Controversy Film Recipe with Dramatic Rich Tones

Film simulation recipe for a striking look with bold colour, deep shadows and unforgettable style.

Controversy

There are many Fujifilm film recipes that mimic creamy film looks, but sometimes you want to experiment and push yourself with a film recipe that goes beyond the basics. Controversy is exactly that recipe. The name has two origins. The first is contre jour, shooting directly into bright light, which is where this film recipe absolutely excels. The second is Jealousy, an app-only recipe with similar bold characteristics but a distinctly greener cast. Controversy takes Jealousy’s spirit and shifts it warmer, richer and more versatile.

Built on Classic Negative, Controversy takes you away from the safely of nautral settings into a much deeper place. Highlights are lifted to +3 and shadows deepened to match, creating drama and real impact in high-contrast scenes. Point this at the sun during golden hour, into backlit foliage or against a sunset sky, and the results are striking.

There is an interesting flip side to all this. The same boosted tone curve that loves bright light also transforms gloomy conditions. On a grey, overcast day or in dark woodland, Controversy adds drama and impact where there might otherwise be none. Focus on details (like raindrops on the end of a leaf) and Controversy will transform a flat scene into something bold and atmospheric. The warm white balance shift makes colour rich, whatever the weather.

This is an experimental film recipe, and one that can be more challenging to master. It is not suited to every scene, but if you feeling adventurous, or just want to play with something more extreme, set to JPEG and see what drama you can capture, straight out of camera.

Controversy Film Recipe Settings

Film Simulation	Classic Negative
Grain Effect	Off
Colour Chrome Effect	Weak
Colour Chrome Blue	Weak
White Balance	Auto, +4 Red, ‑8 Blue
Dynamic Range	DR200
Highlights	+3
Shadows	+3
Colour	+3
Sharpness	‑4
ISO Noise Reduction	‑4
Clarity	‑4
EV Compensation	-1/3

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Controversy Film Recipe: Sample Photos

Community Photos

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

Photos by Alex Tenhave

Controversy film recipe photo by Alex Tenhave

Photos by Sabrina Magnusson

Controversy film recipe photo by Sabrina Magnusson

Photos by David Forsdike

Controversy film recipe photo by David Forsdike

Photos by Tommy Tomoski

Controversy film recipe photo by Tommy Tomoski

Photos by Marcio F A Pereira

Controversy film recipe photo by Marcio F A Pereira

Photos by Nizam Sutimin

Controversy film recipe photo by Nizam Sutimin

Photos by Sacha Maillot

Controversy film recipe photo by Sacha Maillot

April 19, 2026

Sunset Strip E6, Lomochrome Film Recipe

Bold cosy colours and a soft dreamy look, to mimic 36 processing of Lomochrome Sunset Strip 35mm film

Sunset Strip E6

It’s no surprise that I love creating film recipes, and when challenged to match an interesting look based on real world film I am right in my element. For this film recipe, I was approached by Mark LeonHeart, one of the Fujifilm photographers that uses the Film Recipes app. He was explaining to me, how when shooting film in the past, he had chosen to cross-process Lomochrome’s Sunset Strip film, not with C41 chemicals, but E6 instead.

The charm of these 35mm scans is undeliable, with a rich yellow tone, but also softness and vintage nostalgia.

Experimenting to create the look would be a fun exercise, and it would prove interesting to see how close it was possible to get with a Fujifilm film simulation recipe.

The starting point for me was to find a colour balance that delivered a similarly bold yellow tone, and to work from that to see which film sim would match the overall feel.

Blues remained distinct, although now shifted strongly towards greens, and hints in the boat steering photo included a vibrant orange too. Challenge accepted!

My resulting film recipe captures a lot of the qualities of these images, if perhaps not as much analog softness. I applied liberal amounts of negative clarity, but if you have one, a vintage or disploable lens conversion might be a great partner.

So here are my film recipe samples, and the details for creating the look in your camera.

Sunset Strip E6 Film Recipe Settings

Film Simulation	Classic Negative
Grain Effect	Weak, Small
Colour Chrome Effect	Off
Colour Chrome Blue	Weak
White Balance	Shade, 0 Red, ‑9 Blue
Dynamic Range	DR400
Highlights	‑1
Shadows	‑1
Colour	+2
Sharpness	‑4
ISO Noise Reduction	‑4
Clarity	‑4
EV Compensation	+1/3

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Sunset Strip E6 Film Recipe: Sample Photos

Community Photos

Photos taken with the Sunset Strip E6 film recipe by members of the Film Recipes community.

Photos by Roman Pastierik

Sunset Strip E6 film recipe photo by Roman Pastierik

November 13, 2025

Rosa Golden, Inspiring Golden Hour Recipe

Classic negative film simulation recipe for sunsets and the golden hour

Rosa Golden

I do love to see the film recipes of other creators. As much as finding new looks, I enjoy seeing different creative processes. One such creator is Kebs Cayabyab, (YouTube channel), who has a focus on street photography, and created the Dela Rosa recipe that inspired my Rosa Negative recipe. His channel has gone quiet, but the inspiration from his recipe remains. I’ve taken the vibe and switched it up with a big boost to the style with a new colour temperature.

Rosa Negative is a recipe for the golden hour, with a striking tangerine palette that makes a family of images hang together. The result is a specialised golden hour recipe with an inspiring tone that varies from gold, through orange to red. I hope you’ll enjoy it, and will give it a try the next time you’re photographing at sunset.

This recipe works on any camera with the Classic Negative film simulation. All you need now is to wait for sunset!

Rosa Golden Film Recipe Settings

Film Simulation	Classic Negative
Grain Effect	Strong, Small
Colour Chrome Effect	Off
Colour Chrome Blue	Weak
White Balance	7500K, +4 Red, ‑5 Blue
Dynamic Range	DR200
Highlights	‑2
Shadows	‑1
Colour	‑2
Sharpness	0
ISO Noise Reduction	‑4
Clarity	‑1
EV Compensation	+2/3

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Community Photos

Photos taken with the Rosa Golden film recipe by members of the Film Recipes community.

Photos by Fraser Reid

Rosa Golden film recipe photo by Fraser Reid

November 5, 2025

Brownout, Golden Brown in Golden Hour

A strongly toned brown look film recipe to give a deep and rich warmth with a nostalgic vibe

Brownout

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.

Brownout Film Recipe Settings

Film Simulation	Classic Chrome
Grain Effect	Off
Colour Chrome Effect	Weak
Colour Chrome Blue	Weak
White Balance	Auto, +6 Red, ‑9 Blue
Dynamic Range	DR200
Highlights	+2
Shadows	+2
Colour	‑4
Sharpness	‑2
ISO Noise Reduction	‑4
Clarity	‑2
EV Compensation	-1/3

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Community Photos

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

Photos by Andrea Braun

Brownout film recipe photo by Andrea Braun

Photos by Paul FujiXExperience

Brownout film recipe photo by Paul FujiXExperience

January 3, 2025

Underglow, Deep Mood in Golden Light

Underexposed Classic Negative film recipe for a dark tones look at sunset or sunrise

Underglow

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.

Underglow Film Recipe Settings

Film Simulation	Classic Negative
Grain Effect	Off
Colour Chrome Effect	Weak
Colour Chrome Blue	Weak
White Balance	Auto, +4 Red, ‑7 Blue
Dynamic Range	DR400
Highlights	‑2
Shadows	+2
Colour	‑4
Sharpness	‑2
ISO Noise Reduction	‑4
Clarity	‑2
EV Compensation	-1

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December 24, 2024

Kodak Portra 400, Classic Film Recipe

Justin’s Kodak Portra 400 Film Recipe for X100V, X100VI and Fujifilm X-Series cameras

Kodak Portra 400

I’ve take a few passes at the Kodak Portra look in my experiments with film recipes. These have included my first version, Kodak Portra and a stylised variant, Kodak Portra Grainy which works well in sunny conditions. I also published Kodak Portra Daily, which was 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.

Kodak Portra 400 Film Recipe Settings

Film Simulation	Eterna
Grain Effect	Weak, Small
Colour Chrome Effect	Weak
Colour Chrome Blue	Weak
White Balance	Fluorescent 1, ‑2 Red, ‑4 Blue
Dynamic Range	DR200
Highlights	+0.5
Shadows	+0.5
Colour	+2
Sharpness	‑2
ISO Noise Reduction	‑4
Clarity	‑2
EV Compensation	+1/3

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Kodak Portra 400 Film Recipe: Sample Photos

December 16, 2024

Thanksgiving, Cosy and Warm Film Recipe

A cosy Astia film simulation recipe to boost any last splashes of fall color.

Thanksgiving

Over the past few weeks, I have been busy adding new recipe ideas to the upcoming Film Recipes App that I am trying my best to build. This has meant fewer recipe releases on the site, so I thought I should use the Thanksgiving holiday to pause for a moment, say ‘thank you’ to all my readers for their support!

This recipe is designed to show off any last bits of fall color which, here in the UK, are now becoming harder to find. In a few more weeks, the trees will be bare and winter tones will be on our minds. For now though, let’s see if we can find some orange and red with this cosy film recipe. Have fun!

Thanksgiving Film Recipe Settings

Film Simulation	Astia
Grain Effect	Off
Colour Chrome Effect	Weak
Colour Chrome Blue	Off
White Balance	7500K, ‑4 Red, +4 Blue
Dynamic Range	DR400
Highlights	‑0.5
Shadows	‑1.5
Colour	+2
Sharpness	0
ISO Noise Reduction	‑4
Clarity	‑2
EV Compensation	0

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November 28, 2024

Scorpio, X100VI Autumn Film Recipe

Nostalgic Negative film recipe for autumn and fall colours. Works on X100VI, X-T5, X-T50, X-S20, X-H2S, X-M5

Scorpio

The Nostalgic Negative film simulation is one of the compelling extra looks that is present on the newer series of Fujifilm X-Series cameras. You can only find it on models such as the X100VI or X-T50, the tiny new X-M5, the X-T5, X-H2S and X-S20. The simulation has a unique look that is subtly different from the other simulations, perhaps most closely resembling Eterna when maxed out with a -4 shadow and +4 color setting.

One of the great attributes of Nostalgic Negative is the treatment of reds and oranges. There is an amber richness and magentism to them, and reds in particular can appear to jump off the page without looking too saturated. It’s this quality that I have looked to work with in the Scorpio film recipe, designed for autumn, but great for general use when a deeper tone and stand out reds are called for.

Scorpio Film Recipe Settings

Film Simulation	Nostalgic Negative
Grain Effect	Off
Colour Chrome Effect	Weak
Colour Chrome Blue	Weak
White Balance	Fluorescent 3, +2 Red, ‑7 Blue
Dynamic Range	DR400
Highlights	‑0.5
Shadows	+1.5
Colour	‑2
Sharpness	0
ISO Noise Reduction	‑4
Clarity	‑3
EV Compensation	-1/3

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Scorpio Film Recipe: Sample Photos

October 24, 2024

Birkenstock, Flat Tones for Photo Walks

Nostalgic flat tones film recipe with a cinematic Fujifilm feel

Birkenstock

You may have seen in some recent film recipes that I took a trip to Paris this Summer to watch the Olympic Games Tennis. I created a number of new recipes that would hopefully suit the hard light conditions, perhaps work well in the streets of Paris, and bring something uniquely Fujifilm to my images.

Of all the recipes that I explored, this one is perhaps the most characterful, with a strongly nostgalgic vibe, very flat tones for a soft look, and warmth in a subtle way. It’s a cinematic look film recipe with a summer vibe. If you’re guessing ahead, you’ll know that the Eterna Cinema film simulation shares many of these features, and that is indeed the base for this recipe.

The real magic though comes from the somewhat unusual colour balance based on a Fluorescent setting. There are three of these, which are intended to bring artificial light back to something more neutral, but I personally find that they can be a wonderful starting point for a film recipe. Matched to Eterna with its mellow undertones, we get a unique new look.

I quickly became addicted to using this, and took all sorts of photos before my trip to Paris, and whilst there I took my personal favourite image from the tennis tourament. This shot of Iga Swiatek preparing to serve had such a retro feel to it that I just love, but it also shows me that tennis is an individual sport with the player alone in the arena battling for the win.

Birkenstock Film Recipe Settings

Film Simulation	Eterna
Grain Effect	Off
Colour Chrome Effect	Weak
Colour Chrome Blue	Weak
White Balance	Fluorescent 1, ‑3 Red, ‑4 Blue
Dynamic Range	DR400
Highlights	+1
Shadows	‑1
Colour	‑2
Sharpness	‑1
ISO Noise Reduction	‑4
Clarity	0
EV Compensation	0

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September 2, 2024

Cherry Cola, Soda Pop Film Recipe

Stylish pinky bronze toned film simulation recipe for Fujifilm cameras

Cherry Cola

Here’s a tasty new style that brings a unique feel to your images. The Cherry Cola film recipe has a pink brown aesthetic that in some ways feels like an aged nostalgic look, but in others is a warm but unique look for characterful imaging. It’s for brave photographers looking to experiment, or to bring a strong look across a series of photos.

The base for this recipe is my ‘go to’ for unique styles, Eterna Bleach Bypass, which is pushed into new creative territory with unique color tone from Fluorescent 1 balance with a heart shift of +8 red and -5 blue.

There’s no escape for any colour or subject in scenes with this. They will all yield and get bathed in the pinky bronze tone. It’s a recipe to go large with and embrace the results.

This recipe works well on any camera that has the Bleach Bypass film sim, such as X-T4, X100VI or X-S20. If you want to explore a similar aesthetic, but don’t have Eterna Bleach Bypass, you might enjoy the Seventies Summer film recipe, or Sherbert Sunrise look, which both explore a pink toned style.

Here are my samples, taken with, or edited from RAWs on my X-S20 in the past few months.

Cherry Cola Film Recipe Settings

Film Simulation	Eterna Bleach Bypass
Grain Effect	Weak, Small
Colour Chrome Effect	Off
Colour Chrome Blue	Off
White Balance	Fluorescent 1, +8 Red, ‑5 Blue
Dynamic Range	DR400
Highlights	‑1
Shadows	‑1
Colour	‑1
Sharpness	‑4
ISO Noise Reduction	‑4
Clarity	‑4
EV Compensation	-1/3