A timeless FS RECIPE, designed to be the perfect travel companion
For AV Schofield, the road is more than a means of travel; it’s the subject of his art. A full-time freelance photographer and artist, he has journeyed from Massachusetts shores to Utah landscapes. Constant movement fuels his obsession with being on the road, where waking in a new place offers a fresh canvas each day.
AV’s aesthetic is influenced by the palettes of Impressionist painters, resulting in work that feels documented and deeply personal.
“One of the signatures of the work I’m building out is color and texture. They’re a mixture of film-inspired and painter-inspired,” AV explains. “I look at everything democratically. Everything is valuable enough to be photographed.”
AV had to translate his stylistic color grading into a straight-out-of-camera FS RECIPE. The result is “AV Americana”, a custom look based on the classic NOSTALGIC Neg. Film Simulation.
Finding a Foundation with NOSTALGIC Neg.
When it came time to select a base for “AV Americana”, NOSTALGIC Neg. was the immediate and obvious choice. Even before this project began, AV had integrated the Film Simulation into his digital darkroom.
“I use NOSTALGIC Neg. a lot as a base for editing RAW photos too,” he says. “I love that it renders warmly and I like the colors.”
AV chose to add even more warmth with a WHITE BALANCE SHIFT. He opted to boost red and reduce blue tones to achieve a consistently sun-drenched feel.
By choosing a look that already aligned with his aesthetic goals, he could focus on refining the nuances of the American landscape, “creating something aligned with the work I’ve been doing – landscapes and photographing Americana.”
Choosing Grit Over Perfection
Where many image makers find joy in FS RECIPE that lean toward a soft, dreamy, shimmering aesthetic, AV chose a different path. He wanted to preserve the raw, tactile nature of his travel photography subjects: the texture of desert ridgelines and the rough indentations of urban brickwork.
“I wanted to add some texture to the FS RECIPE because digital images can sometimes feel too sterile,” AV observes. To combat this, he introduced a digital GRAIN EFFECT to provide a touch of character.
“I’ve been interested in grit lately,” he says, noting a shift from his previous preference for softer looks. “If you go out into the desert, everything except the sky has so much texture. I wanted to make sure this FS RECIPE emphasized that.”
Increased sharpness and clarity helped push AV’s look further, though not so much that the images lost versatility. By limiting key look adjustment to roughly 75% of the camera’s limit, he felt confident working with different subjects and varied light conditions.
The Creative Advantage of a Custom Look
For AV, the ability to tailor a FS RECIPE to his vision is about more than just aesthetics, it’s about creating an artistic identity. In a crowded field of creators, he sees these in-camera adjustments as a way to set himself apart. However, he notes that the true skill lies in the harmony between the setting and the scene.
“The alignment of the FS RECIPE to the subject matter is far more important, in my opinion, than just some overarching, defined look,” AV explains.
Using FUJIFILM X Series allows him to see this alignment in real time through the viewfinder. This instant feedback loop fundamentally changes his decision-making process in the field.
“The Film Simulation in-camera will impact how you compose and what decisions you make when you’re photographing,” he says. Seeing AV Americana’s colors while using his FUJIFILM X-E5 lets him compose with the final result already in mind.
Straight Out of Camera: Creative Goals
While the project was inspiring, it introduced a new level of technical rigor to AV’s workflow. Transitioning from the safety net of RAW files to a primary goal of straight-out-of-camera JPEGs was a new experience.
“I challenged myself on this project, of course, to make sure everything was purely straight out of camera,” AV says. “I didn’t even crop any of the final images.”
This forced a slower, more intentional pace. He found himself making multiple versions of a single scene to ensure the exposure and composition were perfect before moving on. “It took a little more time to get a photo at every spot, but it worked out.”
For AV, the project has been an exercise in intentionality. By embracing the constraints of the straight-out-of-camera workflow and the unique science of Film Simulations, he’s created a look that’s as much about the journey as it is the final image.
He encourages other creators to explore their own custom settings to find that same spark of inspiration. As AV puts it: “The Film Simulation you choose can drastically change what you end up actually making pictures of – and how you use your camera.”
Find Your Signature Style with Film Simulations
Creating a custom look like “AV Americana” is an invitation to see the world differently. Film Simulation modes offer a unique foundation that lets you inject personality directly into your JPEGs. Whether you are drawn to the warmth of NOSTALGIC Neg. or the gritty, high-contrast character of ACROS, X Series cameras provide the tools to create a recipe entirely your own.
AV Schofield’s AV Americana Film Simulation Recipe
FILM SIMULATION: NOSTALGIC Neg.
MONOCHROMATIC COLOR: N/A
GRAIN EFFECT: WEAK, SMALL
COLOR CHROME EFFECT: STRONG
COLOR CHROME FX BLUE: OFF
SMOOTH SKIN EFFECT: OFF
WHITE BALANCE: AUTO/ R +3, B -3
DYNAMIC RANGE: DR400
D RANGE PRIORITY: OFF
TONE CURVE: H -2, S -1
COLOR: 0
SHARPNESS: +3
HIGH ISO NR: 0
CLARITY: +2
