Ilford HP5 Plus Lightroom Preset for Nikon Zf (and Friends)

Because your therapy bills weren’t high enough already.

Congratulations. You’ve stumbled upon the HP5+ preset — Ilford’s most beloved offering to anyone convinced that sadness is a valid creative vision. The real film comes with grain, contrast, and just enough melancholy to make your subjects question their life choices. This digital version? Well… it comes with sliders.

Designed for Nikon’s 24MP lineup (Zf, Z6, Z5, Zfc, and whatever other Z you panic-bought during lockdown), this preset delivers two key promises:

  • Your photos will look like they’ve been marinating in regret since 1989.

  • You’ll finally have a reason to post that blurry street shot of a bin bag and call it “commentary.”

Download it, apply it, and then tell yourself the crushed shadows are “moody.” We won’t tell anyone you just missed the exposure.

👉 Download the preset
💸 Like it? Buy me a coffee so I can keep fuelling the caffeine-induced bad decisions that lead to presets like this.

📦 What You’re Getting

This pack includes:

  • Z24 – HP5+ – Gutter Press – Perfect for photographing a lone pigeon and insisting it’s about late-stage capitalism.

  • Z24 – HP5+ – Bleak Chic – Because nothing says “I love you” like making someone look like a Bergman extra.

  • Z24 – HP5+ – Crisis Contrast – Shadows deeper than your self-esteem and whites bright enough to fry an eyeball.

All three come in one tidy .zip. Unpack, load into Lightroom, and pretend you’re the Ansel Adams of existential despair.

T‑MAX Lightroom Preset for Nikon Zf (and Friends)

Because your photos weren’t mediocre enough already.

Congratulations. You’ve found the T‑MAX preset — Kodak’s gift to anyone who thought their perfectly serviceable digital files just weren’t lifeless enough. This preset has it all: subtle grain you’ll pretend to appreciate, bland contrast that whispers “Instagram influencer in denial,” and the uncanny ability to make even your most colorful shots look like they were taken during a minor existential crisis.

Designed for Nikon’s 24MP lineup (Zf, Z6, Z5, Zfc, and whatever else you’re hoarding), this preset guarantees two things:

  1. Your mum will still pity‑like your photos.

  2. You’ll convince yourself that desaturation equals art.

Download it, apply it, and then tell yourself it looks “filmic.” Deep down you’ll know better.

👉 Download the preset
💸 Like it? Buy me a coffee so I can keep the caffeine flowing and the sliders sliding.

📦 What You’re Getting

This pack includes:

  • Z24 – TMax – Edge Line – Because photographing lamposts is ART.

  • Z24 – TMax – Backlit Bloom – Pretend it’s magic.

  • Z24 – TMax – Studio Clean – If you can afford a soft box..

All three come in one .zip file. Unpack, load in Lightroom, and pretend you understand tonal range.

Capturing the Fire: Photographing the Shiozuka Highlands Grassland Burning

Every year, the Shiozuka Highlands in Shikoku are set ablaze—not by accident, but as part of a controlled burning tradition. This event transforms the landscape into a dramatic scene of fire, smoke, and deep color contrasts, making it a fascinating subject for photography. This year, I set out to document the experience, adapting my approach as the event unfolded.

Expectations vs. Reality

Going in, I had envisioned a landscape-focused shoot, expecting to take my time composing wide, cinematic shots. I planned for late-evening photography, anticipating deep blues in the sky complementing the fire’s glow. However, the entire event wrapped up much faster than expected, finishing around 6:30 PM. While I missed the deep evening tones, the smoke filtered the sunlight beautifully, creating a manageable dynamic range and a strong contrast between cyan and orange hues.

The experience turned out to be more of an event shoot than a landscape session, with fast-paced movement and unpredictable elements. The fire spread quickly, and people were scattered across the fields, making long exposures impractical. Instead, I found myself reacting in real-time, adjusting settings, and moving fast to capture fleeting moments.

Gear & Adaptability

One of my biggest takeaways? Versatility matters more than perfection. I originally intended to rely on a wide-angle zoom but ended up using a 180mm prime for half the event, simply because there wasn’t time to swap lenses. Later, I switched to a 28-105mm, still on manual focus, as I had only brought one adapter. Shooting with manual focus in a high-paced setting added another layer of difficulty, but in the end, I still managed to capture some strong images.

To compensate for the fast action, I opted for higher ISOs and faster shutter speeds over absolute image quality. It was the right call—sharp, well-timed images trump noise-free but blurred shots.

If I were to do it again, I’d bring a superzoom like a 28-200mm or even a 28-400mm. This event wasn’t about the highest possible image quality—it was about adaptability, and a flexible focal range would have helped immensely.

Key Takeaways for Future Shoots

  1. Arriving early isn’t crucial for shooting, but it helps with parking. The best spots fill up fast, and the nearest alternative parking requires a one-hour trek.

  2. A tripod setup won’t guarantee the best shots. The fire’s unpredictable movement and shifting crowds mean handheld shooting (or a monopod) is often the better choice.

  3. Think in terms of a photo set, not just a single hero shot. Unlike traditional landscape photography, where one perfect frame might stand out, event photography is about telling a story across multiple images. In this case, the images work best as a sequence rather than individual masterpieces.

Final Thoughts & Full Gallery

Despite the unexpected challenges, the shoot was a success. High shutter speed images and slow-motion video worked out best, capturing the intensity of the flames and smoke in motion. The experience was a great reminder that plans are just a starting point—true creativity comes from adapting in the moment.

If you’re planning to photograph an event like this, I hope this breakdown helps you make the most of it!