How to simulate the Ricoh GR hi-contrast black and white with a Canon DSLR
I show how with simple camera settings in a DSLR Canon camera and a slight correction with Lightroom you can achieve results very similar to the much respected black and white of the Ricoh GR cameras, a must for all photographers who particularly appreciate the aesthetics of Japanese photography.
Before to start…
Yes, I am back to shoot black and white.
Return to photography on the street in black and white. A choice suddenly born from the weather conditions, a gloomy weather and a light that would have flattened all the colors. A choice born from a need that turned out to be a winner above all for the way it produced fun in my photographing in that couple of hours.
And then I said to myself that sometimes it is still possible to contemplate this language even if by now I feel more comfortable with color. In black and white photography I take it to extremes: I love strong contrasts and make everything very graphic. Maybe dark. I photograph as you know in JPG and after all it's about really accepting the challenge and thinking in black and white without having the possibility of being able to go back. Not everyone is willing to do this but for me it is essential.
Faced with this approach, there is no dynamic range speech that holds. My black and white is uncompromising. Take or leave. Love or hate. I don't go looking for black and white to give a vintage idea, but rather sink into pitch black and bright white, that is a modern way, in my opinion. I am out of reality and rather pursue dream perception. And it is more mood than frequency on reality. It is indeed fragments and sensations that I explore. And the choice of what I photograph also changes a bit. In black and white I go back to being that visual provocateur. Or Visual PROVOKEr as I loved to define myself.
I enjoyed the day. Now watch the video:
The simulation
I used Canon Rebel T7 with its 24mm f2.8.
The settings on the camera:
Style: Monochrome
Sharpness: 7 (Max.)
Contrast: 6
Filter Effect: Yellow
Tonal Effect: No
On Adobe Lightroom I just applied 2 default presets: Black and White High Contrast and Light Contrast, depending by the photo.
The selection of images here
In order to appreciate the results I share also a selection of images directly on this post.
What do I want to prove?
Nothing. But I want to make a reflection.
Sometimes we buy cameras to get certain results, but with the right knowledge sometimes even with the simplest of tricks you can achieve the same with virtually every camera.
I add a curiosity: seeing how I was enjoying this choice at one point I went to the Zona Rosa, a neighborhood I used to go to especially in 2014 with my Ricoh. Since there is also a Korean community and a lot of dynamics of the place that makes me consider it "my Shinjuku" here in Mexico, it is perfect for a certain aesthetic and approach. In fact there is also a workshop available dedicated to Zona Rosa that you can book directly on the shop.
Guys, I hope you can appreciate the video and the photos here. In any case let me know what you think. Do you think I should consider more the black and white or you prefer my color photographs?
