Juan Pablo Viades shares the FS RECIPE that’s allowed him to bring heightened-reality portraits to life with true visual flair
Portrait photographer Juan Pablo Viades doesn’t chase perfection. He looks for texture and personality. Real skin. Real people. Then he adds subtle details that make you stop and look twice.
“I’ve always liked portraits,” Juan says, “but in the last year and a half, I found my style – what I would call realistic surrealism.”
It’s a phrase he returns to often, but the idea itself is more grounded than it sounds. Juan isn’t interested in heavy manipulation or flashy effects. His work starts in reality, then shifts slightly through color, contrast, or a carefully placed element that introduces tension.
“It’s a mixture of portraits of real people that show real textures of skin, with a little element of something whimsical,” he explains. “Just a pop of color or something interesting that grabs the eye.”
Most recently, he’s been doing so with an in-camera look of his own devising. Fittingly, he calls it “Portrait No. Juan”.
Letting People Be Themselves
Juan’s portrait work begins with attention, not direction. He approaches each session as a collaboration shaped by the person in front of the camera. “I don’t like to force a pose,” he says. “I like to work with who they are, try to show who they are as a person, then implement my ideas into that.”
This mindset carries through his process, from how he engages with his subjects to how he finishes an image. The goal isn’t polish or perfection – it’s connection. “It feels personal,” Juan says. “That’s what matters to me.”
That focus on the individual is tangible in the final images. Nothing is overly smoothed or sanitized. The portraits feel grounded in reality, even when they push gently beyond the literal.
Natural Light, Real Texture
Juan works mostly indoors these days, partly by choice and partly by circumstance. “I’m in New York right now, and it’s cold,” he laughs. But the setting isn’t what defines the work – it’s the light.
“I mainly work with natural lighting,” he says. “None of my photos have artificial lighting.” Natural light reinforces the realism Juan is drawn to and keeps attention on the subject rather than the setup.
“A lot of people rely heavily on lights and technology,” he explains. “For me, part of what makes my photos special is that they can be achieved with just the camera, the subject, and a cool idea.” Natural light requires patience and awareness. You work with what’s there, not what you can build.
Building a Look In-Camera
When it comes to gear, Juan favors tools that let him stay in the moment.
“I’m a big FUJIFILM X100VI guy,” he says. “It’s usually my go-to because I don’t have to think about the lens.”
That simplicity is intentional, and applies just as much to in-camera looks. “I have my FS RECIPE, I make the photos, and it just feels easy,” Juan explains. “I don’t have to think about the photos as much, I’m in the moment.”
For Juan, FS RECIPEs are a creative tool for defining his style. His custom look is built on PRO Neg. Std and designed with skin tones in mind.
“I focus a lot on people’s skin and how that comes off in a photo,” he says. “I wanted skin tones that felt real while still having the contrasty, punchy look I like.”
PRO Neg. Std gave him a neutral starting point. “It feels like a canvas you can build on,” Juan explains. “It’s clean and not overly saturated.” That restraint is deliberate. “I don’t like photos that are too colorful,” he says. “I prefer them a little more muted.”
From there, he makes targeted adjustments to shape the look:
Strong, large grain adds texture and a subtle film feel. Highlights are lowered and Shadows raised for crisper contrast. Color is pushed slightly for impact without oversaturation. SHARPNESS and CLARITY are reduced to avoid a brittle digital edge.
“I’m a big fan of grain,” Juan says. “It adds to the texture of the skin. It makes the photos feel more real and a little retro at the same time.”
Why Custom FS Recipes Matter
For Juan, custom FS RECIPEs aren’t about trends. “In photography, you want to set yourself apart,” he says. “It feels more genuine when you can do everything in-camera instead of relying on heavy editing.”
That doesn’t mean starting from scratch every time. “You can take someone else’s FS RECIPE, change a few settings, and suddenly you have something that’s truly you,” he explains. “That freedom is important.”
It also creates consistency. When your look is baked in, your work holds together visually without the need for a long post-processing workflow.
Making Space to Explore
Juan sees FUJIFILM X Series cameras as a rare balance of approachability and depth. “They’re beginner-friendly but still professional-adjacent,” he asserts. “Someone just starting out can make something stunning, and someone more seasoned can fine-tune the details.”
That flexibility creates space to experiment, adjust, and grow. “The most important part is trial and error,” Juan says. “You have to figure out who you are as a photographer and what you’re trying to show.”
What matters is putting in the time and giving yourself permission to explore. “Having the right tools makes that easier,” he concludes. For Juan, the right tools are the ones that fade into the background, leaving room for texture, honesty, and a hint of surreal magic.
Juan Pablo Viades’ “Portrait No. Juan” FS RECIPE
FILM SIMULATION: PRO Neg. Std
MONOCHROMATIC COLOR: N/A
GRAIN EFFECT: STRONG, LARGE
COLOR CHROME EFFECT: STRONG
COLOR CHROME FX BLUE: WEAK
SMOOTH SKIN EFFECT: OFF
WHITE BALANCE: 5900K/ R +2, B -3
DYNAMIC RANGE: DR100
D RANGE PRIORITY: OFF
TONE CURVE: H -2, S +3
COLOR: +4
SHARPNESS: -2
HIGH ISO NR: -4
CLARITY: -2
