Terracotta Vault Light: a Fujifilm recipe for architecture

Today's Luma recipe is for buildings, and specifically for old masonry in low autumn sun. It starts from Classic Neg, which already pushes reds and oranges warmer and denser than they look to the eye, so brick and sandstone come out heavier and more saturated straight from the camera. White balance is fixed at 5600K with a red shift on top, which keeps that warmth the same from frame to frame instead of letting auto white balance neutralise each shot differently.

The tone settings are where you need to pay attention. Highlights at +2 with shadows at -1 is a lot of contrast, and DR200 is there to keep the sunlit side of a facade from clipping. I'd leave the -0.3 exposure compensation in place and check the histogram on the first few frames, because a bright wall beside a shaded doorway is exactly the scene where this curve goes too far. Clarity at +3 also adds a noticeable pause after each shot on most X-Trans bodies while the camera processes the file, so this is a recipe for walking around a building slowly and not for bursts.

Light direction matters more than the settings. Put the sun to the side of the building so it crosses the surface at a low angle, and every mortar line and carved edge throws its own small shadow. Mid-morning and late afternoon work best this time of year.

Settings

• Film simulation: Classic Neg
• Dynamic range: DR200
• D-range priority: Off
• Grain effect: Weak, Small
• Color chrome effect: Strong
• Color chrome FX blue: Weak
• White balance: 5600K
• White balance shift: +3 Red, -2 Blue
• Highlights: +2
• Shadows: -1
• Color: +2
• Sharpness: +2
• Noise reduction: -3
• Clarity: +3
• ISO: 320 to 800
• Exposure compensation: -0.3

It works on the X-T5, X-T50, X-T4, X-T30 II, X-H2, X-H2S, X-S20, X-S10, X-Pro3, X-E4, X-E5, X-M5, X100VI, X100V, GFX100 II, GFX100S II, GFX100S, GFX100RF and GFX50S II.

The full recipe is on Luma's daily page, with a new one every day.