Custom Fujifilm Recipe: Soft Vintage Glow
After a few years of testing numerous film recipes, I feel I have a thorough understanding of how each setting influences the overall look. Many recipes have been very good, and I have been thoroughly impressed; on the other hand, some have created looks that I would not consider bad, but are far from my style and preferences for what I would create in my travels and exploration.
Film recipes are made up of custom settings that can be adjusted in several ways; when combined, there are essentially endless possibilities. If you have experimented with film recipes and sought inspiration, you will know there are hundreds of recipes to choose from; with that much choice, it can be exhausting to find one that works across many travel destinations and produces results you continue to love.
When I think about my travel photography, the one thing that really attracts me is colour and how certain light influences the arrays of colour. With Fujifilm recipes, colours can be pushed in directions that elevate reds and greens or subdue blues, for example. Dynamic range really helps too. I do like to maintain some definition in the sky, and using dynamic range of DR400 helps reduce highlights and preserve detail.
I’ve been developing my first film recipe and tweaking it based on what I currently prefer in my photography. Soft Vintage Glow will accentuate the colours in your images and lean towards a warmer look, which is what I’ve been preferring lately. I also like some grain in my image, but the effect is subtle.
Note: for ISO, I always use Auto. For DR400 to function, your camera needs to raise its minimum ISO so it can handle the decreased highlights and increased shadows within the frame. Cameras vary, and the minimum ISO your camera requires may be higher, but it will not be lower than 500.
Recipe Details and Settings
Building upon Fujifilm’s Classic Chrome film simulation, Soft Vintage Glow enhances Classic Chrome’s signature muted palette and nostalgic Kodachrome mood with refined tonal adjustments and colour. Highlights and shadows are softened to reduce harsh transitional contrasts, and the colour profile is enhanced through a warm chromatic shift. Reds are enriched while blues are dialled back.
A layer of fine grain adds tactile character, lending images a film-like texture. The resulting photographs have warmth and vibrancy, rich tonal gradations and reduced clarity that helps preserve the softer finish. This balance between colour intensity and tonal restraint produces a vintage analog film character while adopting the dynamic range capabilities of modern sensors.
Ideal for daylight and natural outdoor settings, this recipe works well in mixed or shifting light, translating atmosphere and colour variation into richly toned images.
Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR400
Highlight: -2
Shadow: -2
Colour: +3
High ISO NR -4
Sharpness: 0
Clarity: -3
Grain Effect: Weak, Small
Colour Chrome Effect: Strong
Colour Chrome Effect Blue: Strong
White Balance: Daylight, +4 Red, -5 Blue
ISO: Auto (minimum of 500)
Conclusion
As photography is deeply personal, this recipe won’t work for everyone nor with any subject or scenario. Soft Vintage Glow is tailored for travel with daily exploration in varying light. They will work best in ample sunlight, which helps elevate colours: gentle warmth and balanced tones. This recipe represents the atmosphere and feeling I want my photographs to convey, and is a great option to use throughout a trip to maintain a theme throughout your images.