Throughout my days using Fujifilm cameras, one argument that comes more often than not is about the Fuji jpeg files, its colors, how unique they look, and how little post-processing is needed. The general proposition being that for many youtubers, reviewers, and photographers is that there is little reason to shoot RAW using Fuji since pictures just look great as they are. I don't call myself an expert, but lately I have come to have an opinion on this subject.

When I started learning photography, the one piece of advise common to all professional photographers is to always shoot RAW. You get all the data information captured by the sensor to allow you to edit the picture to your artistic style and interest. This fact is true and I have lived this way ever since. And I think, still, it should be part of your checklist for certain types of photography. However, there is one thing I have been questioning myself about this "check” in some genres of photography, for instance, street photography: how much you actually need to shoot in RAW? In my case, at my current level of understanding of the subject, still, I'd say it depends.

From here on my comments on this topic will relate to street photography.

Every outing in the streets I have been shooting RAW. But I cannot deny that this has gotten me lazy in my approach to the technique of street photography. Yes, I said it, and I own it. Even using a mirrorless camera, where what you see is what you get, I find myself not worrying too much about the picture because I know I can fix it in post. Only then, after importing my RAW files into Lightroom, I picked the ones I love the most, and start working on them, deciding per each photo what Fuji film simulation looks best: is it a Chrome picture? or, how about using Pro-Neg-Hi?, maybe, perhaps, it'd work in Acros much better? And there you go.

But then, you try to lift the shadows, and see the wormy effects, or you try to darken the shadows and the light looks soft. You stop and wondered: "man, this Lightroom sucks at rendering Fuji files! If I had a full frame Sony camera it'd look much better". Yes, I said it, I own it. This has been a recurring thought for a long time, a bunch of thoughts to justify my GAS instead of forcing me to get better. Then, one day, Fujifilm releases the X-Pro3 camera with that controversial flip LCD screen. And nope, I did not think buying one was the answer to my dilemma, but it made think hard enough to realize something.

It wasn't that flippy screen that caught my attention, it was that little front square LCD screen that shoot me in the head, the one that shows the film simulation you are using, just like the old days of film cameras (not that I knew about it then, it is just that I learned photographers used to cut their film cardboxes to insert a piece in the back of their cameras to remember what film they were using).

That's when it hit me. Perhaps Fujifilm is daring us you to shoot JPEG, to find your style of photography, and decide how you want your pictures to look “in-camera", the same way you made that choice in the old days of photography when you decided the look you want when choosing a preferred film stock: "Kodak Ektar 100, or Fuji Superia 400, or else". In analogue photography there are not RAW files, just negatives (or positives). So, why leave the color rendering of your photos to LIghtroom, when you can make a definite choice on how you want your pictures to look like and leave the rendering to your camera?

I am starting to believe that when youtubers, reviewers and photographers recommended newbies like me to shoot RAW is because files from camera brands like Nikon or Canon had bland picture profiles, and it took truly artistic effort from photographers to work on the look of the picture. The same happens to me when working with Pentax RAW files, I admit it, it takes more work from me. I think this is what Fuji is working hard to remind everybody about their cameras, to remember that the experience of photography happens with and within the camera, like the old days.

This doesn't mean that a little edit is not necessary, but when shooting the streets using a Fuji JPEG film simulation it forces you to slow a bit down, and work the image the way you want it, just a bit similar to how you use true film.

Lately, I dared to shoot JPEG and this is what happened (I kept the RAW files though, because I am still too chicken to let go, we'll see):