Tag Archives: Black & White

BLOG en, Street Photography Tips

Street Photography Tips : About composition.

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I recently shared a slideshow about my 3 days in Marseille on my YouTube channel. I had not yet had the time to write a Blog on it to share it with you. You will find the link just below. One of my followers wanted to know a little more about the composition. I work a lot on instinct. Which does not mean that it’s guess work and that with a little luck I have something suitable. It does not work that way … In most cases, there is thinking before pressing the shutter button. It happens very quickly. These are composition schemes that I have in mind. Nothing is fixed. I do not apply ready-made recipes, but with all these different schemes in mind, my brain knows how to recognize interesting situations and compositions.

 

 

I will try to detail in this Blog, which led me to take a picture. What are the important elements that I wanted to integrate into my composition and especially when I decided to press the trigger. This Blog will not be exhaustive. I just take the opportunity to explain some photos taken recently in Marseille. I do not pretend to give composition classes. These are just tips. I started the T.M.E (Through My Eyes) project to show you what my eyes were seeing in the street. Here, it will be more a question of explaining to you what led me to press the trigger.

 

  • Exemple 1.

 

 

You can see that this picture is composed of three elements. I locked from the beginning the exposure on the highlights (on the sky here). I had to spend in all and for less than a minute to get to this picture. I spotted two people waiting for the bus and of course the gentleman with the hat caught my attention. A silhouette of a guy with a hat always works. I also had this billboard bathed in light. The interest was to now complicate this too simple composition by integrating another element. The bus arrived rather quickly counteracting my plans. I managed to have a picture with a cyclist. Then people started to get on the bus, that’s when a lady came with her stroller. I had to take a small step on the left so that her silhouette stands out against the sky. I had my three elements. That’s when I decided to start. You can see the other photos below.

 

 

  • Exemple 2.

 

 

I already knew that this photo would be in B&W. FYI, I shoot in RAW only and I do not use a filter on my Ricoh GR to have a preview in monochrome. But I know right now for some photos if I will work in color or monochrome. Here clearly for me it was B&W. Why ? The horizontal stripes of the gentleman’s shirt and the vertical bars. The gentleman’s attitude in the foreground had caught my attention, as well as the silhouette of the man leaning against the fence in the background. The road and the barrier allowed me to play with the leading lines that led me to the bus stop which gives me a little context in reading this image. We are near the Catalan Beach in Marseille. It certainly does not speak to you, but all the Marseillais know this beach. The girl on the billboard, it’s just a bonus. I did not pay attention, but it complements the overall composition. Note that I stalled the hand of the guy in the foreground at the bottom right of my image for more dynamism. This photo was made while walking. When I saw the scene, I paused to integrate all the elements I told you about, and then I just kept walking until I was able to trigger at the right moment. I do this to keep the candid moment of the scene. If I stopped to compose, the gentleman would surely have looked at me. Sometimes that’s what I’m looking for, but very often I do not prefer it.

 

  • Exemple 3.

 

 

I love this picture because there is movement and it represents the tumult of Marseille. This photo was made in the district of Chartreux close to the apartment where I lodged. My attention was of course drawn to this group of young people who were coming back from the gym presumably. The idea was to organize the chaos that reigned in this place to get something readable out of it. Again this photo was made while walking and waiting for the right moment to trigger. What is the right moment will you tell me ? I took into account several elements. Be careful that there are no overlapping characters (there is the little boy with the striped t-shirt, but I do not find it embarrassing). Have characters coming in and out of the frame. And to finish points of support in the background (the man with the helmet). All this thinking is taking place quickly in my mind. The small bonus of this photo is the small group of young people coming down the sidewalk. Why is this so important ? It gives life to the photo ! It’s like people coming in and out of the box. This photo is not static. There is movement, life and tension. You can see below, another exemple of this kind of picture.

 

 

  • Exemple 4.

 

 

Obviously this picture I only conceived in color ! I stayed close to this gentleman for 5 minutes with his yellow swim shorts. This is the kind of character that catches your eyes when you’re on the street. A few years ago I would have put myself in front of him shamelessly and I would have taken a photo with a low pov. Not anymore. It’s like when I was younger, I was doing daredevil stuff that I will not do it again now. It’s stupid to get old … Instead, I tried to compose differently by integrating another bather who was tanning with also a yellow swimsuit. I only had to wait for other people to finish my composition. These two ladies will do the trick. We have yellow on the outside and blue on the inside. This photo would have no meaning in monochrome. you can see that there is an eye contact. It was inevitable by staying so long on the spot, I am necessarily spotted.

 

  • Exemple 5.

 

 

This photo was made on the boat that took me to the island of Frioul which is off the coast of Marseille. I spotted these two Japanese who were dressed identically. These colorful shirts were a feast for the eyes and made the use of color mandatory. I made something like 10 photos to get to that one. As usual, I try to complicate the composition by adding elements. Here it was trying to integrate the lady with the hat in the frame. I think I kind od succeeded here and I even had bonus gestures. My only regret about this picture is to have been too close to them because I would have liked to see a little more their shirt. The reason I was so close was to eliminate other clutter elements from the composition. Half succeeded because we still distinguish the face of the guy with the FC Barcelona t-shirt left.

 

 

  • Exemple 6.

 

 

Photo taken on arrival on the island of Frioul. I was immediately attracted by these supermarket shopping carts lying there on the platform. Surely to help vacationers carry their luggage. I put myself on the other side to take a picture and I noticed at that moment, the colors that match well. This photo was motivated by the oddness of the scene.

 

  • Exemple 7.

 

 

This photo above was made on the esplanade at the top of MuCEM. It is a very photogenic place. This photo is a failed one. I really like the shadows of people who come into the picture. They do not overlap and we clearly see 3 people walking. This photo was taken late afternoon with a sun that stretches the shadows. It’s not good because nothing is happening ! I highlighted in red the missing elements. Finally that’s what I had in mind when I imagined this picture in my head. Shadows that enter the frame, a character on the right side of the picture, another in the middle and finally characters in the upper right, a bit of gestures ans that’s all ! Just to have a balanced composition. All that would have happened if I was more patient, but it was a late afternoon and I had already tired … In the end I managed to have all these elements separated but not all together !

 

 

I still managed to have something interesting when I did not expect it. The low sun often offered me gestures where people protected themselves from the sun. It was the case on this last photo. I was also lucky to have a gesture from a character who was on different layer. This last picture was taken as I was heading for the exit. I did not expect it. I had not managed to get what I had imagined in my head, but another scene came to me. It’s the street. Very often, nothing happens as expected. You have to be responsive and always be ready to press the shutter button.

 

 

  • Exemple 8.

 

 

I introduce you Mario, the plunger of le Vieux Port ! If I only had to show this picture, you’d say, “Thumbs up Jeff, you have an eye and caught a great moment! “. In fact the reality is quite different. I had to take about twenty photos of Mario before I managed to get what I wanted. I went down to the Vieux Port to take pictures of the fish stalls with everyone who is pressing on this place in the morning. I heard a huge splash on my back. That’s when I realized that someone had just plunged into the harbor ! I saw him reappear and climb on the platform. I knew well that he was going to start again. So I stayed there at the edge waiting for him to jump again to try to capture this time his jump. I did not know how to compose. Like an idiot, I tried to take a low pov to have him detached on the blue sky. Missed test. It was later that I realized that I had my background so that he stands out in the composition. It was the sea ! I like this picture because the attitude is perfect with the palms of the hand turned towards me and his pink swim suit that contrasts well with the blue of the sea. Of course this picture works better in color. I worked the other photos in B&W, but clearly the photo is better in color.

 

 

  • Exemple 9.

 

 

Photo still taken at MuCEM. I was going out when I saw this place that was just beautiful with the shadows on the ground. Little detail, there was no one in front of me … I peeked behind me and saw 3 people arriving including a woman wearing a long dress. So I waited for them to go past me to make this picture. The image can be divided into 3 parts. I stalled the woman’s head against the back wall that was clear for the photo to be successful. There the monochrome or the color did not matter much. I retouched it in B&W because I like the B&W …

 

  • Exemple 10.

 

 

I was on the Esplanade de la Major (famous cathedral in Marseille), when I saw a crowd of people with blue helmets screwed on their heads. The street often rhymes for me with routine but it is also know how to spot the unusual. And there clearly, there were pictures to do. It was a group of tourists who were preparing to go and visit the city on these species of all-terrain gyropods. They had just finished taking the instructions and were on the way out. I immortalized their departure. It was like a small army going into battle. The most complicated thing was to trigger at the right moment to prevent the photo from being unreadable with overlapping gyropods. I still succeeded there even if a person is overlapping behind my foreground silhouette.

 

 

Here I am done with these few dissected photos. These explanations are to be taken for what they are. In no case a lecture on composition. I’ve just unraveled some of the photos in this slideshow to explain what happened in my head when I pressed the shutter button. I can do the same for each photo of the slideshow but it’s quite long …

All photos in these examples were made with the Ricoh GR.

 

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BLOG en, PROJECTS

EGO

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This photo was made along the cornice between the Vallon des Auffes and the beach of Catalans in Marseille. I have just returned from 3 days in the Phocean city. Friends lent me their apartment and I was able to walk during these few days the streets of Marseilles. When I started Street Photography and I was bored in Aix, I went to Marseille to satisfy my need for exoticism. Convinced that if my photos were not good it was because of Aix-en-Provence which was too small … For those who follow my work, you know that 99% of my work is now done in the streets Aix. For more than two years, I do not go to Marseille to take pictures. The grass is not greener elsewhere.

 

 

I started a project called EGO some time ago. You can have a look in the SERIES section. You’ll tell me it’s just a selfie project ! For me it’s more than that. I did not start this project because I had a massive ego and I wanted to shout aloud : me Me ME ! I have always had a problem with my image and I enjoy myself only rarely on a photo. Maybe that’s why I like being on the other side of the viewfinder. It’s also hard for me to feel comfortable when I’m in the center of attention. Just for the anecdote; at our farewell party, I had to give a speech in front of nearly 80 people. Even if they were friends, I was pretty uncomfortable. People told me that it did not show. It’s normal, I put up the front but deep in me I just wanted to go hide myself !

 

 

This EGO project is therefore a challenge for me. Succeed to accept myself in photo. I brought back two pictures of my recent stay in Marseille. The entrance to my friends’ apartment was right in front of the elevator. An elevator they do not use elsewhere because they stay on the ground floor. The light is always on in the cabin and a mirror is inside. I suppose we often put mirrors in the elevators so claustrophobic people do not feel oppressed by the cramped space. Anyway, this mirror allowed me to play with my reflection. It was the day of my departure that I had the idea to use masks hanging around my friend’s apartment. You can see on the photos below, the evolution of my work during these 3 days. The last picture is the one I selected. I tilted my head a little, which gives a little creepy side or toxic aspect to the photo.

 

 

EGO Series

 

The opening photo is a classic with a small difference. I had spotted this window with this huge impact. Many people would have tried to align the impact on a passer-by. Not me. From the beginning, I knew it was my head that had to be covered by the impact. No need to sit on a sofa to analyze this approach. I just thought it was very aesthetic and it worked well with my EGO project. I had on my back the blue sky which offered me a beautiful uniform reflection. The focus was made on the glass in macro mode. I waited for people to complete my composition to click. Even though there was no crowd passing on this sidewalk, I still could get what I wanted. Including two people including one of them who looks at me asking what I was doing.

 

EGO Series

 

It’s very egocentric as a procedure. So don’t we say that in street photography, even if we photograph others, in the end, it is ourselves that we reveal in our photos ? My photos tell a lot about who I am and how I feel when I take pictures.

All photos were made with the Ricoh GR and the Ricoh GRD 4.

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BLOG en, Slideshow, What You Haven't Seen

What you haven’t seen #5.

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When I knew that I had my transfer to Reunion Island, I told myself that I would have another year to document the streets of Aix-en-Provence. But in the end I am less than 3 months from my final departure for the tropics and I have the impression not to have spent much time in the streets of Aix … I must say that since early 2019, I travelled a lot. We went for 3 weeks to Reunion island, I went 1 week in Bristol and spent a few days in Paris (family and solo). And next to that, we had the sale of our house and also the move to manage. So many things that occupied my mind.

 

 

I wrote a lot of Blogs about Reunion, Bristol and Paris. In the end, I shared many photos of these trips and very few photos of Aix-en-Provence. This is quite normal, since almost all my spare time in Aix-en-Provence has been used for the sale of the house and also the move. But I also know that I was very lucky to have been able to go to Bristol and Paris alone to do Street Photography. Me who always said that the grass was not greener elsewhere, I must say that it feels good to go elsewhere because we leave our comfort zone and it’s refreshing !

 

 

For several months, I had neglected my playground Aix-en-Provence. I, who love so much roaming in the crowded streets of Aix during summer, put all that aside to enjoy my children and my wife before they leave early August. We will be separated for 2 months and a half because I have to finish some training here before leaving for Reunion. As the school year starts in mid-August, my wife and children have to leave earlier. My wife tells me that I will have time only for myself ! Shes’ right. Although I will miss them, I see the good side of things. I will be able to make photo without constraints (week-end with the children, to pick them up at the school …).

 

 

I intend to take advantage of these moments by continuing to document the streets of Aix-en-Provence, but not only ! I will also spend a few days in Marseille, Roma, Corsica and also in Toulouse where I will spend 3 weeks of training. Beautiful holidays in perspective ! Since last May, I have not had the opportunity to share many photos of Aix-En-Provence. Even if my outings in the city were scarce, I took advantage of every moment available to use my Ricoh GR.

 

 

I compiled in a slideshow about fifty unshared photos. All these photos were made in Aix-en-Provence except for some that were taken in La Ciotat by the sea. I realize that I shared many photos of my recent stays and very few photos of Aix. Most of the photos are in B&W while I basically brought back color photos of my recent trips. As if Aix-en-Provence rhymed with the B&W for me. For more than 2 years, I only documented the streets of Aix in B&W. I have trouble seeing this city with colors while it is a place bathed in light. I’m happy to put Aix in the spotlight with this slideshow.

 

 

All the photos were made with the Ricoh GR.

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BLOG en, T.M.E Project

Finally the Bristol T.M.E !

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It’s been three months since these videos were made in Bristol and I finally edited them! Yes, if you have not realized it yet, I procrastinate a lot … I took advantage of this week to do a lot of Street Photography and I also met John Harper who made him on his side a lot of pictures in the city of Bath. I invite you to reread my previous Blogs relating to Bristol and Bath.

 

 

These videos have already been posted on my YouTube Channel for several weeks but I did not have time to write a Blog to keep you informed. I take advantage of this blogpost to share a video made not too long ago in the streets of Aix. Moreover for the record, I decided to change my equipment because my cheap action cam that I bought a while ago has no stabilizer and I feel nausea when I look at these videos … So I bought myself a GoPro and I’m waiting to receive my new toy before going on the streets of Aix-en-Provence !

 

 

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YouTube Channel

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Some time ago, I decided to create my YouTube channel. A way to host my T.M.E videos but also my slideshows on the platform of Google. The main reason was to free up bandwidth on my hosting site, may also be able to post bigger videos because WordPress only allows videos up to 100 MB. Videos are also smoother because hosted by YouTube.

This channel is unpretentious and besides, as you can see, I only have 12 subscribers and most of them are friends ! At the moment I have very little time to write blogs with the move. Besides, I have almost no opportunity to go take pictures. There is a time for everything and at the moment, it is mainly the move that takes up all my time. I was planning to write more Blogs on my Parisian weekend which was very rich, but I do not have the time and make a slideshow to share the photos seems more appropriate.

I am aware that some photos deserve a little more attention than 3 seconds drowned in a slideshow, but I miss the time and at least I would have shared even if they are not highlighted. You can find the related slideshow from Paris below.

 

 

Some weeks ago, I also compiled a slideshow What you have not seen # 4 and I did not have time to share it. You’ll find it on my YouTube channel or else below. The photos are not immemorial, even rather forgettable, but as I have often said, these imperfect photos are useful to understand what has not worked and what remains to improve.

 

 

You can subscribe to my YouTube Channel here.

 

 

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Little Hong-Kong

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Two weeks ago, I went to Paris to attend the Tokyo Sense exhibition by Elizabeth Char. I allowed myself this little trip in the capital before attacking the last preparations for the move. I was hosted at Eli for the occasion. She lives in the 14th arrondissement of Paris a few streets from the 13th. When I was a student, I used to spend my holidays at my uncle’s house who lived in Athis-Mons. I remember a few trips to Tang Frères, the great specialist in Asian imports that is in the middle of in Paris Chinatown. Moreover it is rather an Asian district with mainly Vietnamese because the Chinese are rather on the side of Belleville and Le Sentier.

 

 

I vaguely remembered the neigborhood. I decided to spend some time in this area to try to discover it and for the occasion to do some Street Photography. It was Saturday and it was swarming with people. What captivated me was these huge building blocks. I spotted an escalator that seemed to lead to a rather shabby mall. Besides, most shops had the curtain lowered. I continued to wander through these dirty and empty hallways and I ended up on a large esplanade in the middle of these famous towers. I learned later that this place was called Les Olympiades. In relation of course to the Olympic Games. There was a flea market that day and there were people everywhere. What interested me most of all was these gigantic towers. I had a hard time making photos by integrating people as well as towers.

 

 

I took a little height by taking a small staircase that led to the roof of the small mall. It was another esplanade that allowed me to have a much better view of this set of towers and bars that date back to 1960. The show was striking and it’s like a little Hong Kong. I stayed a moment to contemplate this urban landscape. Some children had fun playing football on the esplanade, but I did not want to be too intrusive to take pictures of them. The neighborhood is relatively popular and poor and it seemed to me that there was a red line not to cross. I just made pictures of this place by incorporating them into my compositions.

 

 

I continued my wanderings in the middle of the esplanade Les Olympiades gleaning here and there some pictures. While looking for a place to have a snack, I came across a large parking lot where crowded with a lot of people. I stayed there for a moment because the place was ideal for  photos. I was inspired by a photographer that I like very much (@YiannisYiasaris) by positioning myself very low to take low-angle shots. I wanted to show the verticality of the place.

 

 

I enjoyed walking in this area because it breathed life and it was authentic. People come here to do their shopping. It does not seem to me to have crossed many tourists. It is also a very exotic place. We even feel from time to time not to be in France because the people around me spoke languages that flourished Asia.

 

 

All the photographs were made with the Ricoh GR in Paris.

 

 

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Behind this shot, BLOG en

Behind this shot : Jeu de mains.

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Since I started in this new section Behind this shot, I am aware that I remove all the mystery that can surround some photos. It’s a bit like a magician who would show how his tricks are done. It’s like giving titles to my photos., I do not like it. I wrote a long time ago a blog on it UNTITLED. I prefer to let the reader interpret the picture. With this new section, I reveal what is behind some photos. We can say that it has an educational side.

 

 

In the street, I am very sensitive to gestures. They bring life to a photo and make it less static. This is not enough to make a good photo but it’s already a good start. In the streets of Paris, I was perfectly aware of unusual gestures. I had already done a series on hands called Hands Tale some time ago. You can read it here.

 

 

Let’s go back to the opening photo of this Blog. I will first tell you why I like this picture so much. A good photo for me is a photo that questions the reader. If we manage to capture the attention is that the photo is successful. Here it is difficult to understand what is happening. The two protagonists are not recognizable. The old lady seems to have her hands in front of her face to protect herself and the other person in the foreground with her green and yellow shirt seems a little threatening. We are also likely to have two individuals of different ages. That’s the beauty of Street Photography. This photo is a snapshot of what happened in the street. Without context and without explanation, the reader is obliged to make his own interpretation of the story. Or else take the picture as it is with its mysterious feel.

 

 

So what exactly is this photo ? It’s actually a pretty simple scene that happened in front of me. You can see on the picture that the place was crowded and that there were a lot of people. This young man in the shirt just accidentally ran into the lady and he apologized. All in all, I would have taken 3 pictures of this scene. This is one of the benefits of using now the Ricoh GR. The buffer of the camera is much better than that of the Ricoh GRD 4 that I used before. If I was with my Ricoh GRD 4, I couldn’t capture this scene because I need no less than 2 seconds between two shutters click.

 

 

All the photographs were made with the Ricoh GR.

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Time to relax …

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Since we returned from our vacation on Reunion Island last February, we are in an active phase for our move. Quasi military preparations to be ready in early July when all our stuff will leave in a container for the tropics. The house was on our minds and has generated a lot of stress. I had some work to finish for the sale of the house and the signing of the sales agreement was delayed because of a diagnosis that we lacked. It’s been a little over 10 days since we finally signed and we can finally focus on the cardboards …

 

 

 

We did not wait for the signature to start packing up eveything. It’s been a while since we sort our stuff to define what we’re going to keep and what we’re going to get rid of. And I can tell you that I have made trips back and forth to the dump … A lot of things have ended up in the dumpster and even more things have been recovered by an association that will surely recycle and sell what we do not need anymore. It feels good to empty. We tend to accumulate things, especially when we have a big house and room to store. We had already done a garage sale 3 years ago, but there was still a lot of useless things in the drawers and cupboards.

 

 

We have finally finished the sorting and it remains only to finish the boxes. We have the impression that there are still many things, but we still have 4 weeks to spend in the house. There is no point packing everything now. Especially children’s toys. The last weekends have been spent sorting in our business. Children do not really understand why we are so busy. We do not go out anymore because we have a lot to do. This weekend lasted 3 days with the Monday off. After working Saturday and Sunday on the move, we decided to take a break on Monday and take the kids out.

 

 

Direction Corbi Park which is 30 mins from us. This is not the first time we go there. There are some pens with birds (chickens, ducks, geese, peacocks …) but also rabbits, donkeys, goats. But what really interests children is the inflatable structures. and as the beautiful days are back, there are the water games. Unfortunately we had forgotten to take bathing suits. No worries, we sent them to have fun with their shorts while preserving their underpants and t-shirts for the return by car. They spent 4 hours having fun like crazy in the structures.

 

 

They spent most of their time in the structures ! It’s quite impressive thinking back because at no time there was weariness. It was non-stop slips for 3 hours. A good moment of release for them. We were happy to see them having fun. A little respite also for us because we had the head in the boxes for a while.

 

 

This Blog has a direct link with the previous one where I spoke to you about photographing children in the street. This is still the case here because I made many pictures of my children having fun, but also other children. Here, it was even more delicate than in the street because the little ones were in swimsuits, as at the beach. Some will say that I have no limit. I think it must be done respectfully. The thing is, it’s stronger than me. These are the situations that dictate my shot, not the fact that they are children or adults. There was action, laughter, color and tgehre were people ! When you do Street Photography, you do not wait to go out into town to do Street Photography. You do it anywhere ! This is the case for me. It’s a state of mind.

 

 

This photo above is my favorite of this day. Would you like to know if I was splashed ? Well, a little … As usual, I like to be very close to my subjects especially when there is water (I refer you to a previous blog about a Ricoh GRD 4 that would have taken a little the water …). I love this picture because there is energy and action. This photo sums up pretty well the atmosphere present around the structures during this day. My Ricoh GR works normally, finally for now …

 

 

All the photographs were made with the Ricoh GR.

 

 

 

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Behind this shot, BLOG en

Behind this shot : Happy kid.

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I made this photo last week. I spotted this little girl with her windmill on the Place de la Mairie. My attention was attracted by laughter from children. The streets of Aix-en-Provence are more and more frequented by tourists enjoying the pre-season. Given the current temperatures, we quickly believe that it’s summer ! The two little girls were dressed identically and had fun with their windmills. At the time of tablets, video games or other addictive screens, it was refreshing to see that a simple windmill could give them as much pleasure. Do you have the right to take pictures of children in public places ?

 

 

  • Legal point of view

Children have a different image right compare to adults in the sense that their parents are the custodians of this right. As for adults, nothing legally forbids us to take their photos, but what is problematic, of course, is to make these photos public. For adults, case law has been handed down in disputes between street photographers and people who complained that their image right was violated (because they appeared in photographs). Freedom of artistic expression takes precedence over individual freedom (in public places) insofar as the photo does not undermine the dignity of the person photographed or causes them harm. The same goes for children.

 

 

  • Ethical point of view

Like many people, I am a father of two young children. How would I react if someone took a picture of them ? I will be honest with you, it would surprise me. The problem is that we are now living in a society that has lost its innocence. Blame it on all these sordid stories where children have been abused. Our society has become very suspicious and generally we are wary of any unusual behavior with children. Me first, I am very attentive to what is happening around my children in public places. Taking pictures of children in street photography is pretty tricky. You do not know how the photographic act will be interpreted.

 

 

Some prefer to stay away from children because they are too sensitive subjecs. I do not think that’s the case. I just think that the reaction (if there is a reaction) may be more epidermal because we deal with offsprings of people. Personally, I am naturally attracted to children on the street. I like their candor and their joie de vivre. They are unpredictable and always offer us interesting situations to photograph. Children see life as a game and are constantly having fun. Quite often I try to photograph them in a discreet way without arousing the suspicions of the parents or otherwise I show the parents that the situation seems to me amusing and that is the reason why I make a picture. The smile often allows to tacitly validate the photographic act. This is the case for this photo below made in Bath during my recent visit to UK. I saw this mom playing with her three daughters in the street. When I saw this scene, I rushed on it and took the picture smiling because I was really amused by this scene. The mother gave me back that smile because she knew I was not a threat.

 

 

Let’s go back to the opening photo of this Blog. Here, I operated in a discreet way without the parents suspecting that I was taking the little girl in photo. My little Ricoh GR makes me very discreet and especially harmless. I avoid being intrusive with children, preferring to keep a little distance. I tried to take a photo while trying to capture an interesting attitude, but I had a lot of trouble. I followed them a bit because the dad took his little girl on his shoulders and I was waiting for something to happen. Like very often in the street, nothing happened. We went up the street Gaston de Saporta, then we passed in front of the cathedral. I thought at that moment that there was nothing to wait. That I would not have my picture. It was at this moment that the father and the little girl turned around, finally offering me this interesting picture. I love this picture because there is a lot of simplicity in this one. It is a photo that breathes the joy of life and the little girl stands out perfectly on the sky with its windmill.

 

 

All the pictures were made with the Ricoh GR and the Ricoh GRD 4.

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Ricoh GRD 4 : Grande Finale.

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Recently I had a comment on a YouTube video of someone telling me that my Blogs on the Ricoh GRD 4 made him want to buy one. It surprised me a bit because as I said before, I basically write for myself. This Blog is a personal diary of my photographic journey. I almost started it at the same time that I discovered Street Photography in 2016. I’m always amazed by the reach that some of my articles can have.

 

 

I spent 3 weeks on vacation in Reunion Island to shoot exclusively with the Ricoh GR. But as soon as we got back to Jouques, I had put the GR away and had pulled out my old GRD 4 for my work in the street. It took big problems with my GRD 4 for me to dust off my GR. Basically, the GR was a backup camera in case of glitch with my GRD 4. It must be said that the GRD 4 was my only camera for 2 years. I only bought a second hand GR just recently. While in Bristol, I had recovered a brand new GRD 4, but I still wanted to use the GR there. Why ? It was the opportunity for me to actually test this camera in the street. I had used  it 3 weeks in Reunion, but it was for the holidays. It was in Bristol that I began to realize the potential of the Ricoh GR.

 

 

Let’s talk about annoying things right away. Some will say that I drool, but the GR is really lame in low light. The auto focus is really bad when the light is lacking. It changes me from the GRD 4 which excels with its hybrid AF. Beyond ISO 6400, the files are really awfull in color but still remain exploitable in B&W. In general, the rise in ISO is not great on the Ricoh GR … Beside that, the GRD 4 is much better with its small sensor. In narrow streets with little light, keeping the same depth of field and the same speed, I am at ISO 400 max while the GR easily climbs to ISO 1600 or 3200. It is 2 to 3 Diaph difference.

 

 

Since my return from Bristol, my opinion on the GR has changed. I know his weaknesses, but I also know his strengths. Compared to GRD 4, the buffer is incredible. No need to wait 2 seconds between two shots. But what changes especially is the APS-C sensor. I’m losing depth of field, but I’m gaining dynamic ! Normal tell me, I go from a small sensor 1 /1.7 “to an APS-C sensor. Why does that change the game ? With the GRD 4, I have to pay close attention to light conditions because the dynamics of the camera is not great. It’s hard to recover things in the highlights and save information in the dark … The GR on its side has a better dynamic range and allows me to pay less attention to the light conditions in the street. I do not change my settings when I go from shadow to light. What I was doing constantly with my GRD 4. Casually, getting rid of it allows me to focus more on what is happening in the street.

 

 

It’s been over a month now that I only use the GR in the street. I learned to cope with its lower depth of field. When we get used to not worry about this element, it’s quite disturbing to see that some elements in the photo are not in focus. I have to be careful about the focus. Which I absolutely did not do with the GRD 4 which was for me a Point & Shoot ! The GR demands more discipline on that side. To get rid of it, I would have to shoot at f16, but in this case the ISO would go up inexorably … My settings on the GR are quite basic: f8 | 1/500s. If the ISOs rise too much, depending on the situation, I degrade the aperture, the speed or both !

 

 

The GR has become over the weeks my only one camera for my work in the street. I was scalded by my misadventures with my GRD 4. The pinnacle was reached when I had problems on my two GRD 4 in Paris. Like an idiot, I did not want to take my Fuji XE2 with me during this trip. The GRD 4 was released in 2011. Even though Pentax still provides the Ricoh GRD 4’s service, the parts are starting to run out and it’s not at Leica’s level. These cameras are not made to last. I’m at my 4th Ricoh GRD 4 in not even three years. I know that the GR is not free of defects too (dust on the sensor …). But the small difference is that there are plenty on the market opportunity in case of problems.

 

 

I know that my work is very much related to the Ricoh GRD 4. I think that many people have discovered my Blog through my articles on this device. Michael Ernest Sweet told me at the time that this Ricoh GRD 4 was a Street Legend. Just that. I totally agree with him. No other camera will allow me to photograph so close people in the street, no other camera will offer me this crazy depth of field … But there is also the rendering of photos with this CCD sensor ! It’s organic and really beautiful. Besides, the GR has a very digital renderfing. Even by working on the RAW files, I can not get the quality of Ricoh GRD 4.

 

 

By switching to the Ricoh GR, I know that some will not understand. I am one of the apostles of the Ricoh GRD 4 … I have always boasted the superiority of the GRD 4 ! So what, I return my jacket ? I’ll be honest on that. The GRD 4 is really good, but the GR allows me to worry less about my settings in the street. I also wanted to stop this Ricoh GRD 4 addiction. These cameras even if we continue to find them on eBay, are increasingly rare. And buying them secondhand carries risks. My last two GRD 4 had besides had problems shortly after their purchase … I know that the GR can also have problems, but by switching, I have the embarrassment of the choice with the GR, the GR 2 and even the brand new GR 3 (all APS-C Sensors) !

 

 

That’s why I stop using GRD 4 for my work on the street. Well not completely, but it’s not my main camera anymore. During the last two weeks, I still wanted to shoot with the GRD 4. After several weeks spent with the GR, I found myself clumsy in the street, spending a lot of time modifying my aperture or my ISO according to the available light. There are also situations where I regretted the GR. These outputs have confirmed my choice to move on the APS-C sensor. I have always considered the camera as a tool that serves my vision. The GR is the device I need on the street today.

I have grouped you in a slideshow, a collection of photos taken in the last two weeks with the Ricoh GRD 4. Kind of Tribute to this camera that had accompanied me this last two years in the streets of Aix-en-Provence. All photos were taken with the Ricoh GRD 4.

 

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