The Fujifilm community is a breeding ground for creativity, and a great place to find inspiration especially if you’re a newcomer to the ecosystem.
Over the past few months, there’s one specific JPEG recipe that has garnered more attention than I can recount in the couple of years I’ve shot on Fuji – Classic Cuban Negative by Osan Bilgi. It’s a recipe that I’ve used and that delivers some interesting results across a variety of settings, but especially shines when it comes to street photography.
I decided to take a walk through one of Seoul's most compelling districts for street shooting, get some insights from the creator of the recipe, and share some advice for photographers looking to experiment with JPEG recipes.
Classic Negative as a simulation is based on the Fuji Color Superia 100 film stock from the 1980s. That original emulsion was designed as an all-purpose film with fine grain and accurate color. The Classic Neg profile on Fuji cameras seems to capture that look pretty well, with a slightly harder tonality that works great for street scenes.
To add some extra perspective, I reached out to Osan Bilgi, the creator of this popular recipe. Osan, who is based in Switzerland, explained that he developed the Classic Cub Negative when he switched to Fuji from Sony in 2023. Unsatisfied with the existing recipe options, he set out to create his own. It was a trip to Cuba that really helped him refine the settings to his liking, with the "rich colors, weather, and people" inspiring a bolder, more saturated look.
Osan noted that the response has been so positive likely because there aren't many recipes built on the Classic Neg profile that have resonated with the community. And being based in Switzerland, where there are fewer photographers than in the US, may have also helped his images stand out.
One thing to keep in mind with this recipe is the strong reddish color shift. Osan advises against using it for portraits or on overcast days. Instead, he recommends shooting in sunny conditions with lots of greens, clouds, and sky - especially around golden hour.
Fortunately, Osan has a few other recipes you can check out if you're a fan of this look, including Summer Chrome, Cuban Ace, and Vibrant Astia. You can find those on his website, which I'll link here.
As for advice for photographers new to experimenting with recipes, Osan's recommendation is to be creative and keep trying different exposure settings. He says the "vibe changes completely" when you intentionally over or underexpose.
The area where I shot this video is just north of central Seoul in Jongro, which is a pretty gritty and old school area, but an area that is becoming super popular with younger crowds on the weekends especially.
Within the space of just a few square kilometres you’ve got ajummas getting their hair dyed, trendy cafes with long lines, drunken ajoshis playing board games, and one of Seoul’s most visited tourist spots in Ikseon-dong.
It’s quite jarring to imagine all of these motifs packed into one area, but I hope that these images, using this recipe, have given you a taste of this little slice of Seoul.
