Nikon Imaging Cloud Recipe of the Month: August

Agnes Colombo, France, Portraits

Nikon: What were your first impressions of ‘Filmic’?

Agnes Colombo: This recipe is perfect for creating deep, leafy greens, avoiding the radioactive look that some recipes can sometimes give to green tones. As a photographer obsessed with colour, oversaturated greens in outdoor settings have always been a pain point for me. This recipe however desaturates the greens, pushes the contrast and adds a warmer, slightly orange tone to the skin. The result feels deeper and more intense without looking over-graded. In summer, I capture a lot outdoors, surrounded by greenery, and the golden summer light can quickly make colours too punchy. This recipe takes that raw summer palette and turns it into something that feels truly intentional and polished.

What subjects, scenes and genres does it work best with?

This recipe is a portrait photographer's or filmmaker's best friend for any outdoor session where there's green. It's also excellent for slow-motion lifestyle clips and behind-the-scenes content where you want an editorial look without heavy post-production.

Do you like what the recipe did to your clip?

I love it! The skin tones are warmer and more flattering, and the greens no longer compete with my subjects for attention. It's also easier on the eyes. Bright green can be visually aggressive in video, and even in photography for that matter, and this recipe tames it perfectly. It brings depth and intention. It turns a nice clip into a clip that looks as if you made deliberate colour choices. Would I use it again? Without hesitation, mainly for outdoor sessions, family sessions in parks or couple photos at weddings.

Do you have any advice for using it?

My advice is to take a test clip with and without the recipe before your session, as seeing the comparison will train your eye and help you understand exactly what the recipe does to your light and your tones. If I had to tweak anything, I would slightly adjust the warmth on the skin depending on the light conditions of the day, because some late afternoon golden hours can push a bit too much amber when combined with the recipe's warm shift.

How would you challenge our readers to use this recipe?

Apply the recipe and film a 30-60 second clip of someone you love in the greenest location you can find. Focus on one thing: making your subject pop against all that green without touching the colours in post. Bonus points if you film during golden hour and let the recipe's warm tones meet that late summer glow!

Eugenia Hanganu, Portugal, Travel

Nikon: What were your first impressions of ‘Filmic’?

Eugenia Hanganu: My first impression was that it feels cinematic in a restrained way: not loud, not obviously filtered. It doesn't shout for attention – it just makes an ordinary daylight scene look like a frame from a film.

What subjects, scenes and genres does it work best with?

Daylight scenes – landscapes, travel, urban and street, dry earthy palettes, anything with a strong sky. It also does nice things to skin in open daylight. I'd be more careful with very cool or blue scenes you want to keep cool, overcast flat grey light where there's no warmth for it to lean on, and any job where the colours need to be accurate.

Do you like what the recipe did to your clip?

I do. I used it to capture a couple one evening on the Lisbon waterfront. The moment already had a cinematic feeling and I wanted to test ‘Filmic’ on a scene with two people, soft movement, a sense of story and something that was real rather than posed. I liked that the recipe arrives with its own point of view, a mood already built in, without me having to push it there. I think it works for August: summer light here in Lisbon is harsh and bright, and this gives that kind of light a feeling instead of just heat.

Do you have any advice for using it?

Treat it as a final result if it works with the scene you film, or just as a base. This is what I did, using post-processing to make it slightly warmer and softer. But the recipe is built for daylight, so don't save it only for sunsets. Try it on flat midday light with a strong sky and see what it does. And expose properly. The recipe shapes colour – it won’t rescue a badly lit frame.

How would you challenge our readers to use this recipe?

Take it out in ordinary daylight – no waiting for a pretty sunset. Find a plain corner of your city, a junction, a wall, a bit of street furniture, somewhere you'd normally walk past without looking. Capture one real moment there with ‘Filmic’ as your base and let it make the ordinary feel like something out of a film.

Eeva Mäkinen, Finland, Wildlife & Nature

Nikon: What were your first impressions of ‘Filmic’?

Eeva Mäkinen: Very positive! I like how ‘Filmic’ makes the scenery darker, moodier and more contrasty, reflecting the way nature begins to shift at the end of summer.

What subjects, scenes and genres does it work best with?

I think any scene where there is a wide palette of green and blue tones, so nature is perfect. I chose to test it on one of my favourite places that I love to visit, which is near to my home. It’s a beautiful river that flows through the forest. It is very scenic and during summer there are lots of nice green and blue tones that I thought would look good with this recipe.

Do you like what the recipe did to your clip?

I really do. I think it works perfectly for a river landscape where there is blue water and green leaves. It adds beautiful tones and a wonderfully cinematic mood.

Do you have any advice for using it?

Try it with different colours and lighting conditions to see what you like best. I found it works best in daylight, as that seems to give the recipe enough brightness to add depth and contrast without making the scene feel too dark.

How would you challenge our readers to use this recipe?

Find a lake or river that inspires you and try filming it from a few new angles. I’d also recommend using leaves, branches or plants in the foreground, as they can add depth and help frame the scene beautifully.

Ready to give ‘Filmic’ a try?

Over to you! Use this month’s recipe ‘Filmic’ to create your own clips or stills, and if you feel like sharing the results, why not visit us on Instagram @nikoneurope.