Fuji Film Recipe - Bailey Black

 I have always been a big fan of the black-and-white work of David Bailey.  Once I became familiar with working in the Fujifilm Recipe format, I wasn't to try and recreate a Bailey-esque Black and White simulation.  Now to fully recreate that effect you would likely need a studio environment with lights and the ability to blow out a background, I don't have that handy, but I think this recipe has the potential to create images with a bailey feel.

David Bailey is renowned for his striking portrait photography, particularly in the 1960s, and his iconic work has a distinct, high-contrast style with deep blacks, vivid highlights, and a rich tonal range. His portraits often have a raw, gritty feel, which, in many ways, could be translated into a modern Fujifilm film simulation recipe.

Film Simulation: Acros (with G filter)

ACROS is a black-and-white film simulation that gives excellent tonal separation, which is key for Bailey's high-contrast, gritty look. The G filter (Green) will add a slightly cooler tone to the highlights, which is often seen in his work. 

Dynamic Range: DR200 or DR400

For a more balanced contrast range and to preserve details in the highlights and shadows, set the Dynamic Range to DR200 or DR400 (depending on your lighting situation). This will allow for a more dramatic look with deep shadows and highlights.

Highlight and Shadow Tone: Highlights: -2

Lowering the highlights helps retain more detail in bright areas, creating a more dramatic, soft look in the highlights.

Shadows: +2

Increase the shadows to deepen the blacks and add to the high-contrast style, which is characteristic of Bailey's portraits.

Sharpness: +1

Bailey’s photos often have crisp detail, especially in the eyes and skin textures of his subjects. Increase the sharpness slightly for enhanced texture, but avoid over-sharpening to maintain a natural look.

Noise Reduction: -4

Since Bailey’s early work was often shot on film, which has a certain amount of grain, reducing noise reduction helps introduce some visible grain into the image. Set it to -4 to allow for grain to show, particularly in shadowy areas and for texture in the image.

White Balance: WB Auto -Ambiance Priority (with Red +1)

Start with Auto White Balance, but warm up the image slightly by adjusting the Red channel to +1. This gives the image warmth in skin tones, which helps emulate the vintage, classic portrait style Bailey was known for.

Grain Effect: Strong

Bailey's work often had a filmic texture, so adding a strong grain effect helps bring out that vintage feel. Use this particularly if you’re aiming for a black-and-white portrait with an added sense of grit.

The Recipe in Short

Film Simulation: Acros (G filter)

Dynamic Range: DR200 or DR400

Highlight: -2

Shadow: +2

Sharpness: +1

Noise Reduction: -4

White Balance: Auto (Red +1)

Grain Effect: Strong