X-Trans V · X-Trans IV
Soft Mono Portrait
Warm-toned black and white for faces.
Short answer
This recipe uses ACROS+G for even skin, then warms the monochrome with a white balance shift of R +3 / B −2. Highlight −1 and Sharpness −1 keep faces soft. It is built for indoor portraits and available light.
Camera settings
| Film simulation | ACROS+G |
|---|---|
| Dynamic Range | DR200 |
| Highlight | -1 |
| Shadow | 0 |
| Sharpness | -1 |
| High ISO NR | -2 |
| Clarity | 0 |
| Grain Effect | Weak, Large |
| Toning | WB Shift R +3 / B -2 |
| White Balance | Auto |
| ISO | Auto up to 6400 |
| Exposure Compensation | +1/3 |
Black and white portraits fail in two ways: skin goes patchy, and the image feels cold and clinical. The green filter fixes the first and a warm tone shift fixes the second, which is the entire idea here.
The green filter on skin
ACROS+G darkens reds slightly, and reds in skin are what turn a face blotchy in monochrome. Blemishes, flushed cheeks and lips all stop competing for attention.
It also lightens any foliage in the background, which separates a subject from a green hedge rather than leaving them against a black wall.
The warm tone
White balance still works in black and white — it changes how the colour channels are mixed and tints the result. R +3 / B −2 gives a warm, slightly sepia tone that reads as a darkroom print rather than a desaturated file.
Grain Weak, Large completes it. Large grain suits soft tonality, and ACROS scales it with ISO so the effect strengthens naturally as the light drops.
Works on
Common questions
Is this the same as using Sepia?
No. Sepia applies a fixed, even tint. This applies a tone through the white balance, which affects highlights and shadows differently and stays adjustable.
Why Highlight −1?
The lit side of a face clips before anything else in a portrait, and once white skin has clipped there is nothing to recover.
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Last updated September 1, 2026