That’s Ray up above with the Nikon Coolpix A. Nice camera, great guy. To the story…..

As you all know I’ve been struggling with the Gr because there are certain things it doesn’t do. I like the camera but we haven’t bonded to the point that I can say, it’s my camera. I talked with Ray on the phone…(it’s a real analog voice thing) a few times last week for hours and he explained to me how he adapted to the camera.

Here’s my scenario. I get many request to edit work, teach workshops on Street etc, help a shooter out, male and or female etc. It’s nice to be trusted with this. So I really don’t ask anyone about my work because I’m at the point of self realization. I’m not bragging, I’m just living in a very comfortable zone with my lifes work.

 

 

So Ray advised me to try Av instead of TAv. Well, I spent years using A Mode with different cameras and I was very famliar with it. I really liked the idea of  TAv because it reminded me of M mode on the GRD4. On the GRD4, we can choose…shutter speed, aperture and I used Auto ISO. I trusted the camera to use an ISO up to a limit I could set.

This means I just work with the subject matter and the LIGHT. The camera works ISO to make things right. even if I screw it up.

Well, the Ricoh Pentax engineers decided to screw that up real nice. If your in TAv mode, you can choose the Aperture and the Shutter Speed. You even get to use EV BUT!….the camera sets ISO and you CAN’T set a high limit.  Ok, ok…I know…I am the destroyer of PIXELS in a image. It’s my choice to do that, I don’t want the camera making choices I don’t know about and sending the ISO up to 25600.

Ray told me on the phone to try A mode. I sat back, did a shot of single malt that I have hidden from the Russian CZAR Tanya because she doesn’t want me to drink and tells me so as she sips some wine and tells me that I’m too old to drink alcohol!

Out of camera straight using the street settings I use with A mode. I went in and poped the shutter. Amazing how the GR adapts on the spur of the moment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Nikon Coolpix A helping Ray do a shot. I didn’t want to touch it and Ray asked me if I wanted to used a card and try it out. I knew it could be trouble.

 

So if I’m the guy some people call to help with images etc, what about me? I have friends that are all experts in different areas of photography and life. I had planned to shoot on Friday and the weather wouldn’t stop me. Even in bad rain, I could work underground.

Then Ray said he would like to meet on Friday. I jumped at the chance because Ray is #1 on my list of trusted people with the STREET knowledge of cameras.

So I knew that as a gentleman I would have to be using the suggestions Ray prompted me to use. I spent a few hours Thursday practicing the Av mode on the GR. I was ready. If Ray looked at my camera, sheeeeet…he’d see it set on Av mode. I had no intention of ever using that on the GR. Then all the sudden, after the 2nd shot of Single Malt on Thursday……something hit me in the head.

I figured it was the scotch but it was the camera. Eureka! I have seen the light. Now I just had to really test it on the street.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So the moral of the story, the moral of the song…is that one should never be where one does not belong….

I thank Ray from the bottom of my heart for guiding me to the light. My GR thanks him more than that because it was going to eBay this evening.  It’s great to be a photographer and it’s great to have a few cameras that do what you want them to do with you. It’s a blessing to have friends. It’s a blessed gift to have friends that can shed light on something that is so important to you and grant you the freedom to continue your work.

So the GR ain’t going anywhere but out with me…Now if I could just get my nice Luigi’s strap to work on it…….hmmmmm

 

 

Have a great weekend my friends and make photos. Later………