Film Recipe - Cysgod (Acros+R)
Cysgod: Monochrome Film Simulation Recipe
Cysgod
(Welsh for “Shadow”)
Cysgod means “shadow,” and this is exactly that: a recipe that pushes blacks into silence and lets whites shine like they’re being held up by tension alone. There’s no softness here. No nostalgia. Just contrast, shape, and space.
It’s for graphic compositions. Deep silhouettes. Photographs that feel more like etchings than film. The kind of image that doesn’t ask you to feel—it tells you to look.
Fujifilm JPEG Settings:
| Option | Value |
|---|---|
| Dynamic Range | DR100 |
| D Range Priority | - |
| Film Simulation | Acros+R |
| Grain Effect | Off |
| Grain Size | - |
| White Balance | Daylight |
| Monochromatic Color | WC:0 MG:0 |
| WB Shift | R:0 B:0 |
| Highlight Tone | +4 |
| Shadow Tone | +4 |
| Sharpness | +4 |
| High ISO NR | -2 |
| Clarity | +4 |
Notes on the Settings
ACROS+R adds intensity to contrast—skies drop, shadows deepen, and everything takes on more graphic weight.
DR100 intentionally limits highlight protection. We want blowout. Whites should feel electric. Highlight +4 / Shadow +4 exaggerate that tension and flatten greys into bold zones of black and white.
No Grain, No WB Shift, No Colour Modifiers—this one is surgical. It’s all about light and line.
Sharpness +4 / Clarity +4 deliver maximum edge. Surfaces feel hard. Shapes feel carved. This is about control, not softness.
High ISO NR -2 keeps the blacks clean but textured.
Artistic Reasoning
Cysgod is a recipe for restraint. It’s built to reduce, not embellish. Use it when you want your photo to feel decisive—when you want the shadows to feel intentional and the light to speak for itself.
It works best with bold compositions, minimalism, and subject matter that doesn’t mind being reduced to shape and contrast. It won’t flatter. It won’t whisper. It just defines.
Some looks ask you to linger. This one holds its breath.
Cysgod: Monochrome Film Simulation Recipe Film Simulation Recipe (Sample Images)
