film Simulation	Acros Green Filter
Grain Effect	Weak, Small
White Balance	Auto, ‑4 Red, ‑9 Blue
Dynamic Range	DR400
Highlights	‑1
Shadows	0
Sharpness	0
ISO N.R.	‑4
Clarity	‑2
EV Comp.	+1/3
Mono Colour	WC +1, MG +0

Similar Recipes

🔒 Black Eye

🔒 Archival Acros

🔒 Acupan X

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Acroscape Film Recipe: Sample Photos

Using the Acroscape 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 Acroscape has been tagged with.

Film Like

Forest & Woodland

Mono

Cinematic

Beach

Spring & Summer

Autumn & Fall

Winter

Misty & Foggy

August 18, 2024

Silverton Sharp, Metallic Mono with a Crisp Finish

Acros film simulation recipe for X100V and X100VI cameras

Silverton Sharp

It’s been a little while since I published a new mono recipe, so I wanted to set that straight with a new look for black and white photographers to try. It’s something a little different, but I hope that you’ll enjoy it.

The original thought goes back some time to a film recipe that I added as no. 99 on this site, called Silvertone 99. I received a comment about this recipe, a challenge almost, and that was to see if this recipe could be made even more silver?

I thought about this for a while and eventually had a moment of inspiration in X RAW Studio which led to this new interpretation of a silvery look.

In this film recipe, the tone is less contrasty than Silvertone 99, and has a different take on a metallic silver tone. I also found that a little crispness added further interest, so this recipe has a positive clarity setting. This does cause a short saving delay, which if you find annoying, you can remove with clarity at zero. Instead, increase sharpness to +2 as an alternative.

Silverton Sharp Film Recipe Settings

Film Simulation	Acros Yellow Filter
Grain Effect	Off
White Balance	Auto, +2 Red, ‑4 Blue
Dynamic Range	DR200
Highlights	0
Shadows	‑1
Sharpness	0
ISO N.R.	‑4
Clarity	4
EV Comp.	+1/3
Mono Colour	WC -1, MG +0

Similar Recipes

🔒 G Spot

🔒 F65 Acros

Newsprint

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Silverton Sharp Film Recipe: Sample Photos

Using the Silverton Sharp 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 Silverton Sharp has been tagged with.

Mono

Low Contrast

Cinematic

Cool Tones

Winter

Frost Ice & Snow

July 21, 2024

Clay Court, Ace your Tennis Shots

A toned mono film recipe designed to bring clay court tennis vibes to your photos

Clay Court

Some film simultion recipes are versatile and work will in a wide variety of conditions. On the other hand, some are designed with a specific set of conditions in mind, for example, film recipes for the golden hour.

This film recipe was created during a visit to the Barcelona Open Tennis in 2024, and was inspired by the dusty orange tones of the clay courts. It’s something of an experiemental look, and quite possibly limited to just this use case, but it also servers as a reminder of how flexible our Fujifilm X series cameras are in producing ‘ready to use’ JPEGs in all sorts of styles.

Clay Court Film Recipe Settings

Film Simulation	Acros Green Filter
Grain Effect	Weak, Small
White Balance	Auto, 0 Red, 0 Blue
Dynamic Range	DR200
Highlights	0
Shadows	2
Sharpness	2
ISO N.R.	‑4
Clarity	0
EV Comp.	0
Mono Colour	WC +15, MG -7

Similar Recipes

🔒 Ironworks

Atarangi Mono

Copper

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Clay Court Film Recipe: Sample Photos

Using the Clay Court 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 Clay Court has been tagged with.

Orange Tones

Mono

Experimental

April 17, 2024

Silent Era, 1920s Monochrome Film Recipe

Old tone monochrome film recipe like images from the early days of photography

Silent Era

For this toned monochromatic film recipe, I’m revisiting an aesthetic I’ve explored before, but feel that with this new look, there’s a bit more to add.

The look is based on images from around a century ago, in the silent era of film and a time of photography pioneers. Styles at this time featured no colour of course, and in print, often had brown tones from the development process.

Brown and sepia tones are sometimes divisive, and I certainly come and go from loving them. But, I also know that for certain subjects and conditions they look great. Especially if the subject can be translated to a time period when this sort of photography was the norm.

This recipe contains three main elements to achieve the look; heavy grain, a mono colour tone shift and the maximum setting for negative clarity. Together these produce the vintage images, and where depth of field gives softness in the background, a feel similar to early tintype images where the subject can seem to jump off the page.

My tip for the use of this film recipe, is to look to capture images with some imperfections. Don’t worry about some areas being out of focus, or everything being sharp. Softness and and blur are all good company for this recipe. I have had good fun using it with macro extender rings for example, which get you in close, but distort the areas out of focus.

Silent Era Film Recipe Settings

Film Simulation	Acros Green Filter
Grain Effect	Strong, Large
White Balance	Shade, 0 Red, 0 Blue
Dynamic Range	DR400
Highlights	‑1
Shadows	2
Sharpness	‑4
ISO N.R.	‑4
Clarity	‑5
EV Comp.	0
Mono Colour	WC +5, MG +2

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🔒 1883

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Silent Era Film Recipe: Sample Photos

Community Photos

Photos taken with the Silent Era film recipe by members of the Film Recipes community.

Photos by Rudhi Ritzmann Yuen

Silent Era film recipe photo by Rudhi Ritzmann Yuen

Using the Silent Era 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 Silent Era has been tagged with.

Film Like

Aged Look

Cream Tones

Mono

Cinematic

People

March 30, 2024

Gilt Trip, Antique Gold Tone Mono

Acros film simulation recipe with a nostalgic pale tone for golden hour

Gilt Trip

As a photographer that enjoys the atmosphere of an image as much as the composition, I enjoy film recipes that enhance or set a mood. In this toned mono film recipe, I wanted to captured something beyond the brown of a tyipcal sepia look, and get closer to the soft look of a hazy winter morning.

I chose this pale golden look, rather than a more saturated image because I found it a lot less distracting, and having tried a variety of hues, I also felt that it found a happy spot between too sickly, and too subtle that it might not feel intentional.

With its spirit in the softness of golden hour, I find that this recipe works best with soft light and silhouettes. There’s a deep shadow tone, which will deliver good results if you also capture some brightness in the scene as well. A more flat scene may end up looking drab, so for this one, the lower the angle of the sun, the better.

A bonus creative exercise you can play with, is to pair some images taken with Gilt Trip with a recipe with a complimentary colour. I’ve added a selection at the bottom of the page, showing how this golden look can work well alongside a blue toned colour recipe for contrast.

Gilt Trip Film Recipe Settings

Film Simulation	Acros
Grain Effect	Weak, Large
White Balance	Auto, 0 Red, 0 Blue
Dynamic Range	DR200
Highlights	‑1
Shadows	3
Sharpness	‑4
ISO N.R.	‑4
Clarity	‑4
EV Comp.	0
Mono Colour	WC +12, MG +4

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🔒 Sea Pier

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Gilt Trip Film Recipe: Sample Photos

Using the Gilt Trip 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 Gilt Trip has been tagged with.

Mono

Golden Hour

Beach

Cream Tones

February 8, 2024

Agfa APX 400, Grainy Mono Film Recipe

A grainy black and white film recipe, based upon Agfa APX 400 film

Agfa APX 400

Exciting news for recipe fans … this is film recipe 250 to be added to the site!

I’m constantly amazed by the variety and range of film recipes that I’ve discovered during this project, and I continue to learn from my experiments, and from talented photographers in our Facebook group. I’m going to keep trying to find new styles to share with you.

For film recipe 250, I have decided to publish a recipe that is based upon a real world 35mm film. In this case, I’ve been inspired to mimic Agfa’s grainy and characterful APX 400 monochrome film.

Whenever I see images taken with this, I am impressed, and I especially love the grainy mood. So, I set to trying to reproduce it for our Fujifilm cameras. I do really hope that you enjoy the result, and will continue to enjoy the wide selection of film recipes here on the site.

Agfa APX 400 Film Recipe Settings

Film Simulation	Acros Red Filter
Grain Effect	Strong, Large
White Balance	Fluorescent 2, 0 Red, 0 Blue
Dynamic Range	DR400
Highlights	2
Shadows	2
Sharpness	‑2
ISO N.R.	‑4
Clarity	0
EV Comp.	0
Mono Colour	WC -1, MG +0

Similar Recipes

🔒 123 Acros

Daido Moriyama

🔒 Monomax

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Settings laid out clearly, with sample photos and similar recipes

Agfa APX 400 Film Recipe: Sample Photos

Community Photos

Photos taken with the Agfa APX 400 film recipe by members of the Film Recipes community.

Photos by Andrea Braun

Agfa APX 400 film recipe photo by Andrea Braun

Photos by Alex Tenhave

Agfa APX 400 film recipe photo by Alex Tenhave

Photos by Darren Urda

Agfa APX 400 film recipe photo by Darren Urda

Photos by Sacha Maillot

Agfa APX 400 film recipe photo by Sacha Maillot

Using the Agfa APX 400 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 Agfa APX 400 has been tagged with.

Film Like

Mono

Spring & Summer

Winter

Try at Night

Print Like

Frost Ice & Snow

People

January 14, 2024

Mono 42, a Faded Monochrome Style

Nostalgic monochrome film simulation recipe for a washed out soft look

Mono 42

I think black and white photography is hard. There’s an art to it, that I just can’t quite master. I think it comes from a different way of seeing things, and having trained my eye to hunt down colour shots, I don’t feel in tune with mono.

So, when it comes to making mono film recipes, I tend to look at ways to use a mono setting with the style of photography I am comfortable with. These are mono recipes for the rest of us!

In Mono 42, the look is a soft and faded one, with compressed tone and a gentle retro colour wash. It has a nostalgic feel, and with the lifted shadows, it feels like printed images from books and magazines, rather than the strong contrast B&W you’d find in a gallery.

Mono 42 Film Recipe Settings

Film Simulation	Acros Yellow Filter
Grain Effect	Strong, Small
White Balance	Auto, 0 Red, 0 Blue
Dynamic Range	DR400
Highlights	‑1
Shadows	‑1
Sharpness	‑2
ISO N.R.	‑4
Clarity	‑4
EV Comp.	+2/3
Mono Colour	WC +4, MG +2

Similar Recipes

🔒 Winter Mono

Soft Acros

🔒 Bobcat

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Mono 42 Film Recipe: Sample Photos

Using the Mono 42 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 Mono 42 has been tagged with.

Mono