GX GARNERINGS

(Leica X1) If the camera industry and in fact the whole photographic community had been all the trees in the garden, what could be the photographers’ perennial doubt as the nourishment other than the constant wondering of when the non-existent best camera would be here on earth?  Notwithstanding the lack of preciseness in the question asked, the doubt itself is the fuel that has kept the history of photography going in a big way. So to contribute to the course of that history, and hence the development of humanity, I have recently been wondering if it is high time for me to make a proper upgrade to hopefully the Leica system. (Ricoh GR) The Ricoh system was my first sortie into the digital photographic era as I evolved from what the quantum leap in digital photography has made it seemed the medieval film period.  I still keep the the historical relic, the Minolta Dynax 7 (film) for its sentimental value to me though.  Kudos to the Ricoh GX200 designed with photographe...

(Ricoh GR) Since the start of this blog back in 2008, Hong Kong has seen a sea of changes in its political reality and ruling system to the worst which, as matter stands, leads to a decline of logic and common sense by far among the cream of the society and their followers begging power.  To those who have grown in the city when governance was by reason, the de facto dead of the city it once was is probably a past tense.  The death knell has rung loud and clear.  It is sad to admit so.  These are the images through my sad eye to hopefully illustrate how empty the city seems to me now.

(Ricoh GR) I have been slacking off a bit posting here but not for shooting. Bringing along my camera remains a daily must. This has become so built-in that I will feel very insecure without it when being away from home lest a previous photography opportunity will present itself around the next corner. My GR mounted with the converter gives me even greater stealth in making candid shots in the street coz the converter screens the protruded lens when turned on. The customisable slots are set with a variety of stylistic modes. I named them like Underground, Street, Light Painting, etc. What a fun camera!

(Ricoh GR) Shot of the day. Enjoy!

(Ricoh GR) Enjoy!

(Ricoh GR) I was interested by the shadows, shapes and patterns on the floor and, looking up the sky a few steps away, found the skyline echoing the scene. What a lucky day! Enjoy!

(Ricoh GR) DXO is offering a free full older version of its photo-processing software DXO Optics Pro for download before the end of this month. Take action now if you care, http://www.dxo.com/intl/dphotographer .

(Leica X1; The famous placard man in Mongkok with placards calling for genuine universal suffrage for Hong Kong’s chief in 2017) The Admiralty base camp of the over 2-month Umbrella Movement is going to be cleared off on Thursday morning Hong Kong time. The student leaders have publicly vowed not to defend the occupied area to avoid forced dispersion by the police. Stream of people came to the place to witness history and bid farewell to the movement on Wednesday night. The smell of sadness wafted in the air but was mixed with an undercurrent of strong sense of solidarity.  The News report has it that tens of thousands of people remained at the base camp overnight. The lone occupying protesters in Causeway Bay are expected to be removed soon afterwards. “We will be back”,  wrote a gigantic yellow banner glued on the highway at Admiralty. This seems to give a resounding conclusion to what the movement has achieved in the general citizens’ mind. The following are...

(Ricoh GX200) I have been doing some searching to satisfy my appetite for a new camera.  Taking stock of what cameras are in my arsenal, I found the fun, the serious and the speedy ones there.  What do I want? So I have been carrying each of them for a few days and shooting in a hope to find out if any of them needs an upgrade.  The more I shoot, the more confirmed my belief is that no camera makes a good photographer.  Certainly,the image quality varies and the bigger the sensor the better. But there is a way to work around every shortfall. As for the GX200, its grainy character could make tasty black and white images. That said, the Ricoh GR has come down lots in price which makes it very a tempting new acquisition. The B & H offers it at a reduced price with a free GV1 and a high capacity SD card.  Amazon offers one at a moderately higher price BUT with a GV1, a spare battery and a Ricoh flashgun! In Hong Kong, there is the limited edition which c...

(Leica D-Lux 5) Like one, that on a lonesome road Doth walk in fear and dread And having once turned round walks on Because he knows, a frightful fiend Doth close behind him tread ~ Samuel Taylor Coleridge, British Poet in The Ancient Mariner

(Ricoh GRD4) Everything around the base camp of the occupiers at Admiralty is so still and motionless that one can almost smell the chilling smell of an imminent storm wafting in the air. Two big trucks were seen quite near the area this morning.  A police enforcement order  additional to an injunction per private application has been granted by the court.  It is reported in today's newspaper that Judge Henry Litton, Non-Permanent Judge of Hong Kong's Final Court of Appeal, questioned the technicality of the court order at a law conference yesterday. The Honourable Henry Litton was "mystified" over the court order. His views were shared by the ex-law faculty dean of the Hong Kong University questioned. Link to the news report: http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1638381/top-court-judge-questions-odd-injunction

(Leica D-Lux 5) No, she didn’t. I just run into her working around the base camp at Admiralty this evening. Her face has become so recognisable after her arrest.

(Ricoh GRD4) My GRD4 and Lr5 are up and running, but our city is very sick. Sick, very sick of the patronising top officials unlashed by the dictators. There are lots of photo opportunity around. But as anyone sane living in the city, one almost can’t bear the intense power and uncertainty from the silence and calmness of the protesters in the occupied street while shooting. Just this afternoon, it was reported that seemingly concerted efforts between the law enforcement and the suspected triad- and Mainlanders-affiliated anti-protesters were made to remove barricades and stormed the occupied sites. At night, protesters started to fortify. This is as worrying as saddening.

(Leica X1) Have been to different places for some weeks. Finally, Hong Kong again!

(Ricoh GRD4) Real. Rubbish. You know it.

(Sony A55) Enjoy! (*Ding Ding is the local way of calling the tram which is actually the onomatopoeia of its sounding bell.)