Getting to Grips
I got a new eyecup for my G9 today. Cheap as chips, a genuine Panasonic one courtesy of the lovely peeps at Wex. It is transformative as it makes the use of the viewfinder so much more comfortable. I’m beginning to really enjoy using the G9. I am wondering why I slogged on with various full frame cameras, all getting increasingly heavy. This camera is more than capable of helping me produce the type of photos I love taking. I’ve sold some gear over the Christmas period and am awaiting a used GX9 to compliment my G9. I also have received a Panasonic Leica Summilux 15mm f1.7 lens today to complete my lens collection. I can get all of my lenses and camera in one bag and it’s still lighter than a full frame body with attached lens and two other lenses. It makes carrying a camera a joy again. I’ve gone for the GX9 as a sort of replacement for the Ricoh GRIIIX. It means I can have a small, discreet camera but I can also carry a couple of other lenses in a small bag and it not feel cumbersome.
This time of year is often seen as an opportunity to reflect on the past year and plan for the next one. It has been a turbulent one photographically, what with all the changes I’ve made in gear. On a personal level, it has also been difficult. I lost my mum in June this year which was very sad. She had lived a long life and died peacefully with her family around her. I also have two new grandsons who are both adorable; this seems to often coincide with the loss of older family members. As I approach the dying embers of 2023, what have I learned? Firstly, the best camera you own, is the one you have with you. I know this is a well known saying in the photography world but it is very true. I have realised, creating art through photography doesn’t require the top spec, full frame gear with all the bells and whistles. Having a kit that is portable, functional and understandable is more important. I love the Panasonic menu systems, the ability to be able to shoot both stills and video to a very high standard and yet be light, tactile and reliable, are reassuring.
So what next for 2024? I plan to get out to some new locations and really work on creating more professional, more interesting photographs. We hope to be moving house at some point this year. Ideally, we hope to move to the coast, to build a new life by the sea. I have a deep affinity with the sea even though, I’m no sailor, fisherman or have any family connections. I don’t necessarily want to focus on coastline or seascapes but having it on the doorstep would be a massive bonus. It is more about the feeling one experiences stood on a beach, a clifftop, a harbour. Being next to an immense force of nature is humbling. I will miss living amongst the Pennine moorland but we need a change. My aspiration is to learn how to get the best out the kit I have. I also want to grow my fledgling professional photography, to sell more proficiently through this website and to offer my services as an outdoors photographer to any potential clients.
I need to get fitter, to be less impulsive, take my time over photographs, not rush the process. The photographer Chris Orange, a constant source of inspiration to me, has moved away from digital cameras for his landscape work and gone to medium format film. It isn’t a new experience for him but he’s decided to shoot film for his landscape work as it enables him to enjoy the creative process and slow down more. I too have shot film over the years but never with a serious professional grade camera. I rushed using compact 35mm film cameras so almost conversely, I now take my time far more using professional level digital! Thank you for being with me in 2023. I wish you all a very Happy New Year and hope 2024 is a peaceful and productive one for you.
