Classic Chrome. I’m talking about Fuji’s film emulation mode not about the cars but the cars are classics too.
Originally I was a big fan of their Velvia mode (I think I was the only one) but I stopped shooting RAW + JPEG when VSCO released their film 04 (slide films). I much prefer the results of this film emulations.
With the Classic Chrome mode it is different. I didn’t like it so much because of its muted colors but I found a way to make it work for me. I combine it with one of the VSCO film settings. Mostly with either the Velvia or the Provia setting. Both already contrasty and with punchy colors. I apply the VSCO film setting first and the Fuji camera profile on top of it. I didn’t even know that this would work but it does. The Classic Chrome adds even more character and contrast but mutes the colors a little bit to provide a very pleasing result.
I’m not a post processing guru. And even though I’m very pleased with my new MacBook Pro I still don’t like to spend to much time in front of the computer. I rather ride one of my bikes or travel to a foreign country. That’s why I love presets and camera profiles that give me instant results. I’m sure that someone who is into post processing would easily do a better job in reasonable time but I don’t care. I shoot RAW so maybe in a distant future I might find the time to deal with my favorite shots before I put them in a photo book. Meanwhile I continue to work with VSCO’s presets. Mainly their slide presets.
BTW: I took the images in Bangkok about 2 weeks ago. I was there on a business trip a week after a bomb killed 20 and injured another 120 people right in front of my hotel. I was already in Asia (Singapore) when the incident happened. I called my local business partner before I decided to go there. Nothing is worth to take any risks but on the other hand you can die when you cross the street. I think it is kismet and there is nothing you can do about it.
The Grand Hyatt Erewan is a fantastic hotel and normally it is fully booked. This time the hotel was half empty. There was police, military and security on every corner checking bags and cars. The Thai’s were as friendly as ever but it was clear that everybody I met was still shocked about what happened. I hope things get back to normal soon and that it doesn’t affect tourism too much. These friendly people deserve it.
