Why I Stopped Using Recipes on My Ricoh GR III

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about how people see “unedited” photos. Every time I upload a photo taken with my GR III, I often get questions like, “Is this SOOC?” or “Did you edit this?” At some point, I started wondering — do my photos feel less impressive if they’re edited?

When I first got my Ricoh GR III, I spent a lot of time experimenting with recipes. I looked up references on YouTube, blogs, and social media. Some were amazing, and some… not so much.

For those who don’t know, a recipe basically refers to the in-camera JPEG settings. With certain adjustments — like contrast, brightness, highlights, shadows, and other image elements — the camera produces photos that already match your preferred look straight out of the camera. Each brand has its own term: Fujifilm calls it a Film Simulation, Ricoh calls it Image Control, and Sony uses Creative Style.

But over time, I realized that using recipes isn’t really my thing. I like to reuse my photos and edit them differently depending on the mood or project. I tried shooting RAW + JPEG for a while, but it drained the battery fast, made the camera heat up, and wasn’t very comfortable to hold.

So, at the beginning of 2025, I decided to stop using recipes on my GR III. I wanted more freedom to explore colors through Lightroom. For me, putting too much effort just to get one specific “look” didn’t feel worth it. That said, I still shoot JPEG for social media — to save memory and keep color grading consistent.

As a result, I no longer chase one fixed color style. When I’m out shooting, I focus more on composition and light. Recipes often only work well in certain lighting conditions anyway. When it comes to color and mood, I’d rather fine-tune those later at home.

In the end, photography is personal. Whether you shoot SOOC or edit your photos, what matters most is how the image makes you feel.