Film Recipe - Kodachrome Style - Grainy Film Base (Colour)

Fujifilm Recipes

23 Oct

Experience the magic of vintage photography with my 'Kodachrome' film recipe – a nostalgic homage to the classic film. Revisit the timeless look and colours that defined an era in photography. Unlock the key to stunning, retro-inspired images with this Fujifilm recipe.

Kodachrome: Grainy Nostaligic Film Simulation

Kodachrome Fujifilm Film Recipe

Kodachrome Style is a nostalgic interpretation of one of the most iconic colour films in history. It doesn’t attempt to replicate the chemical complexity of the original, but it does aim to evoke that distinctive warmth, richness, and gentle contrast that defined decades of storytelling—family photos, travel diaries, and historical moments captured in vibrant, tangible colour.

Built on Classic Chrome and shaped to favour reds, muted blues, and warm natural light, this recipe creates timeless-looking images with a touch of film-era imperfection. It’s restrained where it should be, vivid where it matters, and always emotionally grounded.

Fujifilm JPEG Settings:

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Film Simulation: Classic Chrome
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Grain Effect: Weak
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Grain Size: Large
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Colour Chrome Effect: Strong
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Colour Chrome FX Blue: Weak
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WB Shift: R:2 B:-3
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Highlight Tone: -1
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Shadow Tone: +2
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Colour: -1
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Sharpness: +2
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Clarity: +1
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NOTE: Some settings may not be available on every Fujifilm Camera

Notes on the Settings

Classic Chrome provides the right balance between vibrancy and softness—it gently mutes the scene in a way that supports nostalgic colour without dulling the frame.
Grain Effect: Weak / Size: Large creates a filmic texture that feels familiar to Kodachrome shooters—fine enough not to distract, but present enough to feel tactile.
Color Chrome Effect: Strong adds richness in warmer tones, especially reds and oranges, while Color Chrome FX Blue: Weak restrains blues to echo the film’s signature palette.
WB Shift R:+2 B:-3 subtly warms the frame while cooling shadows just enough to add tonal depth. It keeps the palette classic—balanced, not sterile.
Highlight Tone -1 / Shadow Tone +2 creates a soft contrast curve. Whites hold texture, blacks have body—mimicking Kodachrome’s well-controlled latitude.
Color -1 pulls saturation back slightly to avoid pushing too hard. This makes room for the enhanced chroma effects to do their work organically.
Sharpness +2 / Clarity +1 offer definition without modern crispness. Textures hold their shape, but transitions stay smooth.

Artistic Reasoning

Kodachrome Style is best used in open light, golden hour, or in any setting where warmth and memory overlap. It’s ideal for travel, portraits, street scenes, or just making today look a little more like yesterday.

It doesn’t try to mimic a lab process—it tries to honour a feeling. The colour of a sunlit childhood. A dusty map. A red jumper. It’s about remembering, even if you weren’t there the first time.

Use it when the moment feels worth keeping.

Kodachrome: Grainy Colour Film Simulation Recipe (Sample Images)

If you prefer Shooting RAW:

For those of you who prefer to shoot RAW and edit with the more advanced latitude this gives you, you may be interested in my current set of Professionally designed profile-based Lightroom and Adobe Camera Raw Presets.

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