Going Up

GRD II, f3.5, 1/540, ISO 100, JPG text

I think the Text mode in Ricoh cameras is pretty unique and very cool but not utilized enough. Maybe it is because people don't quite know what to do with it. It is not an easy mode to use for general photography so I will try to post some pictures taken with it and see what works and what doesn't. Then maybe have a whole Text mode week soon.

Talking Past Each Other

GRD II, f6.3, 1/500, ISO 80, RAW

Today, Ricoh has announced the GRD III. It has some pretty impressive specs and makes a great camera for street photography. The main standout features are the fast f1.9 lens, the user configurable Snap focus, the full-press Snap AF option, the improved 10MP 1/1.7" CCD sensor, the impressive 3" VGA LCD and a lot more. Head over here to read more about it and see some pictures.

I took this picture with the GRD II using the Snap mode and only slightly cropped it.

Mastermind

GRD II, f2.4, 1/750, ISO 80, RAW 2:3

Took this picture after work. I liked how the guy was strolling along with his hands behind her back. I added some vignetting and increased the contrast.

Touch the Screen

GRD, f5.6, 1/400, ISO 400, JPG b&w

Did not have much time for photography but managed to take a few pictures during lunch today. This is the one I like most.

Metal & Glass

GRD, f7.1, 1/640, ISO 100, JPG b&w

I did not take many pictures today, I did however like most of the ones which I did take. I decided to use this one because I do not take a lot of architecture shots but really like how this came out.
The GRD I might not be the best for landscapes but it certainly is the best for architecture photography due to the great lens it has. This picture is unprocessed, straight out of the camera.

Mirror View

GRD II, f4, 1/250, ISO 80, RAW

Most photographers don't like shooting in the bright midday sun because of the harsh shadows. I take a big part of my pictures at that time though because this is when I usually get the chance to go out and take pictures. I do like the harsh shadows and have no problem with this but I also like high contrast pictures. The best thing about taking pictures at that time are the reflections you can get in Canary Wharf but also in other places.
I like this picture because it is washed out but the mirror image is well exposed and creates a contrast. The other reason is that the mirror image of the guy looks somewhat different, almost as it is another person.

On a side note, there will be a public hands-on event for the Olympus E-P1 at the Jessops near Tottenham Court Road tomorrow from 6pm. I will go there and will try to get some time with the camera and post my impressions. If you have any questions or want to know anything specific let me know and I will try to find out if possible.

Green Dress

GX100, f7, 1/400, ISO 80, RAW, 50mm

Took this during lunch today. We finally had some sun shining during the day so the shadows and reflections made photography more interesting. I decided to use the GX100 and thought the zoom will come in handy. It did not really and I usually preferred using 28mm and 24mm.
I really like this picture and while I can't exactly say why I like it so much, I did know that this is the picture for today after I took it.

Watch Out For The Fish!

GRD, f4.5, 1/320, ISO 400, JPG b&w

The weather has been mostly dull and grey today. Not really great for photography and I have not been overly inspired. I took a few picturs on my way home though and this is the one I liked best. I walked past this poster a few times but never saw anything intersting happening next to it so I was glad when I saw this today.

Backyard

GRD II, f6.3, 1/640, ISO 80, RAW

When I processed this picture I wanted to give it a similar feel to my picture from yesterday. Something like a surreal or futuristic small series of Canary Wharf.
I wanted this to look a bit like a pencil drawing and have used a infrared b&w conversion.

Under a Grey Sky

GRD II, f7.1, 1/640, ISO 200, RAW

Took this picture after work today. The weather was again not very good and it was pretty grey for most of the day.
I wanted to give the picture a very surreal feel, the sharp and soft areas merge together with very bright colors and the grey sky with dark corners from the vignetting. Not sure if I went slightly over the top with this but I do like the result.

White Shirt Gang

GRD, f6.3, 1/640, ISO 200, JPG b&w

While in HK I mentioned that I know exactly what I want in my next camera and what it needs to have. It was simple, a camera with the b&w image quality and fast AF from the Ricoh GRD I and the flexibility of the Panasonic LC-1 plus the bigger sensor and maybe interchangeable lenses while staying pocketable.
Today, Olympus finally announced their new m4/3 camera and it is (almost) exactly what I have been looking for. It is the new and highly anticipated Olympus E-P1 and it is the first proper serious compact with interchangeable lenses.
After reading the preview and having a look at the great b&w samples (taken with an Art filter), I can't wait till the camera is released. I already submitted my entry to review the camera for 1 week on the Olympus E-P1 webpage.

There are only a few things holding me back from rushing out and getting the E-P1. The lack of proper wideangle lenses for the m4/3 format and old lenses have to deal with a 2x crop but more importantly the reports about slow AF, this alone could rule the camera out for me.
Another reason is the rumor that Ricoh has something similar planned to replace the GRD II with. Knowing Ricoh, their camera will at least have a selection of wideangle lenses available and if the CX1 is anything to go by also a fast AF.
I sure hope Ricoh will announce something soon because the 25th is not far away and I don't know if I can resist getting a E-P1 ;) .

Standing Around

GRD, f5.6, 1/500, ISO 400, JPG b&w

Took this while out for a walk during lunch today. At first I did not even have my camera on but while crossing the street I turned it on and walked closer to him to take a picture. What made this interesting was the was he was just standing around on the road. After I took the picture I knew that this will probably end up as my picture for the day.

Going to Nam

GRD, f2.4, 1/60, ISO 400, JPG b&w

Did not have much time for taking pictures today. I took a few while walking around Canary Wharf but did not have many I liked. This is the one I like most but it did not come out as intended. I wanted to get some motion blur but it does not work very well thinking about it.

Talking With My Shadow

GRD, f6.3, 1/640, ISO 200, JPG b&w, 21mm

After the last days where the weather has been dull and grey we had a very nice afternoon with a lot of sunshine today. The nice thing about Canary Wharf is that all the steel and glass creates great reflections and nice shadows so it's great for photography.
I did try a different approach to process this picture and opted for very high contrast and very dark shadows. I wanted the texture of the floor to stand out a lot and show the reflections better. I cropped the image to get the guy to be fully in the corner and eliminate some visible stairs at the top.

Fire & Smoking

GRD, f3.5, 1/160, ISO 400, JPG b&w

After the great light I had to take pictures yesterday it was rather grey and dull today. I took a few pictures during lunch but mot did not look that good, this is do quite like and think the grey metallic wall looks very good. Photography is afterall mostly influenced by the light available and not the gear.

PCSOs At Work

CX1, f7.2, 1/620, ISO 80, JPG, 105mm

Took this while out for lunch, it was a try at street photography in Canary Wharf. I find it more difficult here since people are closer together and there is not much space for interesting compositions.

Pick Up

CX1, f6.2, 1/870, ISO 400, JPG, 200mm

I do not like Canary Wharf that much, it is too artificial and too busy during the week. Going out for lunch is not very nice since everywhere it's packed and quite expensive compared with the city. The nice thing however is taht there are always performances and other events during the summer months so you can get some entertainment while having lunch.

Phone Call

GRD, f4.5, 1/320, ISO 400, JPG

Took this picture while on my way to the cinema today. I had two other pictures I really liked but I was not happy with he composition so need to try and re-take them at some point.

Little Poledancer

R10, f5.2, 1/25, ISO 800, JPG, 200mm

Took this while having coffee at Canary Wharf. The 200mm zoom of the R10 allowed me to take it without having to crop it massively. I did nothice one thing, the lens is too slow at 200mm and it takes me to long to adapt to this massive zoom so I always get lost and have to find where I am to compose my shot. I would say everything over 90mm is a bit of overkill for me and I am also too detached from the scene to take any really good pictures of people. I really need to try some wildlife photography with the R10 and I also have a particular project in mind but need to find the time for it.

Smoke Rising

GX200, f6, 4 sec., ISO 64, RAW, 28mm

I started to like taking long exposure shots recently. Due to it getting dark pretty early it is a good time to do this. Took the GX200 again with me but realized that I need to get myself a small and light tripod so I am not depended on ledges and other items to rest the camera on. Really like how the shot came out and think the GX200 does a very good job at this.