I still think back to our 2019 trip often. It is strange how distant it feels now, like a completely different chapter in life. Lisa and I had set out on what, in hindsight, was an incredibly ambitious European itinerary: seven destinations in under two weeks. At the time, though, it felt exciting rather than overwhelming.

I recently concluded over two weeks in Portugal, and for the entirety of that journey, I shot only JPEGs. Before this, my most recent travels were a combination of RAW + JPEG, but I consistently found that when I returned home and had a chance to look through the images, the JPEGs were the choice almost every time.

The quintessential summer mood: soft, warm tones, low contrast, and gentle shadows. That was the goal behind this recipe. Seaside Pastel is an airy, pastel look inspired by the feeling of a relaxed seaside vacation.

I’ve been shooting Fujifilm long enough to know that the usual “JPEG vs RAW” argument doesn’t really fit here. Fujifilm’s JPEGs, especially when you dial in that perfect film simulation or custom recipe, can often come out so close to the realized vision and tone that they deem RAW files unnecessary.

There’s a lot of noise in photography. It’s hard to escape the pressure to upgrade your photography. Everywhere you look, there’s a new body, a sharper lens, a brand that somehow is the one that everyone is moving to, or an accessory being pitched as the missing piece in your work.

Fujifilm’s DR400 setting is one of those features that quietly sits in the menu until you realize how beneficial it can be to your images. And then it can become an essential consideration in any Fujifilm recipe. Now, fortunately, the dynamic range of most Fujifilm cameras I have used has been great, sometimes exceptional.

Fujifilm recipes are a fun and exciting way to experiment with your photography. Using them is a way to take your work in directions you may not have considered and create memorable photos. Recipes can help you achieve a stunning look; however, it’s essential to realize that they don’t always work, and using one in the wrong shooting conditions or with the wrong subjects can result in images that don’t turn out as expected.

Every photographer faces the same moment of truth: the review process. When you’re staring down hundreds of shots from your travels, how do you know what stays and what goes? What’s the first step in editing, and which images deserve your full attention? For me, deciding what to delete, rate, or save goes beyond that initial scan. It’s an evolving part of the creative journey.

As photographers, we can be obsessive about the perfect lens, the best camera, or the ideal conditions. We can strive towards that perfect shot. And as we do so, we hesitate. Sometimes that hesitation extends so long that it doesn’t happen at all.

I talk about Fujifilm recipes quite a bit as I think they are a great way to unleash some creative fuel that encourages more discovery and more time behind the camera. It’s also a great way to simplify a photographic workflow, as it greatly reduces any time spent in front of a computer with post-processing. However, not everything is easy: not every recipe works in every situation.

Like any photography genre, you need to have a love and admiration for the subject type you are photographing. If you are captivated by your subjects, you can continue to grow towards creating images highlighting what makes them special. Being continually fascinated by something is the drive that keeps you learning it.

Since switching to Fujifilm as my primary camera, I’ve embraced a “less is more” approach. I’ve increasingly relied less on using RAW files and more on the quality of Fujifilm’s JPEG files to the point where I’ve seriously considered shooting JPEG-only during my travels. Fujifilm cameras produce exceptional JPEGs straight out of the camera.