Voluntary work

In a crumbling Victorian church hall this volunteer is packing food parcels. It is tempting to process the photo in a faux-Dickensian way but it would be wrong to do so. Despite ticking all the boxes, this is not the 1870′s. It is the reality for many people in May 2012, the year the UK is spending billions of pounds on the Olympics and The Queen’s jubilee.

Raw data

The year on year increase is obvious from this whiteboard.

The full story can be found at katebelgrave.com

The environments have been difficult, all indoors, limited light and with space often at a premium. And a video camera has been running and recording… so quietly quietly. Controlled portraits these are not.

The D300 makes too much noise, period. The mirror slap sounds like a klaxon on the video. Coupled with a 24-70 f/2.8 the rig militates against intimacy and is frankly distracting. Anything above ISO 800 is pretty crap too and obviously I can’t use a flash.

The Fuji X100 is great, high ISO is fine, near silent shutter but we are stuck with the 35mm lens. Too wide for this kind of work unless I’m a metre or less away and that isn’t going to happen. So that is no use.

Which leaves the Ricoh GXR. I’ve been using it with with the A12 M Module with a Leica Summicron 90/2 attached (135mm equivalent) or the A12 50/2.5 autofocus lensor. Both used with the EVF. I have been surprised. I thought the Summicron 90/2 would be too long for portraits but it allows me to keep out of the way. The shutter is almost silent. High ISOs (up to 1600) have relatively little noise. And best of all the GXR doesn’t intimidate. In fact I melt into the background.

What has surprised me even more is the effectiveness of the ‘mode 2′ focussing method in live situations, plus the fact that I can get sharp results with the Summicron at 1/30th second handheld (with auto ISO) wide open.

Once used to it, the ‘mode 2′ focus method is swift and intuitive even if it is a pig to describe in words. Not exactly rangefinder loveliness but with the surprise benefit of disambiguating focussing, with a natural/visual check on the half press of the shutter button.

The Summicron 90/2 is comparitively long on the GXR body but very well balanced cradled in the left hand for focussing (naturally), it’s weight helping to complete the tripod with elbows against the body. This helps with the low shutter speed.

The biggest hurdle I have to overcome is one of confidence and perception. Letting go of the professional security blanket that is the DSLR in favour of the physically tiny GXR (the sensor sizes are similar, the raw DNGs are actually bigger files than the Nikon’s NEFs) . Despite the fact that in the circumstances outlined above the DSLR is a completely inappropriate tool, using the small mirrorless body of the GXR (even with Leica glass) for mission critical work has been a step into the unknown. A successful and liberating one I think.

* I know, I know, I  should have a D3 or a D4 or at least have a D800 on order. I haven’t. Hardly very professional is it?

Smooth

Grimy

The best time of the year in many ways. The wind has stripped the leaves from the trees and the sunlight falls through the gaps.

Dreamy

I’ve photographed these angels many times, but not with a DSLR

Grumpy

Can’t make up my mind about this one. He (it?) has fallen on its side. The whole thing might be better rather than the ‘head shot’

The Hardest Hit

Betrayed

Relax. Impossible to do with The Coalition attack on benefits

Henry, Deptford, April 2011

Plates are so round except when viewed through water.

From above there were reflections from the water:

The willow pattern blue shows through when avoiding the reflection:

In the little hut at the back of the A.P.T. Gallery yard. Photographing for Sue Lawes Creekery2 installation at CREEKSIDE OPEN 2011 this week.

And did I get muddy?

More soon