Episode 1 of my “Colour Your Story” series introduced the PROVIA film simulation. I hope that since then, you have had lots of opportunities to test this look in many different situations and that by now, you have familiarised yourself with the results you can get when shooting with it.
Apart from a deep-dive into the PROVIA look and feel, the article also introduced the idea that the film simulation can be fine-tuned by adjusting image quality settings in the I.Q. menu. When doing so, results can be ever so slightly different or take on a completely different look.
Ready to get your feet wet? Great! Let’s take a closer look at some PROVIA variations.
Firstly, Fujifilm experts suggest to adjust HIGHLIGHTS, SHADOWS and COLOR to “-1” to give PROVIA a bit less of a digitally processed look.
These settings tweak the results only very slightly and I really enjoy this toned-down version. The HIGHLIGHTS and SHADOWS settings at “-1” add a little dynamic range and the COLOR setting at “-1” makes the images slightly less punchy and more natural-looking.
In addition to this variation, let’s explore how different PROVIA can look by diving into the I.Q. menu settings even further. I recommend you try these three recipes by Fuji X Weekly, based on PROVIA that I love.
1) Agfa Optima 200
It’s a very versatile look for everyday and anyday, time and occasion thanks to Auto White Balance and a minimal White Balance Shift. It delivers a clean look and minimal colour cast but adds enough je-ne-sais-quoi to deliver eye-catching results. I use this recipe often in situations that call for clean, close to true-life images with a little twist. For an even cleaner look I switch GRAIN EFFECT from “Weak” to “Off”.
2) Fujichrome Sensia 100
This recipe is fantastic and gives images a distinct analog look. It is particularly great for photographs of coastal scenes and sunsets thanks to a DYNAMIC RANGE setting of “DR400” and “Fluorenscent 2” WHITE BALANCE. It’s a recipe that you won’t catch me without when travelling the coast or on a beach holiday.
3) Winter Slide
Lastly, Winter Slide is a recipe that might be of great interest to those living in the Northern Hemisphere and colder climates with regular snowfall. As the name suggests, it works well in wintery, snowy conditions so it might come in handy soon. Living in South Africa, I don’t find myself in snowy conditions often but lucky I got to use it on my last trip to The Netherlands in January of 2024 – one of the few occasions when I got to witness snowfall. I am very happy with the results and can only recommend that you give this a try too.
Give these a try and let me know what you think. And then, once you have done so, please share your favourite images on Instagram using #ColourYourStory and remember to tag me @nathalieboucry
The next episode of my “Colour Your Story” series is coming soon and will introduce another film simulation so better make the most of the last couple of PROVIA days!
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