Out of Hibernation

Winter tends to feel like a long season. Longer than others given the temperatures, the absence of daylight hours and the incessant rain. In winter, most plants go into a period of hibernation. We need these cold months to enable germination of seeds dropped from the previous year. They allow new growth to appear and carry on the cycle of life. Trees shed their leaves in autumn in order to prepare for the long cold winter months. They preserve their energy in order to resume when the temperatures increase and available light is more plentiful. Now I guess you probably all know these facts about the life cycle of plants.

People adjust to winter as well. We behave differently because of the weather and light conditions. Many photographers relish the low sun and the bare trees. I love taking photos in winter and not just of snow or frost. Spring is and always has been a welcome relief for me but a tricky season to take photos in. I love blossom. new growth, longer daylight hours but it is an unpredictable season. I feel as if I should be doing more, of feeling renewed but this doesn’t always follow. I’m a complex kind of guy, you could say contrary. I love photography and everything surrounding it. I have learned and hopefully improved over recent years but am left with the nagging feeling of having left it all a little late in life. This feeling won’t stop me pursuing my passion and career but it is as if I am playing catch up and to much younger photographers.

All the photos featured in this post are shot in or around Hebden Bridge. It has been my permanent home for a couple of years and it is a good place to live. The artistic community is vibrant and allows me the opportunity to join in with my work. Times are tough for freelance artists, makers, creatives at present. Finances are stretched and people are prioritising basic needs above art. I have an exhibition on at Old Town Post Office currently and I love showing my work to the general public. I could have sold more, have had more at my private viewing but I am grateful to Sarah for giving me the opportunity to show my work. I am participating in the town’s Open Studios this year and have another exhibition with my photographer friend Will booked for early September.

I see my current exhibition as part of my emergence from a creative hibernation. I should be out more often, taking photographs. I should be pushing my work and offering my professional services to small businesses. I should be doing all these things but I am not. That’s not to say I don’t intend to. I am in that place that most burgeoning professional artists find themselves of not quite believing it’s all worth it. The photography I love, the resultant prints look beautiful even if the images aren’t Magnum Photos calibre. I find it hard to say what type of photographer I actually am which is difficult in this age. We like pigeon holes, categories, niches to place people in. Customers, other creatives want to know what you are in one sentence. Long explanations can be pretentious or misleading. They give the listener/reader a sense of uncertainty in the artist or worse, a feeling that to be pigeon holed is to stifle their creativity.

When people ask what sort of photographer I am, I know what sort I am not more than what I am. There you see, he is being vague so he’s either pretentious or amateur. The best description I can come up with is an ‘outdoor and documentary photographer’. I remember trying to write mission statements in my previous career and struggling with it. I know I am not currently a studio portrait, full time landscape, sports, photojournalist photographer. I do all the bits left after those are taken up. Going back to hibernation and emerging from it; I guess I need to be more business like, more goal oriented. I need to set up future work, plan future projects. I just have to believe that striving will produce results. I am not alone in that I’m fully aware. I have no intention giving up and saving myself the effort. I have spent 40 years trying to find a job I love and I am not about to give up!

Mirror Or Not?

I’m an experienced chop and change merchant. I have extensive knowledge and experience of switching camera brands and systems. The only digital format I haven’t tried is medium format and that’s mainly because I can’t afford to. If someone gave me £10,000 to buy a camera system, I would seriously contemplate medium format. As it is, my budget is very limited. I rely on selling and trading to get the gear I use. About four months ago, I moved to Canon DSLR from micro four thirds Panasonicville. I wanted to rekindle a love of DSLR cameras and how they work. The Canon native glass is top notch, even the budget end 50mm f1.8 and 40mm f2.8. The autofocus and shutter systems are very quick. They don’t have IBIS but a few of the lenses have OIS so it’s there if you need to steady things.

I have spent the time since, using DSLR’s and mainly, loving them. There are a few drawbacks but on the whole, the shooting experience is very satisfying. I have mainly used mirrorless cameras in the past as I like to occasionally use vintage film lenses but the disadvantages of mirrorless are rarely talked about. The battery life is invariably worse, the start up time is slower and autofocus isn’t always as quick as with DSLRs. The camera world is nearly all mirrorless nowadays and the major brands (Canon and Nikon), have ceased to bring out new DSLR models or lenses. Everything is mirrorless with both having to create a whole new line of lenses to suit new mounts.

I recently sold one of my DSLR bodies to get a Canon EOS R mirrorless camera. It was the first full frame model Canon brought out and is a great starting point for them. it has its drawbacks but every camera I have ever owned had them. My dalliance with Leica full frame was great but not without its woes. I wanted to stay with Canon and have the ability (with an adapter), to use my existing EF glass. It connects flawlessly and works very well on the EOS R. Yes, the old problems with mirrorless are present on the EOS R but on the whole, I really like using it. I do think Canon have the best menu system of any manufacturer I have tried and it crosses over from DSLR to mirrorless, without missing a step.

My two camera system is now a Canon 6D Mark II and the EOS R. They are both lovely to use and similar in the quality of image they produce. I can’t decide as to which I will use for video work as the specs are similar. I have shied away
from looking at the R6, R5 or R6 II, as I’m not entirely sure I need IBIS as yet. Is the DSLR a dying breed of camera, probably? Are they irrelevant to today's photographers, no. The flagship Canon 1DX Mark III is an astonishing camera, that can often outperform most of the current Canon mirrorless cameras. It is far tougher and has a massive shutter life expectancy.

I know I have done these sort of gear centered reviews before and then gone and switched. I’m not telling you to go Canon or that I love them like no other. I haven’t ever explored the mysterious world of Sony full frame and there may come a day when I do. I do think using DSLR’s, is a very joyful thing and they are capable of producing stunning images, despite their ageing technology. As mentioned earlier, I do use old film lenses on occasions and we are talking 40-50 year old lenses. The images you can capture with these can be as good as any modern lens. Many filmmakers use vintage glass as they produce a more ‘filmic look’. Sharpness and precision are nice but not the be all and end all. Just because your camera is older than five years and may have a mirror, it doesn’t render it obsolete. Maybe there is a place for the continuance of DSLRs ? Maybe to harness what they do really well with what a modern mirrorless camera can achieve, is the way forward?

Capturing Clouds

If you ask most people what their idea of a perfect day is, they would invariably cite the fact that there ‘wasn’t a cloud in the sky’. Clear blue skies tend to cheer folks up, well apart from most photographers I know. A cloudless sky is one stripped of an important element, drama. That drama is often supplied by clouds. Whether they are the soft fluffy type, the dark moody type or the mackerel skies. Cloud inversions are even more sought after. That feeling you are floating above the clouds and distant landscapes peek through the clouds or are enveloped by them. Calderdale is a particularly good spot for cloud inversions as the valleys are very steep sided and cloud has a tendency to get trapped in them.

My photography tends to lean on the dark and moody side. I love dramatic atmospheres - mist, cloud, storm, the more oppressive or cloudy, the better. Maybe it's because I haven’t come to grips with shooting in very sunny conditions, or I just don’t use ND filters enough/properly. Maybe it is because it is a reflection of my general mood. I have a dark brooding personality that is best expressed through my photography. From the moment I started to take photography more seriously, I favoured dark, de-saturated images. I thought and indeed still do think, a light blue/grey tone to my photography works better for me. Clouds and cloud inversions really lend themselves to this colour palette.

We do good skies in Yorkshire. We have big landscapes with height and valleys. This can be a problem to capture the grandeur of the landscape but I still try. There sometimes isn’t a foreground, just plenty of middle and background. It is how you present this type of view. I have used 2:1 or 16:9 crops lately to express a sense of scale to my photos. I find it a good way of showing off just how open and uninterrupted the scenery is.

There is a local campaign to stop a proposed windfarm of 65, 200m high wind turbines on the moors between upper Calderdale and the moors above Top Withens near Haworth. This would have a devastating effect on the upland moorland ecosystem as well as drastically affecting the landscape of this area. To say it is overkill is an understatement! We are used to wind turbines in Calderdale but on a smaller scale. Clumps of up to ten moderately sized turbines, can just about sit comfortably with the surroundings but this proposal is huge both in the size of the turbines and the number they wish to put in place. The big skies would be peppered with massive structures, looming like giants over the peat bogs and rocky outcrops. It would be dramatic but rather more in the way Tolkien painted nightmarish visions of the landscape once Isengard fell to Saruman.

I didn't intend this to be a campaigning blog post about the wind farm proposal, it is about why I love clouds.Maybe it is their ethereal qualities, their mystical properties, of how they change the landscape for the better. I am writing this on damp grey Sunday morning. It doesn’t feel very inspirational weather today. The sky is light grey with little or no cloud definition at all. I do try in every light or weather to get photos. I do work for my craft but I just don’t crave clear blue skies any more. Good luck to you if you do and I hope they lift your spirits. Mine aren’t deflated by blue skies but just throw in a few clouds to make them more interesting.

Dales Landscape

Every few months, my partner needs to deliver or collect artwork from a gallery in Settle, North Yorkshire. We try to combine the day with half decent weather so I can take a few photos along the way. It’s been a bit grim up north since January, with only a few decent standout days for dry weather. Clouds I like, dark moody skies are excellent. I am ok with very sunny as long as I can find ways round the glare. Wednesday was a very sunny dry day. I am no landscape photographer and do not relish standing in a dramatic landscape in subzero temperatures or torrential rain. I just want to be able to capture some images without too much inconvenience.

I discovered a back road from Grassington to Settle. It’s probably well known but I have never travelled that way so therefore, I discovered it. I took my Canon 6D with me plus a couple of lenses. It is a pleasure to use older technology that can still deliver good quality images. It doens’t have many bells or whistles but I don’t mind. In some ways, I prefer a simple efficient tool to do the job. My GH5 II has loads of tricks up its sleeve but you always feel as if you’re fighting to keep up with what it is capable of. Like an eternal quest for knowledge that you will never quite master. To some, this array of specs is enough to convince you that it is the camera for you. Maybe it is an age thing but increasingly, this only manages to baffle me rather than help. The joy of being out the other day with my 6D was that the basics were what mattered rather than what my camera could do. I know I have barely scratched the surface of what a 12 year old DSLR is capable of and yet it doesn't shout out to you. I was allowed to take in the wonderful landscape of the Yorkshire Dales.

I was born in Yorkshire but grew up in Kent. I have lived back here for 36 years this year and it was only when I moved back, did I really find the wild places the combined counties have to offer. The Dales are a captivating mixture of dramatic rocky hills and farmland. Man’s hand is rarely absent from this landscape. It has been farmed, mined, quarried and lived in for thousands of years. Great viaducts such as the one at Ribblehead, span a broad head to a valley. It became as iconic as the highest of the three peaks, Whernside. I don’t spend enough time in the Dales and would drive through to get to the Lake District. I live in Calderdale which has its share of drama but in an even bleaker fashion. Its moors seem almost more inhospitable but it lacks the rising limestone karst scenery that the Dales possesses.

I enjoyed stopping to see the landscape, to feel less pressure to take the perfect shot. I have and am very guilty of putting too much pressure on myself to produce stunning images most of the time. I know I will fall short and yet I don’t stop to think that I shouldn’t be piling that level of expectation on myself. I am not at the level of those I truly admire but I feel as if I have gone a way down the road towards them. I am training myself to enjoy what’s around me and be more considered when taking photographs. I set my camera up and try to capture what I see and how it could look in the finished image/print. It is good advice to spend time wandering around before you take the photo. Take in the possibilities and look at the possible variations before you press the shutter button. That way, you learn to appreciate what you are taking a photo of.

Joy In Simplicity.

I had an epiphany a couple of weeks ago. No, I haven’t got religion or had a visitation from outer space. I realised something. What if I could have one system for landscape projects and video; and one for street, portrait and daily use? Simple really. The only problem is how do I get both without breaking the bank? The answer came to me one day. What if I slimmed down my micro four thirds set up and keep what I need for video & landscapes and go old school for my portrait, street and daily use. The solution started to become clearer. I put one of my micro four thirds cameras up for sale, sold a lens I wasn’t really using and bought a cheap full frame DSLR. My problem with full frame DSLR’s is the size and weight of them. Generally, the lenses are big and heavy. The bodies are invariably very big and heavy and I end up back in the situation I was in six months ago. I didn’t want to be lugging big bags of gear around with me and causing a recurrence of my neck and shoulder pain.

I searched, researched and found my solution. I went for the Canon 6D. Its a small, light, full frame DSLR with a respectable 20.2mp sensor. It is cheap as it’s getting on but built very solidly. I found one online with a 50mm f1.8 lens at a very good price. I bought the kit along with the highly rated Canon EF 40mm f2.8 pancake lens (also very cheap). I took possession of the items a few days ago. Ive only been out three times with this setup but what a revelation. The camera is very comfortable, lighter than my GH5II and a joy to use. I am a novice with DSLR’s and have much to learn but my first impressions are very favourable. I opted for a full frame because of the ability to work in low light. I also like the fact there isn’t any maths involved when working out the focal length of your lens. No crop factors or calculations as to what focal length your lens actually is. A 50mm lens is 50mm. Talking of the 50mm, it’s a lovely sharp lens. very light, very cheap and surprisingly capable. The 40mm is a sensation, super sharp and good in low light too.

I know the 6D has its haters. Only one card slot and not rugged enough for professionals. It’s solid enough for me and one card slot is fine as I’m not planning on doing any wedding or serious landscape photography with it. Even if I did decide to do those things, I’d just have a spare couple of sd cards in my bag. The whole kit was cheaper than what I am selling the Panasonic G9. I still have the GH5II and a few lenses. It is a brilliant camera and even better video camera. I am happy with that and what it can do. It feels more of a tool whereas the Canon 6D feels more of a joy to use. I carry the small Peak Design camera bag around with me just in case there’s a moment I want to capture. I might get myself a cheap 28mm to complete the set but it is simple, fast and pleasurable to use. The shutter is on silent mode but still sounds pleasantly reassuring. I am only a couple of hundred shots in with it but I feel already, this one is a keeper. If I fell on hard times and had to sell all my MFT gear, I would still have a brilliant, professional grade full frame camera to use, for fraction of the price of a modern full frame mirrorless system. The camera and two lenses weigh very little. Even if I added a 28mm, it would still be lighter than my GH5II with three lenses. It isn’t without its flaws and limitations but I don’t need perfect. I am a novice professional photographer that wants to get better at his art. I want to pick up a camera I don’t have to worry about being precious with and go and take photographs. I want it to be about creating, not accumulating gear.

Feeding The Beast

Why do you/we/I take photographs ? Is it a hobby, an opportunity to capture special family or personal moments? It could be any of those and they are valid reasons. You could be a photographer that is either a professional, semi professional or someone getting into professional photography. Your goal is to make your passion a career. Also, valid reasons. I have been most of these things in my time. I always found that taking photos of family and friends wasn’t enough to interest me. I liked taking images of urban scenes, of landscapes and seascapes even from an early age.

For the first 45 years of my life, I took photos, got the film processed and then kept the prints and negatives, only to show to those who had an interest in seeing them. I never shared them publicly because I didn’t think anyone would want to look at them. The digital age came along and social media was born and things began to change. We had phones that could capture, process and share images to a wider circle of people. Apps such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter grew in importance. Suddenly, people were sharing not only their thoughts but images. Photographers of all levels began to see the opportunity to create an audience for their work.

I joined these social networks about 15 years ago (well at lest the ones that existed then) and shared the odd image. At this time, I wasn’t serious about photography but was a keen amateur. I gained followers and connections. They allowed me to show some of my photos and I got likes and positive comments. This confirmed that I must be doing something right so I shared more. I’m not entirely sure at what point did I begin to care about how many people liked my photos but trust me, it happened. I tailored my output according to how others responded to it. I gave the pubic what they wanted. Except, the public or more accurately, the social networks can be greedy. They require more regular content of a certain type to cater for your audience. I entered a vortex of connection/disconnection. I posted photos that I thought a larger number of people would like rather than ones I liked.

I got more serious about photography about 8 years ago. I decided to try to work harder at producing more professional images that would wow the followers/friends/likers. I bought kit that I thought would enable this transformation into a bigger hit on social media. Needless to say, it didn’t happen. In fact, it wasn’t until about three years ago, my social presence began to grow, thanks to the help of a dearly departed friend promoting my work. I was still feeding the beast though, looking at trends, colour palettes that were popular, compositions that got the most likes. I did stop to ask myself why I was doing this but not seriously enough for me to take a step back and reflect upon it. I certainly didn’t think to stop or start again. I post regularly on instagram and Threads. I share images I think others would like but nowadays, I also share them because I like them. I think I have a style and take photos that say as much about me as they do of the subject or composition. I’m not the greatest photographer and only passably half decent but I am working on it.

I think it is important to learn photography as both a skill and an art form. You need to learn how to use your gear, understand light, composition, and form. You need to work on creating your own style, first by studying others and secondly by adapting this knowledge to your own work. You may be a fan of Henri Cartier Bresson, Ansel Adams, Martin Parr or Joel Meyorwitz but use them merely as inspiration. Look at what makes their photos so captivating and try to see if you can put little bits of that inspiration into your work. Social media is a very fickle thing. You can be easily forgotten, overlooked. You can care too much about your social media presence. You can take a stand and only share work very occasionally and feel morally superior about it. You aren’t a slave to voracious appetite of the beast, demanding you post daily/twice daily hourly?! Instagram and Threads will pass you by and forget about you if you don’t post. Hopefully, one day, people will know my work not just through Instagram. This website showcases some of my work and some is available to be purchased as prints. I do intend to have a YouTube channel at some point this year and hope it will get a few views. I now take photos because I want to and because I love doing so. I feel my work is good and I have a professional presence. I post daily on Instagram but it is the photos I am proud of and want to share. I don’t care as much about trends because I am teaching myself to care more about the photos I take. I still feed the beast but I don’t care as much if it isn’t what people want to see. It is what I want them to see, to let them see the world through my eyes. After all, isn’t that what all photography is about ?

One Camera - Maybe More Than One Lens?

New Year, new challenges. If I’m honest, I feel as if my photography has been a bit stuck of late. It’s not that I’m unhappy with the results but just that it isn’t progressing as upwardly as I would like. You often imagine that progress is gradual but consistent state. I realise from the benefit or misfortune of being nearly 60, that life very rarely goes in an upwardly straight projection. My kit is absolutely perfect for my photography. I have a small collection of stellar lenses and two brilliant hybrid camera bodies so I do not excuse myself on account of not being ably equipped. I had my first exhibition last September which went very well. I launched my website around the same time and am fairly pleased with the look and function of it. I have asked others who are in both photography and the creative arts as to how I could structure my website to increase traffic and sales of prints. I now have an idea as to how I can do this.

I’m also pleased with how my photographs are turning out. I see a shift in style and mood with my recent work and like how this shows some progression. The title of the post is however related to the challenge that is popular with many photographers ; namely the ‘One Camera, One Lens’. The principle behind this is to focus the photographer on improving their composition skills by requiring them work the scene more. Having a fixed focal length can be seen as a hindrance by some. Conversely, having a single focal length makes the photographer look at the scene more critically and maybe focus aspects of it rather than trying include everything in it. One of my favourite You Tube channels is that of James Popsys. He talks in one of his videos about the best advice he was given when starting out in Photography. He was told by a very experienced landscape photographer, to think of a scene as a jigsaw. To not look at the entirety of the scene as a completed one but to decide whether the component parts of that scene work sufficiently well to produce a coherent image. Having a single focal length can enable the photographer to concentrate on maybe one or two elements by virtue of the self imposed restrictions placed upon them. I do sometimes think my images can be too busy, too many elements. The skill of an artist can often be what you leave out rather than include.

I do however have a problem with using just one lens. I see why it is a good exercise but I also see the merits of having two ways of approaching a scene by using two focal lengths. I have sufficient experience to know that using one lens in certain circumstances, can be a bit like cutting your nose off to spite your face. I have two excellent Leica/Panasonic collaboration prime lenses - a 25mm f1.4 and 15mm f1.7. These give you the full frame equivalent focal lengths of 50 and 30mm respectively. The wider lens allows more of the scene to be included whereas the longer focal length is a standard length. The wider lens enables the photographer to give more context to the subject even if the shot includes maybe too many elements. The skill in this case is to manage how you contain the number of elements while increasing the context. The longer focal length reduces the extent of the scene but enables the focus to be specific. 50mm is not an uncommon focal length for portrait work which does allow a little scene to appear. In truth, I like both focal lengths. I may only take out one of those lenses as part of a two or three lens kit. This doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy using the other but I make a determination as to what the particular assignment requires.

In short, I do think it a worthwhile challenge but I am not a sufficiently experienced professional photographer, to artificially restrict my workflow by choosing only one focal length. For instance, yesterday, every shot I took on my Panasonic GH5ii was with the 35-100mm f2.8 lens. They were either at 35 or 100. I chose that lens because the images I wanted required that flexibility. I was very happy with the results and enjoyed working the compositions using that one lens. If I had used just 25mm lens, I would not have been able to get the images I specifically wanted. One day when i’m rich and famous, I will spend a year shooting exclusively with my Leica rangefinder and the best 50mm Leica lens I can afford. I will justify it as a need to return to improving compositions skills. Until that day, I still need the options my excellent kit allow me!

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.

No Compromise

I said goodbye to my full frame Pentax K1 a week ago. I was sorry to see it go but needs must and it was time to enter pastures new. I could have gone back to Fujifilm, a camera manufacturer I know very well. My main concern however was kit weight and although the bodies are generally a lot lighter than the full frame equivalents, often the zoom lenses aren’t much smaller.

The only realistic other option was to enter the world of Micro Four Thirds and specifically, Panasonic. I could have invested a large amount of money in the latest G9 MkII but in the end, I went with the MkI G9. It’s a very good camera, high spec, good menus, very comfortable to hold. It has great video specs too which is a real step up from the Pentax. I did however, realise I would have to rethink how I use my camera. The smaller sensors aren’t as good at controlling noise in high iso settings. That means relying on base iso and slower shutter speeds in low light. .

I’ve been using it for a few days now with some getting used to. The lenses are very nice and incredibly tiny. It’s so nice to be able to pick your camera out of your bag and not feel weighted down before you even compose a shot. Today, I spent an hour in Leeds city centre, doing some street photography. I put the Leica kit lens on and got to work. What a joy to use! I’m pleased with the shots I got , some slightly different to my usual style. I know it is capable of producing top class professional results but this will take time to get on top of. As a workhorse however, I couldn’t be happier. I hope you like the selected images from this mornings session. It does not feel like a compromise. It’s a different route but I hope, the right one.

Harsh Realities.

I have neck and shoulder issues. It’s not a new thing and the combination of poor posture, carrying excess weight and being fairly tall ; all combine to make carrying stuff about painful. This year has been what some could describe as turbulent in my camera gear ownership. I switched to full frame in spring and was initially happy I had done so. I failed to notice the inexorable rise in weight of my camera gear. Lenses and camera bodies got increasingly heavy and bulky. I accepted it as part of the deal with full frame. That’s what serious photographers use after all?

My neck and shoulders have got progressively worse as the year has gone on. Whether it is carrying round heavier gear or just anno domini creeping up; I knew I wasn’t doing myself any favours. By and large, I’m an outdoors photographer, either in nature or in towns and cities. I like to have an interchangeable lens camera with at least two lenses and the resultant accessories should my sd cards fail, lens cloths, filters etc. I have been using the Pentax K1 recently. It’s a stellar machine but heavy. Combined with a kit lens or telephoto zoom, it becomes even heavier. Yesterday, I went for a walk just outside Hebden Bridge. I used a backpack to distribute weight across my back and shoulders. The walk was fine but my neck and shoulders were painful. The images I got were disappointing partly because I felt the heft of the gear. It all felt a bit too much effort.

I downloaded the images and had a serious think. Why have I pursued the idea of going full frame? What discernible advantage has it given me over crop sensors ? Many of the Fujifilm zooms and pro grade lenses aren’t much smaller than full frame equivalents which is why I switched in the first place. I was already carrying a fairly heavy pack when out doing landscape photography. Maybe the truth that I was struggling physically with large gear had been filed away in the ‘well nevermind about that’ section. So, I needed to do something decisive. Make a change that will free me up to get out more.

I have decided to downsize to micro four thirds. Smaller lenses, generally smaller bodies, different prospect altogether. I am happy to relinquish megapixels if the payoff is more mobility. I know there are professional photographers who use MFT with some success. I feel I have the skills to deal with the possible consequences of a drop in file resolution. We have to make compromises sometimes and my search for the perfect system continues. Many of my prints for sale on this website are taken with smaller sensors, some with low megapixels. They print just as beautifully as the full frame images. Most people view my images online so having a 20.2 mp camera, is no loss really. I just hope I can stop this revolving door of camera gear and settle with a system that works for me in every way. I need to get to know a camera better.

On The Cusp.

I’m writing this on a dank, grey early December morning. The sky is featureless , light drizzle hangs in the atmosphere and winter has arrived. We generally think of winter being snow covered, crisp and cold. Winters in the UK are more like today as a rule. For the next four months, many days will seem like today. It can be a challenge for a photographer who takes most of his shots outside. It’s not that the weather is so forbidding, more like unappealing. Maybe I’m a lightweight outdoor photographer, easily put off by grey skies and some rain. Christmas is beginning to loom and weight of expectation and frenzy sit in the corner, quietly watching me.

I like Christmas but find it hard to deal with. This will be the first year in my 59 years on this planet, where my mum is no longer with us. My family are spread and my two daughters have new babies. It’s a magical time for many and I do get that. The transformation from autumn to winter is indeterminate. One day it’s bright orange , yellow and brown leaves, brisk cool air ; and the next, cold air, bare trees and grey skies. There is a beauty in a bleak winter landscape and I’ve taken some of my favourite photos at this time of year.

I’m undergoing a sort of seasonal adjustment , one that leads me eventually to think ‘ok, it’s winter now, how do I make the best of it?’ Eventually is maybe the keyword in that last sentence. I’m sure in a day or so, I’ll be more at peace with the familiarity of winter. On the cusp of winter marks change. The run up to Christmas, the realisation that this will be the norm until spring creeps in, is something I think we maybe all experience. It runs deep in our souls however preoccupied, how busy we are. There is some part of us that feels the change of the seasons even if we don’t always acknowledge it.

Give it a couple of weeks and the focus will be on presents, decorations, preparations for the ‘big day’. I will be in organised mode trying to make sure another Christmas can be successfully navigated. A few dry days, some good moody skies and no immediate plans to scupper, will give me that chance to get out with my camera and capture the bleak beauty of December.

Pentaxia

‘Oh right, he’s switched systems, again’. Yeah I hear you thinking this guy can’t stick with one thing. He must be frustrated or believes a new camera will make him a better photographer. Don’t think I haven’t thought this many times over the years. Searching for that perfect system that helps me deliver what I see in that split second before taking the shot. Have I been masking my inner dissatisfaction, am I chopping and changing to make me feel better?

I have moved over to the niche world of Pentax. Once, a titan in the world of photography, a technical innovator of such things as the SLR, new lens construction, championing the use of 35mm film. Pentax have resisted the move towards mirrorless, preferring to stick to producing DSLR cameras (mostly APSC format). In 2016, whether it was pressure to take on Canon and Nikon ; they introduced the Pentax K1. A 36.4mp full frame DSLR with IBIS , pixel shift technology, astrotracer ability; they entered the competitive professional camera market. It is fair to say, I have had my eye on this camera for about 2 years. I’ve been through the Fujifilm system, had a six month dalliance with the Panasonic/Leica L mount to arrive at where I am today.

Took delivery of my new used Pentax K1 last week. It was made in 2017 according to its serial number but doesn’t feel outdated. It’s heavy but very comfortable. Solid, precise and very well made. There were two main reasons I took the leap into Pentax. Firstly, I already own and use the Ricoh GRIIIX. That is a stellar camera with outstanding image quality and the partner company of Pentax. My K1 shares the same image processor as the Ricoh. Secondly, Pentax DSLR cameras are backwards compatible with every K mount lens right back to the 1970s. I have owned several vintage k mount lenses and to have a camera that doesn’t require adapters is a bonus.

Pentax users are described as Pentaxians. They inhabit a world at odds with the conventions of modern digital photography. These woolly coated creatures of middle earth, scuttle about in woods carrying their frankly weird cameras with them. What the big players often overlook however , is the amazing image quality Pentax cameras can deliver. My friend Baldur who now lives in Norway, is a Pentax user. He’s one of the best photographers I’ve met and his choice of camera has never seemed to hold his creativity back. It got me thinking a month or so ago, what if Baldur had a point about Pentax cameras? Like most camera gear lurches, I do a lot of background research as to what I’m getting into. The K1 has sat in the background, tantalising me with its beguiling qualities. I realised that if I was to move into this system, it would require some new learning. I have been such a confirmed mirrorless users for so many years now, it would take a big leap to go to a DSLR. I’ve leapt and what are my first impressions?

Image quality is beyond anything I’ve ever used. The detail, the ability to recover that detail is jaw dropping. The files are bigger so you can now crop and not lose quality. The lens choices are numerous. I started off with two old Sigma lenses. I didn’t have high hopes but they perform beautifully. My old vintage glass is wonderful on it and it confirms my choice. It isn’t that heavy but it is that quality you want in any camera. You just want to take it out of the your bag and take pictures. All the images in this post have been taken with my K1. Am I finally settled on a camera system? There’s no point saying definitively yes but is it the best system I’ve ever used? Probably yes. I have now entered the realm of Pentaxia. I shall be monitoring my feet for excessive hair growth and am ordering some long pipes to sit and blow smoke rings quietly of an evening in a hidden wood or scenic hillside.

Change Is In The Air.

Seasons often meld into each other. When does autumn end or when does winter begin? In the UK it is officially the 1st December and lasts until the end of February. That seems pretty clear. The weather often says otherwise and winter conditions can come early and appear well into what is thought of as spring. Climate change in the past 20 years has exacerbated these anomalies so it is not uncommon to now experience mild winters and late cold spells well into March and even April. There does not seem to be clear demarcations of seasons any longer which can cause problems for photographers. We like reliable weather, not good weather but just reliable. The UK is not known particularly for its reliability but as a rule, we can work around whatever weather appears. As I say on every blog, I am no landscape photographer. I love taking landscape photos, some of which turn out well. I am more of an outdoor photographer, at home in both urban and rural settings.

I really like a moody sky, can cope with rain and wind. I’m uncertain in snow as I haven’t taken enough to hone any skills in those conditions. Autumn suits me down to the ground. Good skies, pops of colour making the options for images all the more plentiful. I have been on a camera gear journey that has proved to be more turbulent than I had hoped. I want a rugged camera that will be at home in bad weather, take detailed images with lots of depth and be reasonably affordable. Panasonic has been very good nearly for all of that. I am however looking at Pentax full frame. Not the most common gear these days although it has a stellar history in photography. It was one of the pioneers of SLR cameras, of IBIS or SR (shake reduction in Pentaxian). It has always had a reputation for producing high quality cameras and lenses. The K1 is apparently, a beast. It has 36.4mp, practically every bell and whistle a photographer could wish for. it’s a pretty lousy video camera but I’m primarily a photographer.

I do wonder if I am satisfying some hidden need for satisfaction by changing my gear as often as I do. I know a new camera won’t make me a better photographer but it might just get me further along the road. My plan is shoot photos with the Pentax and Ricoh GRIIIX and shoot video with the Panasonic S5. The video will contain You Tube videos so I need a good video camera. The S5 is a great photo camera but as I said earlier, it lacks a certain something. Soul is maybe overstated but there is something about the camera you have in your hand. The Ricoh GRIIIX excites me. You feel as if there possibilities where there were not before you picked it up. I recently and briefly owned a Leica SL which managed to do that. Unfortunately, I also felt unworthy of owning such an expensive piece of kit, plus I needed the help of IBIS which it did not have.

Like the seasons, I feel a change in the air. I have been a serious photographer for a couple of years now and have acquired a degree of technical competence. I want a piece of kit capable of easing my ambitions as a photographer. I don’t care if the technology is a few years old, as long as it’s really good. I have been in a creative autumn and now feel the onset of winter. Winter isn’t a bad thing in my book. I love the challenges that winter throws at you, I don’t mind the cold and find it easier to be in snow as long as I don’t have to drive anywhere. It has been tough year in some respects, losing my mum, changes with my family, uncertainties of our future. My partner and I are happy to change and live with change. I have a new grandchild and another imminently about to appear. I love being a grandpa, not at all bothered being one. Next year is a big milestone for me and I suspect, more change will come. I feel my professional photography career is about to take off. Just need to make sure I don't screw things up before it begins!

Autumn Walk.

Birch Tree - Panasonic S5 + Panasonic 24-105mm f/4

I have a lingering, annoying cold. It has been here nearly a week and it’s getting me down. I have missed opportunities to go out and capture the majestic displays of autumn. I haven’t been feeling overly positive of late, and having to sell my Leica to recoup some funds, only made this worse. As someone who suffered with clinical depression for several years, it is always a worry. Am I slipping back into the darkness again? Is the black dog trotting his way up the garden path? I think it feels more physical health related this time and hopefully when this bloody cold goes, I’ll perk up. That’s the excuses out of the way and now onto one of the two photowalks I have managed this week.

I stopped at Chellowdene on the outskirts of Bradford on Thursday this week. It is a place I have been to many times in all weathers, lights and times of year. Autumn is maybe where it is at its finest however. The rambling woods lead to two reservoirs constructed first in 1844 and then 1853, were built to supply fresh drinking water to the city of Bradford. They are very popular with dog walkers and locals wanting to stretch their legs. My late mum played in these woods as a child in the 1930’s. I wandered through the woods to the upper reservoir, stopping frequently to capture the beautiful burnished colours, crunching over a carpet of leaves. I felt pretty dreadful butt also determined to not turn round and get back in the car. The lure of capturing some seasonal colour was too much and also, I wanted to give my Panasonic S5, a runout.

As I have owned one of these cameras before, it felt familiar and comfortable. I forgot how well it performs and the level of detail you can recover from the raw files. It made me wonder why I had sold it for the Leica, given that they do share certain internal components, thanks to the Panasonic/Leica hook up. I was grateful for the in-body image stabilisation as my hands were particularly shaky thanks to the cold and general feeling of feebleness. It pairs very well with the 24-105 lens which also has image stabilisation. The Lens is probably the nicest kit lens of any manufacturer I have ever owned. Simple, effective and not overly heavy. It does the simple things well.

I am glad I managed to get out and get some photos. I am always happiest when I have a camera in hand. This is only marginally better than looking and processing the raw images. To see your photos come alive in Lightroom is a joy. The greatest moment for me in any photography, is the split second before the shutter goes. Can you capture what is not only before you but what you see as being before you. These for me are very different in that one is how the scene is and the other is how you envisage it could be portrayed. I am not a landscape photographer in any way. I don’t want to recreate the scene exactly as it is. I know many landscape photographers will manipulate their raw images to create a certain mood or bring out facets in the composition which I guess is where I am. I went for a darker moodier vibe this time, wanting the colours to pop but the skies and shadows to also predominate. When I’ve shaken this cold, I hope to get out again and do some more photos before the trees lose all their leaves and winter sets in. Sorry for the moaning and thanks for reading so far. Enjoy your Sunday!

Unworthy or Uncomfortable

Red Wharf Bay, Anglesey - Leica SL typ601 + Panasonic 24-105mm f4

For almost as long as I have been taking photographs seriously; I have wanted to own a Leica. Maybe it’s the kudos, the legend that is Leica? Three months ago, I got my hands on one. It is a beautiful piece of precision engineering, designed to make photography a pleasure. The camera has not put a foot wrong. I have enjoyed every minute using it. I can’t carry on owning it.

Ok, that sounds perverse. In some ways it is but hear me out. Before the Leica, I was shooting very happily with a Panasonic S5. Quite simply, the best camera I had ever owned. It did everything very well and was a pleasure to hold and use. The only gripe I had was the abundance of options available in the way of controls. I knew what they did but they confused me. The Leica is a solution to this issue. The Leica however has its drawbacks, one of which has proved to be the main reason I am going back to the S5. The Panasonic has IBIS (in body image stabilisation) and once you have owned a camera with it, it’s very hard to go back. Even my beloved Ricoh GRIIIX has IBIS which is part of the joy of that little gem. I tried raising the minimum shutter speed and that helped to a certain extent. I bought the Panasonic 24-105 which has optical image stabilisation, but it works only moderately when not paired with an IBIS equipped body.

South Stack Lighthouse, Anglesey.

The Panasonic is the match to the Leica in sensor, out performs it on dynamic range and low light capability. Its video features are stunning and it is half the price of the Leica. That brings me onto the other reason. Owning a Leica is a pleasure but also a burden to those of us who don’t always feel deserving of such expensive kit. I know I am a semi professional photographer who needs a decent level of quality gear but Leica takes you well beyond that threshold. I’m not berating myself and wailing ‘Im not worthy’ but if I can achieve the same results with well made and more affordable gear, then I feel better about it. I hope this will have scratched the ‘I want a Leica’ itch once and for all. I don’t want more megapixels or lightning quick autofocus. I want a camera that produces beautiful images when this bloke does a half decent job of pointing it in the right direction. I don’t want to feel nervous of taking it out and using it. I don’t want people to think I have only got one because of the name. I recognise it is a fabulous camera, especially when in the hands of a skilled, experienced professional. I am not there yet and consequently need all the help I can get from my gear. I realise I shake more than I thought and having stabilisation, helps me nail focus more often than not. I will miss the simplicity of design, the straightforward menu system and the minimalist layout. I realise these are compromises I must make but make them I must. I can now say I am a Lumix and Ricoh user and live with that. It is not a step back, merely sideways.

Beaumaris Pier, Anglesey.

Autumn Has Arrived!

I’m not a landscape photographer. I tend to find that most landscape photographers think like landscape photographers. They have a love of nature, of painting a scene with an image. I am in awe of many great landscape photographers for both their work and their dedication to it. To be fair, most types of photography attracts slightly obsessive people. You put a camera in the hand of photographer and they begin to imagine the perfect scene. I do have that need to create but I’m not fixed or have a strong preference to any form of subject. Autumn however, does bring out the landscape photographer in me. The mixture of vibrant colours as the deciduous trees, turn their canopies of green into browns, yellows, orange, red. The light is different this time of year as it can be bright but not as intense.

I like the freshness, that slight nip in the air. It can also be more of a lottery as to whether it pours down all day, blows a gale or produces a frost. I went out yesterday morning up above Gibson Mill in West Yorkshire. I had no intention of walking to the mill but knew that the path down offered several opportunities for some compositions. I went armed with all manual lenses as there was no need to focus quickly. My Voigtlander 35mm f1.4 Nokton Classic is proving to be a wonderful addition to my kit. It’s small, easy to focus and very sharp even when fully open. I also used my old faithful Pentax SMC 135mm f3.5 and Olympus Zuiko 50mm f1.4. The 50mm is proving to be a lovely sharp lens even though the focus throw on it is quite a lot more than my Voigtlander. The beauty of shooting manually on the Leica is that often, the process is quicker than trying to nail autofocus (an issue I discussed in my previous blog post). The beauty of using old lenses is the way they render colour. Pentax lenses seem almost tailor made for autumn as they can be slightly more subdued than the exuberant depths of colour you can get from Zuiko lenses. One advantage of shooting manually whilst out amongst abound rich colours and mist is that you take your time more. I am naturally impatient but autumn tends to slow me down. Less desire to nail one photo and then move on.

Early autumn is often my favourite time of year. There is still enough daylight to explore without the worry of darkness appearing. You don’t have to get up at a silly hour to capture a sunrise. There’s something more respectable about 7.30 am than the 5am starts in Summer. As a photographer, you have to be able to adapt to whatever season or weather condition you’re faced with but we will all have a preference. Mine is now and for the next few weeks before winter grasps us in its foreboding icy clutches. I’m determined to capture the moments before the weather/lack of light and general stupidity of the festive season, takes hold.

Manual or Auto?, That Is The Question.

Hebden Bridge - Leica SL + Voigtlander 35mm F1.4 Nokton Classic II

I’m no stranger to using a manual lens. They were the only option back in the 1970s and my Dad’s Yashica and Canon cameras could produce lovely sharp images with this technology. The use of film cameras in recent years has reignited the use of manual lenses originally designed for film. Makers such as Olympus Zuiko, Pentax Asahi & Takumar, Nikon, Canon , all produced high quality optics. Third party lenses could also be very high quality, in many ways the 60”s through to the 1990’s were the heyday of lens manufacture.

Modern lenses are in some ways superior to the old ones with superb topics and fast autofocus. You do hear some photographers today say that modern lenses can be almost too sharp, too perfect. Little or no aberrations, reliable and predictable, tools of the trade, not enough character. I use Sigma Contemporary lenses with my Leica and the Ricoh GRIIIX has a superb 26.1mm f2.8 fixed lens. I know the results from these lenses will be sharp, reliable and consistent. Photographers of yesteryear also needed reliability however and that often came from the quality of manufacture the companies produced. Olympus Zuiko lenses can stand up to modern day lenses in sharpness and contrast but are often made to a higher standard than many top notch modern autofocus lenses. I use a modern rangefinder lens made by Voigtlander. It’s incredibly reliable, sharp and beautifully made. It is also surprisingly easy to use.

Hebden Bridge, Leica SL + Sigma 90mm f2.8 Contemporary.

Learning to manual focus could be seen as a rite of passage for modern photographers. Most modern cameras can be supplied with autofocus kit lenses. They allow the photographer to focus on composition, learning the exposure triangle rather than how to manually focus. It is seen as slower where in fact, learning about hyperfocal distance can make manual focus quicker. My Voigtlander can be set at a particular aperture and focal distance. All you have to do then is compose and press the shutter. Autofocus lenses will often hunt to nail focus and sometimes miss. Once you know that everything from a certain distance will be in focus, a manual lens makes life a little easier. No hunting, just sharp results every time.

Grasmere from Loughrigg Terrace, Leica SL + Voigtlander 35mm f1.4 Nokton Classic II

So why not go for all manual lenses? Well , in fairness I could. I do like the convenience of autofocus, the build quality of the Sigma lenses and the fact they are weather sealed. I can also use them as manual lenses if I wish but in the end, I’m happy with their performance. You do have to be careful when searching for old vintage lenses. They can be from a top name manufacturer but time and poor care can affect the quality of the build and optics. Get a good one however and you’re on to a winner, particularly as they often cost a fraction of a modern top lens.

In the end, they are all tools and secondary to the image you want to capture. You can have the best kit money can buy and still produce mediocre images. It isn’t possible to make a terrible photograph good by having expensive gear or extensive editing. You can however produce a good photo with a mediocre camera plus a good lens. My photography hasn’t improved because I have invested in better gear. it has done so by taking thousands of photos and learning from the mistakes captured earlier on. I have a long way to go before I am ever content with the finished result but the trying is the fun part!

My current kit.

The Wonderful World of Leica ?

Albion Place, Leeds - Leica Sl (typ601) + Sigma 45mm f2.8

I don’t want you to think by adding a question mark after the title of this blog that I am not a Leica convert. It’s only been a week since I got my hands on my new camera. The design of the Leica SL (typ601) is a thing of beauty. It looks so good both sat on a table and in hand. It feels solid, well made and comfortable. I have had my fair share great cameras in the past. I was a committed Fujifilm user for several years. A few months ago, I switched to Panasonic full frame. Great cameras, loads of tools to help you take great photographs and capture stunning videos. The problem was they had too many buttons, too many options. Whether it is a thing with growing older but I need my tools to be simple, well made and good quality. Panasonic are great quality, well made but not simple. I looked around and my thoughts turned to the Leica SL (typ601). It was a less capable video camera, it lacks image stabilisation and the battery life isn’t as good as the Panasonic S5. The image samples I saw taken with it however have a certain something. It isn’t necessarily about the ‘Leica colours’ or the stunning monochrome images. Ok, they are a factor but there’s something more, almost indefinable. With a good lens and a half decent photographer using them, they create images with something sprinkled on them.

Sunrise, Halifax

I have this theory about Marks and Spencer. Their food has a certain something about it. It is as if M&S sprinkle a special dust over their food which makes it taste ever so slightly better than other supermarkets. It doesn’t smell different, look that different but tastes as if it comes from M&S. Leica are like that. They produce images the same way other camera manufacturers do, have similar specs to other cameras but produce images with a sprinkling of Leica on them. The raw files are like no raw files I have ever used. The colours aren’t flat but look as if they are the finished article. Interestingly, the SL has a 24MP sensor the same as the Panasonic S5 yet the raw files are 10mb larger on average than the Panasonic.I can’t work out why but they just are. The dynamic range of the S5 is slightly greater than the SL but I seem to be able to pull out more detail from the Leica files.

Church Street, Haworth

I have found myself in old familiar locations this week taking photos with my new camera. I look at the image after Ive taken it and find myself smiling at the captured image on the lcd screen. Of course, I’ll still make a mess of compositions and take dud photos but the ones I’ve nailed, I smile at. I haven’t done the before and it takes some getting used to. I was also stopped in the street whilst in Haworth. A couple came up to me and the husband said ‘wow, is that a Leica?’ . I said yes and explained it was a secondhand one and maybe not as expensive as he thought it would be (he did ask me how much it cost). I have shot with some very nice cameras but I have never been asked questions about them. I guess you can’t always go unnoticed when using one. Ultimately, I have always wanted a camera I want to pick up and take out. I want to enjoy holding it and feel over faced by buttons. Leica do make very expensive, sometimes ridiculously expensive cameras but they make them well. They are hand made by workers who are paid well to do so. They are engineering works of art, designed to produce stunning images. How stunning depends on the ability of the person holding one. I am far from highly polished when it comes to photography. I can produce some good photos, photos of which I am proud. I know with this camera in hand, I have to up my game and make art worthy of the tools I have at my disposal.

By Leeds Market

Ricoh Magic.

Gt George Street, Leeds - Ricoh GRIII

There are days when you feel like you have the perfect tool for the job. Sometimes, the perfect tool isn’t an interchangeable lens camera with a selection of lenses. Sometimes, it’s a tiny pocket camera with no viewfinder and no tilty/flippy screen. You compose and shoot; it’s as easy as that. I’m talking about the Ricoh GRIII. It has a reputation as a formidable street photography camera. It has a very clever focusing system that instantly captures moments unlike many other cameras. It’s useable with one hand as all the controls are accessible and designed to be operated one handed.

Handrail at the Piecehall, Halifax - Ricoh GRIII.

It has a macro capability that can produce very detailed close ups (see above image) which you do have to remember to switch off when you try to shoot a more general shot! I love it. I love it’s ability to capture razor sharp images with little or no fuss. You need to spend a little time setting it up to suit your needs but once you have, it’s a super powered point and shoot that’s in a different league to others. I’ve looked at images taken using the Leica Q cameras and as stunning as they can be, the Ricoh is a match. It has the same 28mm focal length as a Leica Q albeit in an APSC sensor (18.5 mm). The lens barely protrudes from the tiny body and has a very quick start up time. The downside of the camera is the battery life which is pretty poor. That however is the only downside. I normally shoot using Fujifilm cameras and lenses but I’ve started to mix and match a bit. I’m now using Sigma lenses and a stunning Mitakon Speedmaster manual lens. I’m really impressed with the Sigma lenses, they match and almost surpass the Fujifilm equivalents but in much smaller packages. I’m looking also to get myself an old Canon 5D MkII with just one 50mm lens because I’ve always wanted a full frame camera. I realise there are alternatives to just one manufacturer, much as I love Fujifilm gear.

Leeds Town Hall - Ricoh GRIII

The limitations of a fixed focal length can also be an advantage. You are forced to work a composition more because of the restriction of that view. You can include people in your street photography but you have to be braver than I am. I like to have people walk through the composition rather than be the subject. They are almost incidental. I’m not the most confident photographer when it comes to street work. The Ricoh does however capture people beautifully even if they are small in the larger image. The famous photographer Chase Jarvis once said “the best camera is the one that's with you” and he has a point. The Ricoh GRIII is that camera. It makes it easy for you owing to its size and functionality but ultimately, the image quality is its most attractive feature. If you’ve never tried one, give it a go. Test one, borrow one and if you’re in the position to, buy one. You won’t be disappointed, in fact I’d go as far to say, you will be captivated.

Oxenhope Moor - Ricoh GRIII