Which Recipe For Important Occasions?: A Question I’m Asked Often And See Asked Often.

As we go into 2026, it seems now, more than ever, the trend for photographers to shoot in jpeg “recipes” is bigger than it’s ever been. As a prime-proponent of recipe creations during the last 6 or 7 years (with Fujifilm and Nikon), I am often asked which recipe people should use for photographing weddings, events, portraits, baby arrivals and other such events that we all want to remember for the rest of our lives. Today I give you the answer I give each and every single person who asks me for these recipes.

Firstly, let’s get some common sense out of the way first, so that my answer makes sense to you when you read it. Life changing events, for you or the person or persons you are photographing are likely to be the most important memories that they will cherish for the rest of their lives. They are images that will viewed not only now, but usually in years to come also. The photograph you take is the memory that will always be with them. 

It’s understandable that as a novice or amateur photographer, many like to take images using the latest trend in photography, and currently for many photographers that trend is in-camera  recipes recreating a look or feel that is artistic in nature, even though many think that those looks are supposed to mimic old film etc. 

The reality is, as much fun as recipes are, they are a gimmick, and there’s no doubt that in years to come, you’ll be as embarrassed with many of the colour grading options you’ve chosen today (look back at your images from a decade ago where you decided to be a bit more “artistic“)!

Whenever anyone asks me what recipe that they should use for a wedding shoot, important portrait shoot, special family events, a newborn baby or numerous other life-changing once in a lifetime events I give them the same answer; photograph in raw no matter what you do, and for you jpeg profile use a standard profile… Nothing else, just the most natural profile that your camera has to offer.

If you want to make more artistic edits, make sure you keep the natural, standard profiles, or naturally processed raw files and use those, as well as any artistic colour implementations. The standard colour images, which look natural, will be as fresh as they are today when they’re viewed in decades to come. The artistic edits may or may not be so much.

It is extremely important to remember, that today’s trends are the things that we laugh at in a year or two, and that goes for silly photography filters and colour palettes too.

So next time you are photographing something important that involves people or important things, make sure you follow this advice on this article. You’ll thank me later.