Photographing with ACROS+ R, the beauty of simplicity
When I think about photography, I think about getting the most out of life by looking at it in a personal and different way. I don’t want reality to pass me by without stopping; I want to freeze it in my own way. The FUJIFILM X-E5 is undoubtedly a camera that comes very close to this way of thinking. It’s discreet, compact, lightweight. It’s not intimidating or distracting. It has just what you need to focus on what matters: enjoying what’s in front of you and capturing it. If you combine it with shooting in ACROS+ R, everything flows.
In a world saturated with exaggerated images and bizarre effects, working in black and white with a different touch and character is almost a courageous decision. It’s thinking differently. It’s going back to the essence. Working with straight-out-of-camera JPGs with a straight line based on ACROS+ R allows you to capture a great tonal richness with a very beautiful and intense contrast.
Simplicity is power. And contrast, when used well, is not just a visual tool, it’s a way of narrating your own reality. That’s why I like to add a little more contrast to the ACROS+ R base. In my FS RECIPE, I apply +1 to the HIGHLIGHTS and SHADOWS. I like black and white photos to retain a certain memory of the red filter, so I give the ACROS a slight warm deviation. Otherwise, this Film Simulation works fantastically with gray tones to give a very interesting filmic impression.
This Film Simulation turns the city into an almost timeless setting, where light and shadow play their own role. The harsh midday light becomes intense strokes. The shadows of a doorway become mysterious. The contrast provided by the red filter enhances every shot, every texture, and gives each photo a more powerful volume. But don’t forget that the shadows will always retain some detail, and this is a plus of using ACROS+ R: you maintain a contrast that gives your photo body with hard light, but without losing the blacks by keeping the highlights under control.
The best thing is that everything is done. Just look through the viewfinder, frame, and shoot. The photo is finished, and when you take the photos off the memory card, they are ready to be viewed, with no need for further adjustments. Personally, I like photos with a certain character. I don’t need perfection; I need them to convey feelings. Working exclusively with ACROS+ R has made me focus more on a different type of photography, something more thoughtful and deliberate.
In my everyday photography, I look for color, faces, expressions, and moments. This time, looking at black and white and capturing so much richness in the shades of gray made me feel like I was shooting with a film camera. I photographed from a more intimate and peaceful point of view. Capturing textures, memories, sensations from my home, my travels, my work. Having the photos ready so quickly and so easily was fun and allowed me to rediscover another type of photography.
This is the FS RECIPE I use for my photos:
FILM SIMULATION: ACROS+ R
MONOCHROMATIC COLOR: WC +1, MG 0
GRAIN EFFECT: WEAK, SMALL
CHROME EFFECT COLOR: OFF
COLOR CHROME FX BLUE: OFF
SMOOTH SKIN EFFECT: 0
WHITE BALANCE: AUTO / R 0, B 0
DYNAMIC RANGE: D200
D RANGE PRIORITY: OFF
TONE CURVE : H +1, S +1
COLOR: 0
SHARPNESS: –
HIG ISO NR: –
CLARITY: 0
