Ricoh GR IV (Thoughts Too Brief for a Review)

It has been some time since my last article, and it behooves me to say a word or two about a recent camera release which hits close to home: namely, the most recent iteration of the Ricoh GR series. And, yes, there has been a further announcement, one which a clamorous niche of the photography… Continue reading Ricoh GR IV (Thoughts Too Brief for a Review)

Minimalism and Anti-Minimalism

I may have invented a term; "anti-minimalism." The big ol' internet you and I are currently partaking of to facilitate this exchange of ideas has a few word suggestions. Maximalism. Cluttercore. And then (of course), our venerable friend Materialism. Pentax Z-1p, HD FA 43mm f1.9 Limited, Shanghai GP3 100 I'm not sure what I'm talking… Continue reading Minimalism and Anti-Minimalism

Keeping Things Rolling

It has been a busy spring, nonetheless I have been photographing as often as I can. Having time afterwards to write, without distractions or mentally churning through past or upcoming tasks, is another story entirely. I typically like to write articles with a sort of theme or lesson (along with the occasional gear-review-flavored morsel), but,… Continue reading Keeping Things Rolling

The Banshees of Lomography

I was listening to a podcast this morning (the excellent "Prime Lenses" photography podcast by Iain Farrell), and the guest mentioned the era of Lomography: a time long, long ago (the internet will tell you it was 2011, but that coincides mostly with the rise of Instagram, as far as I can tell. Instagram offered… Continue reading The Banshees of Lomography

A New Horizon, A Familiar Skyline

In the months since writing my last post, my gear list has remained mostly the same. The Voiglander Bessa-T and Color-Skopar 35mm f2.5 have left, providing some of the funding for the Pentax K-1 Mark II. It has been a busy time outside of my photography hobby, and it culminated in a move to a… Continue reading A New Horizon, A Familiar Skyline

Ricoh GR IIIx Review: The Lens

In a previous post, I theorized about the Ricoh GR IIIx before it officially made it to online retail sites. Given I have a longstanding affinity for the 40mm field of view, I was very excited by the announcement, and got my hands on one as soon as I could. Now that I've had it… Continue reading Ricoh GR IIIx Review: The Lens

Two Working Elements of a Photograph, Part 2

Last time I wrote about the power to surprise and arrest us that a photograph has by being printed and placed into real-world surroundings. But what if we want to make photographs to appear in a book, or to try and capture a moment of the restless viewer's time on the internet? We can do… Continue reading Two Working Elements of a Photograph, Part 2

Two Working Elements of a Photograph, Part 1

What qualities are we looking for when making a photograph? I have a few thoughts on the question (naturally!). At a certain level, I think we are interested in photographs that are both surprising and familiar. There is a process of looking that every good photograph entails in its viewer. It can't be read all… Continue reading Two Working Elements of a Photograph, Part 1

Ricoh GR III Two-Year Review, Part Two: Camera Ethos

Ricoh likes to call GR users “GRists.” If you stumbled over that odd-looking word at first, you’re not alone. It’s part of Ricoh’s overarching marketing strategy for the GR series, and, while it may be a bit awkward in English, it does convey a sort of special quality about GR mainliners. The suffix “-ist” denotes… Continue reading Ricoh GR III Two-Year Review, Part Two: Camera Ethos

Ricoh GR III Two-Year Review, Part One: The Hardware

I got my hands on a GR III as soon as they were available in the US, which was March of 2019. Since then it has become a constant companion through thick and thin, economic boom and pandemic turmoil alike. Though I use other cameras, the GR III is small enough to ride along with… Continue reading Ricoh GR III Two-Year Review, Part One: The Hardware