Black & White
Walks With A Camera
Today, I walked through the forest with my Ricoh GR IIIx point and shoot camera, shooting JPEGS in the hi-contrast black and white setting. I like to take a camera on hikes as it gives me an opportunity to practice my photography and document the forest on any given day of the current season.
The forest changes on a day basis, and I like to see how walks at random times reveal differences in what I discover. Different seasons, weather, and times of the day all produce circumstances that give the forest its own unique look. Landscapes appear different under the harsh light of midday than under the soft light of a sunset. Trees, wet from the rain, appear darker with higher contrast, and using different techniques, like shooting in black and white, can produce unique results in what you capture.
Photography is a skill that improves with practice and experimentation. For professional photography, I shoot RAW files on my Canon R5 mirrorless camera, but my little Ricoh does an outstanding job of capturing moments, and its large sensor and small size mean I will never be without a high-quality camera while hiking through the forest.
Black and White Photography
When you practice any art, it is helpful to place self-imposed restraints as a training exercise, such as shooting with a specific focal length or with a particular genre in mind. Today, I forwent color photography and practiced shooting everything in black and white. While being outdoors evokes a desire to capture the spectacular colors of nature, black and white photography allows you to highlight subjects in a different light (pun intended).
Black and white photos show off a subject's unique qualities and highlight other characteristics, such as contrast, sharpness, and composition. Black and white photography also captures a subject in a simple, minimalistic light. This can take a simple image and extract a sense of gravitas, power, and magnetic pull for the viewer.
I took these shots during a casual walk, and I did not edit them past the presets of the Ricoh GR IIIx camera. If you don’t know about the Ricoh GR III “cult”, do some research on this pocket-sized camera. It sports a powerhouse APS sensor housed in a body that fits in your pocket. I have really enjoyed owning the Ricoh GR IIIx camera. It is one purchase I value and enjoy each day while venturing into the woods.