MGA – OneCameraOneLens.com and Nikon Picture Magic

5 minutes must read !

Intro

Well, just to put my readers at ease – no, I’m not switching brands ! 🙂 Today, though, I am going to talk about Nikon Imaging Recipes , onecameraonelens.com, and Mark G. Adams.

But first, a little backstory on how I crossed paths with OneCameraOneLens – and with Mark himself.

Mark and I, well, we’ve known each other for quite a while now. I wish I had a better head for dates and such, but alas – my brain is more ‘RAW’ than properly indexed. I went digging through my archive, and I can say with certainty that it’s been at least five years… but realistically? Probably six or seven, maybe even more.

I think I first stumbled upon Mark’s site back when he was already deep into Fujifilm territory, I found it while searching for solid, trustworthy info on Fuji gear. At the time, I was still juggling my own identity crisis between Pentax and Fuji. We’re both passionate, like-minded folks, and we’ve always shared a fondness for open source tools. Mark leans a bit more towards Darktable, while I gravitate toward RawTherapee—no rivalry, just healthy diversity.

The whole Pentax/Fuji crisis wasn’t my only headache at the time. I had already gone through a couple of photographic oriented blogs, and not long before that, I’d traded in my own domain and website for a free WordPress site – thinking it would offer a fresh, alternative photographic experience. However, it didn’t quite take off. In fact, I seriously considered pulling the plug more than once.

That’s also when Mark really stepped in. He offered support, encouragement, and helped me find some footing – eventually even an audience. To this day, I’m still incredibly grateful for that.

Thanks, Mark !

Ok, let’s move on to our photographic interests, they differ just enough to keep things interesting. We both enjoy shooting nature and architecture, but Mark also dives into areas I find fascinating yet challenging – like model work and street photography, which aren’t exactly my comfort zone, and that contrast has made for a great synergy over the years. We each have our specialties, but there’s a solid overlap in what drives us. And eventually, both of us waved Fuji goodbye and followed our hearts to the gear that matched our personal obsessions. Mark went big with full-frame Nikon; I went small and agile with Olympus/OM System. Funny how that worked out.

When it comes to film simulation, I’ve always leaned more toward using LUTs. Mark, on the other hand, is a wizard when it comes to creating custom profiles and film recipes. His Fujifilm recipes are among the best out there—honestly, I’d call them legendary. Not everyone has that gift, and he’s now channeling that same talent into creating some stunning Nikon looks.

Which brings us to the point of this article:

Mark G. Adams’ Nikon Recipes.

So, if you’re a Nikon shooter—or just a curious photo tinkerer—there’s something brewing over at OneCameraOneLens you’ll want to check out. Mark G. Adams just gave his website a fresh update, and with it comes a new take on Nikon colour profiles—old favourites and bold newcomers alike.

Nikon Imaging Recipes – Picture Magic, Mark-Style

Modern Nikon shooters, rejoice! Mark G. Adams has carved out a dedicated space on his site for custom Nikon looks: the Nikon Imaging Recipes page. Under the “MGA” label (yep, his initials), you’ll find a growing collection of creative picture profiles—ranging from cinematic moods to punchy street vibes.

These are real, loadable Picture Controls, crafted with care, and designed to be imported via Nikon’s NX Studio software. Depending on your camera model, you might even be able to use them in-camera after importing them to a memory card.*** No Nikon Cloud magic required – just a bit of old-school manual setup – but hey, that’s half the fun, right ?.

*** I have to admit I’m venturing into ‘unknown Nikon territory’ for me here so I might be off the ‘Mark’ somewhere 🙂 but I assume Nikon users know what they’re doing — or can find the right info on Mark’s site.

Here are just a few highlights:

• MGA Futurist – Punchy colours with an eye on reds and oranges. Great for bold cityscapes or abstract work.
• MGA MonoFilmic – Black and white with a film-inspired soul, contrasty and moody.
• MGA Natural – Balanced and subtle, giving off that timeless analog look.

Each recipe is downloadable and ready to import—no darkroom chemicals required.

➡ Explore the collection: Nikon Imaging Recipes

The Classics: Nikon Picture Controls

If you’re still rocking a classic Nikon body without cloud features, don’t worry—Mark hasn’t forgotten about you. The revamped Nikon Picture Controls section is filled with manual recipes you can input yourself or use via Nikon’s NX software. Think of them as digital film stocks.

A few examples:

• Portra Skies – Soft contrast, gentle colours—perfect for dreamy outdoor shots.
• FilmiSh – A slightly melancholic vibe, great for documentary-style storytelling.
• Faded Glory – That vintage, desaturated look we all secretly love.

➡ Dive into the classics: Nikon Picture Controls

Walk the Talk – With a River View

In his latest blog post, Mark pairs this update with a relaxing video stroll along his local river and promenade, giving you a first-hand view of some of the looks in action. It’s a nice balance of storytelling and visual demonstration—perfect if you want to see the profiles applied to real-world scenes.

If you’re into colour science, in-camera looks, or just want a shortcut to better JPEGs straight out of your Nikon, this is a must visit. And hey – Mark’s always up for feedback, so let him know what you think of it.

Let’s keep pushing those pixels – one recipe at a time.

I’m still tweaking menus, pages, and a few articles, but today—or very soon—the ‘Luts and Recipes’ menu will also feature links to Mark’s Nikon Imaging Recipes and his legendary Fujifilm Recipes. So, stay tuned!

That’s it for today, Nikon lovers — hope you found the article useful, and that it pointed you toward some Nikon Picture Magic over at MGA.

Marc.

Here’s a quick recap of the links to the different pages – enjoy, Nikon specialists :

This article was written by Marc R.
While I primarily speak Dutch and have some knowledge of English and a little French, ChatGPT helps ensure my writing is grammatically correct. I often mix Dutch and English in my drafts, and ChatGPT steps in to translate and correct.

My latest photo series in La Gallerie :