pagespicsA Portrait of Huang Dao
Posted on May 16, 2024
I have a few ‘projects’ on the go at the moment. They are slow going, but a new camera has given a bit of a boost to the images I am capturing on bike rides. The OM5 fits perfectly into my front pannier and is quick to access when needed. Traveling off the beaten path reaps rewards. I found the lady shown below sitting on the doorstep of her home, surrounded by family. She is 104 years old, and her name is Huang Dao.
It’s all in a name.
Names are quite salient to this blog post. I have rarely stopped to ask for someone’s name when taking Street Photographs, as the images are often captured quickly whilst on the fly. Looking back through old photos brings up a number of questions. Who were these people, and where are they now? Finding a little back story to each person may be a way to add depth to a project. Definitely food for thought!
Keep clicking,
Chris
OM System 0m-5
Posted on May 10, 2024
Photographing Hong Kong
During a recent visit to Hong Kong, I accidentally purchased a new Olympus camera! Strictly speaking, this is an OM System Camera, as Olympus sold the branch of their company manufacturing photography gear. This new camera is an upgrade to the Olympus OM-5 Mark 3. This was not a completely random purchase, as my smaller ‘travel camera’ died. What I wanted was something small, light, weatherproof, and with all the bells and whistles of a DSLR. I have owned an Olympus camera in the past, so will ‘OM Systems’ live up to my high expectations?
A Travel Camera
After purchasing this camera, there were a few days to explore the island, and like any self-respecting tourist, I started by capturing images of the famous tram system. Sitting at the front of the tram with a window open and a camera in my hand put me in my happy spot. Out of the 100 images taken, this was my favourite. I was already enjoying the freedom this lightweight camera offered.
The rain dealt a deathly blow to my planned itinerary of exploring Hong Kong’s hills. The OM-5 is weatherproof and may have coped with the downpours. However, a certain Ms. Pagespics is not so weather-resistant, so instead we headed to the M+ Art Gallery, featuring a rather splendid Black and White photography exhibition. If the likes of Fan Ho and Ansel Adams can’t get your fingers twitching for the shutter button, then nothing will.
Check out the link for pics and details!
https://www.mplus.org.hk/en/exhibitions/noir-blanc-a-story-of-photography/
A New Learning Curve
This camera has a small sensor and ‘only’ 20 million pixels. To compensate it has a number of tricks up its sleeve. It has ‘pixel shift’ technology, which means it can work magic to take a 50 million pixel shot. This is not new, but OM Systems claim that you can achieve this handheld. In addition, it has built in ND filters, which should help me capture images during bright daylight hours, and to create long exposure shots. Clearly the computational power of smart phone cameras is starting to be embraced by camera manufacturers.
What next?
My break has ended, and I am now back at Huizhou in China. Huizhou does not quite have the dynamic street photography opportunities offered by Hong Kong (although perhaps I need to explore the towns more!). What it does have are coastal tracks and rice paddies, which I have been exploring on my bicycle. Travel and portability are the main reasons for my purchase. The OM5 fits into my front cycle pannier perfectly, with enough room for a couple of extra prime lenses.
If you are looking for a reasonably priced camera for travel, why not check out the EM-5? It is certainly not perfect, but when it comes to exploring it appears to be the right tool for the job.
Take care and keep clicking, Chris
Full Camera review on DP Review below…
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