Tallow: A Fujifilm X100V Film Recipe (In-Camera JPEG + Lightroom/RAW Guide)

Edward Leung

Sep 10

2 min read

Sepia street scene with cyclist and scooter in backlight; text reads FUJIFILM RECIPE, Tallow, and SWIPE. — A sunlit Paris side street is captured in warm sepia tones, showcasing a nostalgic and cinematic view, part of the "Tallow" Fuji X100V recipe from the After55ed archive.

Split-screen before-and-after of a Paris backstreet at low sun, with long shadows, cyclists, cars, and Tallow text. — A backstreet in Paris glows under the low sun, capturing a serene moment in 2026 Europe with a before-and-after visual of subtle changes in lighting.

Before-and-after split of a Zurich alley with café tables, a walking person, deep afternoon shadows, and Tallow text — A quiet Zurich alley cast in afternoon shadows, showcasing a transformation in lighting and mood. The scene captures the serene atmosphere of 2026 Europe.

Split-screen BEFORE/AFTER of tourists in Pompeii ruins, with Tallow title and midday blue sky. — Visitors explore the ancient ruins of Pompeii under the midday sun, as seen in this edited comparison highlighting changes in lighting and contrast. Europe, 2026.

Tallow — a Fujifilm X100V Film Recipe

Tallow is a warm, sepia-leaning recipe built around a deliberate inversion of how most recipes in this archive work: instead of lifting shadow detail, it pushes shadows toward crushed, near-black, while keeping highlights soft and hazy rather than clipped. The name points at the mood -- the low, warm glow of candle wax and old wood.

The look was developed from a style study of warm, low-contrast daylight scenes and dramatic, single-source-lit still life photography -- not from any of Edward's own photos. Three frames from the 2026 Europe trip (Paris, Zurich, and Pompeii) were used to test and demonstrate the recipe.

In-Camera JPEG Settings (Fujifilm X100V)

Film Simulation: Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight Tone: -1
Shadow Tone: +3
Color: +1
Sharpness: -1
Noise Reduction: -4
Grain Effect: Strong, Large
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Color Chrome FX Blue: Weak
White Balance: Auto, R +2 / B -5
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400
Exposure Compensation: -1/3 to -2/3 (typically)

Lightroom / RAW Equivalent

Profile: Adobe Color
Exposure: -0.30
Contrast: +18
Highlights: -45
Shadows: -20
Whites: -10
Blacks: -15
Temperature: +12
Tint: +3
Vibrance: -18
Saturation: -6
Clarity: -15
Dehaze: -8
Vignette: -25

Tone Curve

A curve that dips the shadows and darks further down while leaving the highlight rolloff soft: Highlights slight decrease, Lights slight decrease, Darks moderate decrease, Shadows moderate decrease.

HSL / Color Mixer

Red Hue 0, Saturation +5
Orange Hue -5, Saturation +10 (protects the warm amber/brown cast)
Yellow Hue -10, Saturation -10
Green Hue -10, Saturation -25
Aqua Hue 0, Saturation -20
Blue Hue +5, Saturation -25, Luminance -10
Purple Hue 0, Saturation -10
Magenta Hue 0, Saturation -5

Split Toning

Highlights: Hue 45, Saturation 12 (warm gold). Shadows: Hue 35, Saturation 22 (warm amber-brown -- not the cool shadow common elsewhere in this archive). Balance: +15, weighted toward the shadow tint.

Detail & Calibration

Sharpening: Amount 30, Radius 1.0, Detail 20, Masking 10. Noise Reduction: Luminance 5, Detail 50, Color 25. Grain: Amount 35, Size 35, Roughness 40 -- coarse and visible, matching the tactile, aged-print texture of the reference material. Calibration: Red Primary Hue +5/Saturation +5, Green Primary Hue -5/Saturation -5, Blue Primary Hue -5/Saturation -10.

The Lightroom preset is available as a downloadable .xmp file -- link coming soon.