First outinGR..

Old skool

There is obviously so much that crosses my mind after a day of photographing with the new Ricoh GR, but I also feel it is way to soon to just write some first impressions down. I know some have no problems jumping to conclusions after a couple of hours using a camera. I however want to learn to master it. I should say though that after a brief moment it felt very comfortable.

It feels easier to hold than the GXR, the grip is reassuring and the finish of the camera is like expected. The little bit of extra weight is much appreciated. The menu though….. A typical Ricoh menu, organized, well structured, but you do almost need an IT background to understand all the firmware features. I’d better figure it out now and just set up the camera once and for all.

New skool

I always try to set up my cameras to keep the shooting process simple. A concept I always appreciated when I bought my GR1 briefly after it was launched in 1996. All the options of the Ricoh GR can, at first, be very overwhelming. If you already have a GRD predecessor I suggest to set up your GR similarly. Best for me though, was to get out with the camera as soon as possible.

All photographs by Wouter Brandsma

In darkness there is light

In the darkness there is light, just let it shine.

Photograph by Wouter Brandsma

New means

Schoonenberg

I am currently trying VSCO film presets in Lightroom for my post processing. I won’t go, yet, into deep about these presets, but I want to delve a bit more into Lightroom.  I like Lightroom for both organizing my photographs and post processing these. It works really well with some good plug-ins like Silver Efex Pro and Exposure 3. I like it how you can search presets on the internet or create your own, but what I miss is combining these presets. I have a color preset that those more than only white balance and so. If you use another preset most of the previous made adjustments will be gone again. I now overcome this by applying my own color preset on an image, tell Lightroom to edit it in a plug-in like Silver Efex Pro. After this command a tiff file will be generated that is treated with the previous preset. When the external plug-in is launched, which opens this tiff file, I cancel it. I return to this tiff file in Lightroom and then apply another preset. In case of these VSCO film presets I currently like the Fuji 800Z preset with some additional cool high lightning.

Vertical silhouettes

I believe photography is a way of communicating. You don’t need to be a professional to do so. Current technology provides means for the masses to interact with each other and to share their photographs among a broad range of people world wide. While this have let to an enormous increase of images, and some would say an increase in mediocrity, I still believe this democratizing movement can only be a positive thing. Nowadays we can share our photography for free online, we can create our own photobooks and share these without the need of a publisher. We have become the publisher. And best of all, only we determine how far we go. Especially those photographers, the amateurs and the hobbyists, not restricted by commercial requirements can act freely.

One size fits all?

All photographs by Wouter Brandsma