I used to photograph a lot in agricultural areas nearby my hometown. I love the pace their, the scenery, the light. It makes me feel relaxed. The area brings back memories of cycling there with my grandfather when I was young. The area also emphasizes simplicity. There isn’t that much we really need.
In the last few years I started to photograph different subjects – a lot of it with the genre street photography – that I like to call stroll photography. I still like that, just wandering around. I missed going out in the nearby rural country though.
So last week was such a moment again. Late in the evening, the breeze was getting chilly. The light however was gorgeous. I was almost running out of time. I took my bike, the camera, and a desire to capture some of that light. I had not forgotten it.
In more recent years it would have been obvious to me to go for B&W, but it just felt like I had to go for color photographs this evening. Just like my Panasonic GF1, the Ricoh GR draws differently than my Ricoh GRD3. I almost always go for B&W when I use the GRD3. With the GR it feels not strange to go for color. Like said before, the GR reminds me of my GR1. And in the past I mostly worked with color slide film in the GR1.
When I am here I go for the open spaces, the light and preferably long shadows. To me, those are magical. I guess I am not a typical landscape photographer. I see a scene, I judge what the best position is – I often already know that since I know the area so well – and take a photograph, possibly two. And I move on. I don’t think about conscious framing. From experience I know what to expose for. At these moments I feel no doubt. When I photograph, there is no doubt.
The doubt can set in when I get home, just like the worries you had after an exposed film roll. Did I get the exposure right, was the subject in focus? Will my compositions work? I gave it some days to rest. To work on different things instead. And working with a new camera and familiarizing with it, doesn’t help the process either. Sometimes I wish I could forget this phase.
The GR performed solid and very reliable. That the photography process felt intuitive and I completely forgot about the camera, made perfect sense in the end. A reassuring feeling and one that reminds me that the phase of adapting a different camera is over. How this process goes and how a couple of photographers are getting comfortable with the new Ricoh GR can be read here.
All photographs by Wouter Brandsma
Wouter Brandsma 
Love your work.. you got a gifted pair of eyes. 🙂
Thank you Eddie.
A beautiful sense of place comes through in these photos. And also a sense of light. Truly cool pictures.
Just a few kilometers outside a large city it provides peace and calmness.
I yearn for places like this. Down here there is nothing like this. Its so peaceful looking, well done Wouter. Lovely colors. The GR is becoming more and more transparent to my photography as well. The fact that its a ubiquitous camera with its wonderful sensor is nothing short of amazing.
I completely forgot about these places in the last few years, Jorge. I neglected it, almost forgot it.
The GR almost feels like a camera I’ve been using for a much longer time. It is a good camera, ain’t it?
Indeed, its literally become my companion. Even yesterday morning when it was all about the K5 IIs, I took a break from it and out came the GR and its like a visual sketchbook creation machine without any brakes, its just there.
It is a sketchbook deluxe.
Haha yes it is. I look forward to your continued usage of the GR. Cheers.
More sure to come, Jorge. More to come.
Beautiful photo’s from the countryside!
Thank you Esmee. It is lovely here.
This reminds me of a small town i used to study at in the US, with population of 3000. Nothing but earth and sky, lots of nature. The new GR is so damn sharp, perhaps sharper than my X2 (though i’m only shooting with 12MP). It must be a fantastic experience to own such camera that feels like yours again.
The GR has no AA filter and yeah, it is damn sharp. I got a bit detached from the GRD3 even though it remains one of my favorites. The GR however feels like an amazing replacement.
Somerimes, us, living in smaller villages surrounded by agricultural countryside, want a city surrounding because it would provide more photographic possibilities… Yet, indeed, in that small time frame where the sun is low and people are behind their dinner, coffee or television set, you show that the surroundings we are in are great for catching light.
I like the one with the tractor approaching for the lovely colors
There really isn’t that much needed to capture light, Ronald. Out in the countryside the light can be a lot more precious than in the city. Thank you.
Mooie platen Wouter vooral met de licht vallingen. Typische Nederlandse polderlandschappen met de vergezichten. Hiermee laat je zien dat de camera zicht niet beperkt tot straat candids. De scherpte is echt meesterlijk. Ricoh heeft zn huiswerk goed gedaan. Vandaag alvast de screenprotector besteld.
Bedankt Pim. We hebben zulke mooie landschappen in Nederland en er zeker zo veel meer moois en bijzonders te fotograferen dan alleen maar straatfotografie.
En de GR is een indrukwekkende camera. Vooral als je al na een week niet eens meer bewust met de camera bezig bent, maar vooral foto’s aan het maken bent.
The sentiment of the camera (any tool) falling into the background so you can just see and record…. this is why the GR is so great. I prefer tools that work like this: fast learning but quickly fall into the background so work can get done.
So true, Richard. Images appear in the foreground, the tool deserves some credits. But in the end you shouldn’t notice the camera in my opinion.
A wonderful sense of discovery and rediscovery in this set, Wouter. They were a spiritual tonic on a night I surely needed one. Thank you.
I am glad it provided you some spiritual tonic, Greg. Working on this series gave me a lot of energy.
Hi Wouter – I like the 3rd one down a lot – great movement! Adrian
Thank you Adrian.
These are wonderful! Great capture. Thank you for sharing, Wouter.
Wow Anette! Thank you.
You make that camera sing, Wouter. Both in black & white & coulour, my friend! And just like these rural sketches open the mind to wide spaces your colour works, perspectives & thoughts about the creative process are doing just the same. And giving them frames to rest is the best that can be done. Just like I’m doing it: Never looking at the photographs right after I captured them. I’m so looking forward to these rides with you, my friend!
All the best & safe travels, Fritsch.
It makes sense to not review our images immediately. Like your Leica, the GR provides an option to shoot RAW only. The RAW images contains only a low-res embedded jpeg that can’t be used to judge critical focus. I guess where still romantic about photography and love that uncertain, yet thrilling excitement feeling if our images are good enough.
Wouter, I grew up in an area and live near one today such as you’ve shared in your photographs. You’ve captured the essence of what it is that makes people yearn for rural areas and the quiet calm that they hold vs a more urban environment. I reside on the border between city and country and am thankful for the time I can spend in the country.
Cities seem sparkling and full of energy, yet we can cherish the beauty of the countryside. I still wonder how I could forget it, Ryan.
Wow! Beautiful work!
beautiful
Hello Wouter,
no doubt, this is one of your best series.
Simple, straight and touching.
Regards, titus
Dear Wouter, I really liked the overall look of these photos, did you use any specific LR preset? Thanks,
I might have used one of those VSCO presets and tweaked it for more contrast, but I really don’t know anymore.
Alright, thanks anyway man, keep up the good work =)