Tag Archives: Personal Work

Black & White, Color, Dreamcatcher, Inspired Eye, Off Street, Photography, Street, Street Photography, Street Presets, Streetshooter, Uncategorized

The Ricoh GR …. To Snap or not to Snap ….That is the Question

4 Comments

06-13-1450

As most of youse shooters know, I’ve been having issues of sorts with the GR. I think the biggest issue is/was my own expectations. So I decided to abandon the pre-conceptions I have from the Ricoh GRD4 and re-think the Ricoh GR. Probably the biggest reason that shooters respond to the GRD series is the Snap Mode. Yes, the GR has it also.

I have been having issues with the ISO in TAv and this is directly causing a problem in Snap Mode.

So I normally put Fn1 button to toggle AF/Snap. Then Fn2 gets to set the Snap Distance. It’s a very fast way to work but maybe that’s the problem. Maybe just maybe I don’t need to work that fast anymore. I ain’t no rookie out there on the streets. I like to SEE what I’m working on to make a photo. I also want the option to work fast if I need to and also again I might like to hang the camera on a strap around my neck and do chest shots etc. This creates a conundrum of sorts because my mind works faster then the camera because I take meds and the camera doesn’t but should because I think the Ricoh GR  has a split personality.

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So here’s what I came up with. Now you must understand that if I can’t resolve the issues I have with the GR, it’s gone. Here’s how I am working to resolve some issues.

The camera works best (for me) on TAv mode. I get to set the aperture, to control DOF and the Shutter Speed to control the amount of movement/blur I want in the photo. The camera will choose the ISO out to 25600 but I also get to set EV comp which I hardly ever do but will do because it’s available and Ray and Wouter and Craig and Jorge and…… think it’s a good idea.

At this point I would normally set my f/stop to the desired number to get the DOF I want. Ah hah….here’s the problem. By toggling Fn1, I can use Snap or AF at will. Ok…..but this is a 2 press procedure. I have to press Fn1 to get where I want and then release.

I am now using AF mode with Full Press Snap on. With the GR, the AF is very fast and accurate and the Full Press Snap is also. The difference is….. if I’m using AF because I want to get things focused the way I want and then decide that I have to work fast… I just have to hit the release all the way and BANG…the world of the GR is a safe place again.

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This may sound like the obvious solution but as a shooter, we need to find the path of discovery by ourselves. Yeah yeah….bulldinky shooter…get to the darn point again….sheeeesh!

The point is this. In order to use the AF you need to look at the screen. If your looking at the screen and framing the photo, well that’s a great way to work. It’s not the only way but it’s a great way. Many things can happen. You could even face confrontation but you have to deal with these things or you’ll stay on the computer and play video games….yuch!

So now the GR and I are learning to communicate with each other again. I think at some point I’ll feel like a real photographer again. Until that time, about 30 minutes from now, I’ll just keep working to understand myself and my relationship to Tanya….not the camera…my wife…..

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It’s freakin’ hot here and I gotta get off the computer….

see ya’s all soon…..

…………………….end transmission……………………………………………………………..shooter out

Black & White, Color, Dreamcatcher, Inspired Eye, Off Street, Photography, Street, Street Photography, Street Presets, Streetshooter, Uncategorized

Your Cameras, Friends or Tools

4 Comments

06-13-1231

Here’s how I operate and always did. I’m not saying that this will work for you but I’d be willing to be that it does. There are cameras for any number of reasons to have and hold a camera. I break it down to two.

1st. The camera as a tool. When I was younger and had more body strength and less brains…(Inverse Square Law again).. I used a Canon 5D with all the nice “L” lenses. Yes, I used this camera for anything until one day I said….enough. See I had used many digital cameras but for WORK, this was the TOOL.

When I picked up the 5D, my mind automatically started to think about work and everything that goes along with that word. It’s a great camera and somewhat elegant even but I never found that many images with it for my PERSONAL work. Sure there were some but few and far between.

06-13-1234These photos are not from the 5D, I just wanted to post them so don’t even think about it…….

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I made money with the 5D and I did a lot of work including for the Mural Arts Program here in Philly. I felt that I had the perfect tool for the task at hand. I was right.

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2nd. The Friend. The camera that is your friend it the one that provides a few things. It makes you think about what your doing and not what it’s doing. (BIG DIFFERENCE). It feels like you are with a buddy, friend, brother, sister etc when you go out together. There is a closeness that can only be felt and not verbally described because it’s more than just a feeling….

When the time is now to go and MAKE images, you get your friend and go to WORK. There’s a difference in the definition of the word WORK. I’m sure you get this. Here we are working for the very essence of our being. Too heavy? No it’s not….

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My wife Tanya, not the GR but the GR is named after her because I have to keep peace and harmony in the home front because she takes care of me and keeps me from going overboard and crappy stuff like that so I do her honor as a life partner and name the Ricoh GR after her.

Anyway…I’m back…..when I was working…for money,in business, I would come to the kitchen door and she made me take my shoes off immediately. Then she gave me a pair of soft slippers. Of course a hug follows, maybe a kiss but not too much, we don’t want to start any bad habits….

One day I asked her a question. I asked her why she made me change my shoes to slippers almost immediately. She looked at me ad said…”American’s, you know nothing about life”. When you come into the house, you must change your psychology. Changing your shoes is the start. Leave your work stuff on the job and enjoy being home and with me. Ya know, no one has ever explained anything close to that to me and kept it so simple and direct. Of course now, I don’t question that ritual or others anymore, I just GROK the meaning and live it.

GET TO THE POINT SHOOTER!

When I go to do a shoot for work or business, I pick up my working camera and immediately I am in the frame of mind for the task at hand. My INTENT is clear.

When I go out to do my personal work, I pick up a friend and my INTENT once again is clear. There are a few things to work out here and I’ll explained what I learned and pass it on to you. Take it with a shot, a beer orr lemonade I don’t care just think about the next few things.

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GAS is a problem many have and there’s only one cure….depleted bank account…Oh, one more A RUSSIAN WIFE. It’s easier to deal with the bank account then the …well…you get it.

One of the feeding factors for GAS is fining the right camera etc. Is there a cure for that? Heck ya, easy. If you can define the purpose of your cameras then you can find a STOP for GAS. Not a cure but a real reason to not enter the GAS arena.

I am assuming if your reading this that your more serious about your photography than the ones not reading this. Try to arrange your thoughts about your INTENT and what camera leads to that fulfillment.

I have one camera that I consider Transitional and that’s the NEX 6. Oh, hold on…. The Nex is a close trusted friend but I could do work with it because it’s an AZZ kicking camera. All the photos on the post were born from the NEX 6 and the OM 24mm 2.8.

I gotta run cause it’s Russian Tea Time…I must oblige because Tanya watches WWE and she’s learned some good moves and I’m not into loosing a match.

More tomorrow…..later friends……don

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