Videographer

GRD II, f4.5, 1/320, ISO 100, RAW

I finished work early and as so often recently went for a walk in Greenwich park where I took a few pictures with the GRD II. Like yesterday, I knew after taking this picture that it will probably end up as my choice for today.

Today, I also recieved my CX1 review sample. There will be a few changes to my review system this time round so I will have something up by tomorrow.
The first impression of the CX1 however is great, the camera is extremely well built, the AF is very fast and that screen is just amazing.

Crossing

GRD II, f4, 1/320, ISO 100, RAW

After yesterday's post, I had a look through my recent pictures and noticed that I have hardly done any street photography in London. I have tried to look out for new things but at the end I do enjoy street photography more. I decided to do more street photography this week but also want to try and give it a different look.

I took this picture (as so many other) during lunch, at first I noticed the reflection on the street and it looked like a pedestrian crossing. Then I needed a subject but did not want to have the subject full in the frame. I have boosted the contrast a lot in this picture to get a picture without many grey tones, almost like using the text mode. I cropped it to 1:1 format because I feel it works beter like this and I started to really like the square format, although I prefer to always shoot in 4:3 and crop later to the intended format.

Four Friends

GRD II, f2.4, 1/30, ISO 283, RAW

I haven't been that inspired recently. Don't want to become stale and upload boring pictures so I think I need to set myself another project to work on. Maybe I have to start with a weekly theme again since this is always fun and more challenging than just taking random picturss of things I notice daily.

Took this while walking home through Greenwich park today. It was raining but the walk was still nice and quite sheltered by the trees. This however also reminded me why a weather proof camera would be great and make things a lot easier.

Kid's Fountain

GRD II, f2.4, 1/40, ISO 80, RAW

After the marathon (in taking pictures) yesterday, I took it easy today. The weather was the complete opposite as it was cold and raining so not great for walking outside and taking pictures.
Took this picture after lunch on my way back to the office and liked the colors and contrast that the grey weather gave to this fountain.

London Marathon 2009

Got up early today to go on an assignment and take pictures of the 2009 Flora London Marathon. It was an event by the LPMG and Bliss to take pictures of the official bliss runners. Although they announced rain for today, the weather has been fantastic and great for being out and taking pictures although the harsh light posed a problem at times.

I decided to take the Panasonic LC1 with me since it has a very usefull zoom, fast lens, handles very well and the dynamic range is very good. Everyone else had big dSLRs with long zoom lenses so my 90mm tele was where their zoom lenses started. My choice of cameras did stick out but at least I did not have to worry about a sore neck at the end of the day ;).
The only problem with my choice of camera is the slow and unreliable AF and the EVF lag of the LC1, I had to resort to manual focus at times and using one eye to frame through the EVF and the other to see the actual scene, this worked ok although the EVF is not 1:1. It is really a shame Panasonic never released a LC2 based on a 4/3 sensor and faster AF, a G1 in a LC1 body would be a fantastic camera and a bit like a digital Contax G2. I think the most important thing in a new camera for me is a fast and reliable AF, using manual focus is ok but I would not want to rely on it all the time.

Since I never go out of the house without one of my GRDs, I also had the GRD I with me for street shots while walking around. It did give me some very nice shots but also a few problems that I need to look into.

You can see more pictures from the marathon in my Dropbox gallery here.

Shadow & Texture

GRD II, f3.5, 1/500, ISO 80, RAW

Took this picture while out for a walk today. I liked the light and texture of it.

Another Shadow

GRD II, f4, 1/500, ISO 80, RAW

Took this again in Greenwich park and liked the form of the shadow. I thought of changing it to b&w but found that the tones of green worked much better.

The Lonely Tree

GRD II, f5, 1/1150, ISO 100, RAW

Ok, probably every photographer has taken at least one picture of a lonely tree, I know I have taken a few. I took this today while walking in Greenwich park.

I posted about this very interesting post from Wouter before and want to post a few new questions here.
The top picture is my post-processed picture and it is how I like this to look but it did take qute a lot of processing work to get it to look like this as you can see from the unprocessed picture at the bottom.
Now, which picture do you prefer? Is the post-processed picture better or do you prefer the original? Does the post-processed picture change the reality in a bad way or is it still close enough to the original scene? How much post-processing should someone do and should we always make it clear that a picture is post-processed? What if you could achieve the same look in camera with scene modes, would it be a post-processed picture?
I find that sometimes I do quite a lot of post-processing to have the picture match my vision or even change my vision after playing around with the picture in post-processing, although I have always a pretty good idea of how it should look like.

I want to tell you also about another very interesting post that I forgot to mention before. Regular reader and fellow blogger Richard has posted a very interesting post about my WOOOW picture here. It's worth a read and I enjoyed reading about his feelings and view towards my picture.

Rolling Down the Avenue

GRD, f4, 1/125, ISO 64, JPG

Since I finished work early today, I could go and enjoy the great weather in Greenwich park on my way home. Spending time there is great and very relaxing.
I walked around for a bit to take some pictures and took a lot of pictures of the blossoms and colorfull flowers in the park. This picture is technically not great and I even converted it to b&w from color but it is my favorite picure of the day.

Red Shoes

GRD, f5, 1/400, ISO 200, JPG

Took this while walking around Southbank today. I found it strange that someone just seemed to have left the shoes on the bench like that. What drew me was more that the shoes were red and had a nice contrast to the grey around them.
I did add more contrast and vignetting to the image to get it more to how I saw the picture in my mind. This also brings me to a very interesting post and discussion on Wouter's blog, how much post processing should one do? I have posted a similar question before but find it still an interesting question.

Three Cranes

GRD, f8, 1/800, ISO 200, JPG b&w

I love cranes and I like taking pictures of reflections, although I don't get to do this very often. While taking a walk home today I saw the reflection of these three cranes and found it looked very good and could make a great b&w picture. I used ISO 200 to get some noise in the picture but also because I find it gives crisper images when compared to ISO 64 or ISO 100 on the GRD I.

Lazy Cat

LC1, f5.6, 1/400, ISO 100, JPG, 90mm.

Did not have time to take many pictures today. It was not because I was lying in the sun all day. While I wish, I could have done it like the cat in the picture, I was spending some 'quality' time in the plane and the very efficient London transport system instead.

Fire Rain

GRD, f2.4, 1/50, ISO 1600, JPG

Why I like the GRD I as much is simple really, the ability to use ISO 1600 without problems, combined with the fast lens and focus means I can continue shooting till late in the night. The small size and discreet looks make it even better suited to get candid shots of friends and other people.
I took this picture while out with friends and aside from the fireworks there was no other light source.

Blue Door

GRD, f2.8, 1/160, ISO 200, JPG

I find old doors fascinating. Like old or abandoned buildings I have to ask myself where these doors lead and what their story is. Why is that a door was once usefull and is now overgrown and disused? Is there still an entrance on the other site or does it open to a blank wall?
Mostpeople look for beautyin new and nice things as it is obvious and easy to find but for me, old things and ugly things have a special beauty about them that can't be found anywhere else.

Cobblestones

GRD, f6.3, 1/640, ISO 400, JPG b&w

Today, I've been to Düsseldorf to see a photo exhibition from Michel Comte. it was very interesting and especially his documentary pictures are great.
It was also funny to see him using a GRD II with 40mm lens in one of the video clips from his interviews.
Before and after, I took a few pictures around Düsseldorf, I did use the GRD I and ISO 400 only, for some reason this is what works best for me.
This was again a picture I planned after seeing the cobblestones but I needed something else to draw attention to. I quite like the picture, I cropped it to 1:1 format as it works better for me.

Lost & Forgotten

GRD, f2.4, 1/50, ISO 64, RAW

I took it easy today and just went for a walk in the nearby woods. I am really not very good at taking pictures of nature. I am more of a street and industrial photographer.
I did take a few pictures and quite liked a few but this I think works best. After a long time I even decided to use the RAW mode of the GRD I but it is not really worth the effort or wait, the JPG would have been as good.

WOOOW

GRD, f2.8, 1/125, ISO 200, JPG b&w

Went to Cologne today for a walk and to take some pictures. The light was terrible though, it was too bright and very hazy so the worst case for taking pictures. I only had the GRD with me and in b&w it performed just fine.

When I walked past this shop window, I knew I had a great opportunity for a picture but needed the right person to walk in front. Lucky for me I did not have to wait too long for a woman to walk past. I really like the picture and it was almost perfect although I had to crop out a plant that was in the way and that I could not get rid of.

As mentioned yesterday, in case you want to see more of my Berlin pictures, here is my gallery.

Noticepost on Bergmannstrasse

GRD, f6.3, 1/500, ISO 200, JPG

On my way out of Berlin, I decided to stop by Bergmannstrasse and stroll around. I first heard of this street during Photokina. Ricoh had two books from Stefan Maria Rother 'BERGMANNstrasse', a German photographer who used the two GRD cameras for his work. The books are worth checking out.

I decided to go there and do my own street and people photography to compare my style with his for fun. I planned of posting a series on it but going there early on a bank holiday is probably not the best starting point for people and street photography. I got some very nice shots none the less but found that this picture, for me, somehow embodies more the street and people who live and pass by there than any other picture I took and it does also not compete with the work of Stefan Maria Rother in any way.

I realized that I posted only street photos from Berlin but not a lot about the place as such. I will upload a Berlin Gallery on Dropbox by tomorrow and provide the link.

Slope

LC1, f6.3, 1/2000, ISO 100, RAW, 53mm

Ok, this was the last full day in Berlin. I took most pictures with the GRD I today. But since I decided to post only pictures taken with the LC1, I did prefer this picture.

Tomorrow it will be time to leave and go to Hilden. My posts should be more on time from there.

Little Lady in the Water

LC1, f5.6, 1/1000, ISO 100, RAW, 90mm

Ok, after the last days of posting only pictures taken with the Panasonic LC1, I have decided to post only LC1 pictures from Berlin. I mean, if I have to lug around all-day the big and heavy camera, I might as well make use of it and show it. This is also my biggest problem with it, it's great to use but I hate carrying it with me. Literally a pain in the neck ;). Never understand people lugging around big dSLRs with massive zoom lenses, no matter how good the image quality but the weight and bulk would never be worth for me.

Today, I got more in the rhythm of the place and my street photography improved, I had more and better pictures. Berlin is different and so are the people, I need to adapt and look for different things and have a different pace and approach.

Men With Hats

LC1, f5.6, 1/1000, ISO 400, RAW, 90mm

Ok, if you wonder why I took this picture in ISO 400 in broad daylight then I have to say it was user error. No idea how I managed it but by mistake I set the LC1 to ISO 400 and did not notice it until the evening. While ISO 400 is not great, most pictures are usable if developed from RAW. The funny thing is that today my GRD I pictures are taken mostly at ISO 64 and not as usual at ISO 400.
Well, sometimes mistakes happen, at least the pictures are still usable and some who are not are easy to re-take.

Other than that, Berlin is pretty nice and the weather is great. Still, somehow I can't connectwith the city that much and I am still not overly inspired. Most of my pictures are more holiday snapshots and some architecture.

Shadow on the Wall

LC1, f5.6, 1/1000, ISO 100, RAW, 70mm

I was not sure what picture to post today. It was a close call between this, a street shot from the GRD or a picture of one of the sights. Then again, with me so much into street photography it made sense to use this.
When I walked past this spot, I really liked the tree shadow but found something lacking. There was a great looking tower in the background but including it did not do anything. I needed people in the picture but the first people walking past were not 'right' so I had to wait for the right moment. When these guys came along i knew I had my shot.

Die Welt - Berlin

LC1, f5, 1/1000, ISO 100, RAW, 60mm

Arrived in Berlin today and went for a walk. Have to say it is a nice city, modern with great architecture and it is pretty laid back. It is however not quite as expected and right now I am not sure if I like it or not. It is not as inspiring as Hong Kong to take pictures where I could not stop.
It was hazy day and this might have been the main reason I haven't been that inspired. The picture I chose for today is one of my favorite. The main reason I chose it however is that it has Berlin written in it ;).

Ms Incredible

GRD, f5, 1/500, ISO 64, JPG

Ok, this is a cheesy color cut-out picture but I think it looks better this way and at least it's different if nothing else ;).
Took this today while going out for lunch and I only got the shot because the GRD I was on and is very fast to focus and take a picture.

Heroes Remembered

GRD, f4, 1/320, ISO 400, JPG sepia

Took this picture while walking through Postman's Park today. I always wanted to take a picture here since I have seen the movie Closer and have taken one before, with the GX, but never of the tiles. While walking past I saw this guy looking at the inscriptions and I thought that it would make a good picture in sepia, I am indeed happy with how it came out.

Burnt Out

I posted quite a few series recently so my motto of 'One Day. One Picture.' did not quite apply. But sometimes it is necessary to show a series of 5 pictures to give a better feel to a place or theme.

I took the pictures today in a burnt out building nearby with the Panasonic LC1. Always wanted to go there and take pictures but never really got round to. It was really lucky that I could go in and take pictures close up. As much as I enjoyed taking pictures in Bodiam Castle, I somehow found taking pictures of this building more inspiring but also more challenging. It is easy to take a nice picture of a beautiful place or great building but taking interesting pictures of decay is a bigger challenge. The weather was on my side today and I went there at the right time to have the sun provide great light and shadows inside.

Tree Shadow

GRD, f6.3, 1/500, ISO 100, JPG sepia, 21mm

Today's picture is inspired by some of Wouter's shadow pictures. I took it in Regent's Park with the 21mm lens and modified the blacks and contrast to get the deep shadows.

We had the 2nd unofficial Ricoh meetup today. It is always great to meet people with similar interests, everyone bought their Ricoh cameras for the very same reasons. The main reason is the size and feel/handling of the camera. Having the chance to talk about cameras but also the pictures taken with it was very nice.
We had a chat and some coffee before heading off to do what we do best with the Ricoh cameras, take pictures. The weather was great so we decided to walk to Regent's Park and take some pictures along the way and in the park. After our walk we went for coffee to view the pictures we took and also each nominate a 'Picture of the Day' and we had a small competition to determine the winning picture. Can't wait for the next official Ricoh meet-up.

Overgrown

GRD, f4.5, 1/320, ISO 64, JPG

After the last two days of covering protests I needed some quiet and decided to take a walk through Greenwich Park on my way home and relax there.
Took this picture while walking towards the park.

The Big Nothing

Today was a strange day, after the big protest yesterday everyone expected even bigger protests for today. But it turned out that there were only a handful protesters, twice as many photographers and around four times the police at Bank and at the ExCel Centre.
A lot of people expected disruptions and violence but no one showed up. Over half of the protesters at the ExCel Centre were good spirited Ethiopians. It was strange and a bit disappointing indeed that not much happened. Reminded me of a slogan I read: "What if they gave a war and no one came?"


After my criticism of the police yesterday, I have to say that they were great at the ExCel Centre today, they allowed people to demonstrate and did not bully them around. The police near Bank however was a bit rude in the way they dealt with people, still it was overall not quite the same as yesterday.

"The Day of the Big Protest, Or...

How the Police Managed to Escalate a Peaceful Situation".


The G20 Summit started and massive demonstrations were expected in the City of London for today. At first there were more police officers and reporters than protesters but this turned soon and around lunctime a lot of people came to protest but also to see what is going on.


In the beginning everything was fine, people were having a good time and were in good spirits, police was present but did not impede or bullied the protesters and other people there. This turned soon when the police got the stupid order to contain people and circled the people in. I was one of the people who got caught in the middle with the police refusing to let anyone out, even an injured person. Only reporters were alowed through.


People were nice and talked to the police at first but after being "contained" for over 1.5h people started to get impatient and angry. They called on the police to let them through and when this failed started to call them faschists and nazis. It did not take long till people decided that pushing was the only way out.
The police thought it was a good idea to bully people and push them to the ground and this is when the situation escalated and everyone pushed their way through. I was in the front line just in front of the police and while I could avoid being pushed by the police I was pushed forward by the people behind me. This resuled in the police line breaking down and the ploce finally moving away and letting people get out.


This whole situation only escalated because some idiot gave the order to contain people, after people pushed their way out they went peacefully about their way. So a note to the London Police, if you want to escalate a situation and turn people against you just go ahead and "contain" people.


Overall it was a very interesting experience and I really enjoy covering protests. Getting caught up in the midle was not great but the people I met, including the police, were generaly very friendly and passionate. Using the GRD only was great and it is the perfect camera for these events, it's fast, small and easy to handle. Took over 450 pictures today, not all of them good but sometimes it is better to take more than not enough on an event like this.
I even managed to get another photographer interested in my GRD. It was generally also a great opportunity to spot the camera people were using and from big dSLRs over Leicas, Contax G2, Rolleiflex, compact and mobile phones there were all sorts of cameras present.

For more pictures go an see my Dropbox gallery here.

Tomorrow after work I'll be heading to the Excel Centre to cover the 2nd day of the protests so check back for more pictures.