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Show your true colours: Film Simulations with Fujifilm
FUJIFILM X-Photographer Luke Davis talks inspiration, motivation and Film Simulations
WANDERING THE WORLD Davis creates lots of images while travelling with friends, and Film Simulations are a useful tool for editing on the go
The best of both? Fujifilm has a rich analogue heritage – it’s been creating film since 1934. This expertise has been used to create 20 different Film Simulation modes, available on X Series and GFX System cameras. The profiles are based on a variety of classic film stocks, with users able to switch settings at the press of a button. For Luke, film photography remains an enjoyable pastime, but the expense involved makes it one he indulges in less frequently. “If I’m travelling with friends – who are usually photographers themselves – we take it as a bit of a challenge to work with 35mm film. It’s something I want to do more of – but the rising cost of film does get in the way. For me, and especially using Fujifilm, it’s hard to justify
they can almost just shut their eyes and imagine they’re there. That’s the primary thing I strive for in my photos, regardless of subject.” Analogue inspiration Luke traces the beginnings of his visual style to photographers who inspired him to pursue the craft. “I didn’t learn photography in a really traditional way,” he notes. “It was predominantly by browsing on Instagram and learning through YouTube. A lot of the photographers I followed specialised in travel and landscapes, but it was when this faded film look was really popular. “Having an analogue edge to your photos and embracing softer, grainier textures – I thought it lent itself to this specific atmosphere, of looking back into a memory.
the point where I could probably pick up a camera from over 20 years ago and still replicate the same style – there are such definite advantages in today’s technology. “For my bread and butter, I photograph a lot of commercial work,” notes Luke. “I primarily use the FUJIFILM X-T5, and having a camera that’s so technologically capable is really handy. There are moments where I do need super- high resolution or clinical sharpness. But I have all the Film Simulations to use when I want to create more personal work. “Fujifilm gives me that perfect balance of being able to exercise an analogue look – which I love – while not feeling limited in any way. If I need better resolution, if I need autofocus, I’ve still got it on tap.”
“I TRY NOT to niche myself too heavily into certain genres. I definitely gravitate towards travel and landscape, but I try to cover everything within those – wildlife, portraiture, things like that,” begins Luke Davis. A photographer based in Dorset, Luke’s love for the great outdoors has seen him travel the world with a camera in hand – although his focus is less on creating in a specific genre and more on achieving a consistent, overarching style. “What I’m always chasing is this sense of atmosphere and warmth in my photos,” he explains. “It might sound strange, but I don’t want people to feel like they’re looking at a digital photo. I want them to feel immersed – to build up this version of what they’re looking at, where
“That’s where my style comes from: chasing the almost dreamlike feeling that those kinds of photos gave me back in the day.” While digital cameras have never been more powerful, Luke suggests that enjoyment of photography is often more nuanced than simply pursuing a perfect likeness. “It’s easy to get a bit disillusioned by all the latest, bleeding-edge tech and having everything perfect and pristine. Just like ten or 15 years ago when vinyl had its comeback – there’s a sense of warmth to the sound that you couldn’t get from streaming MP3s – people are now starting to embrace a more tactile, analogue style of photography again. “I’m on the fence about it though, in a way. Although my work leans into that more imperfect world – to
20 Photography News | Issue 121
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