Snapshotting My Way Through Life with the Ricoh GRIIIx

By /

Snapshotting My Way Through Life with the Ricoh GRIIIx

What’s poppin, people? It’s Dante. Currently going for a little walk here in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia.

Today I’m photographing with the Ricoh GRIIIx, high contrast black and white, cranked to the max with small JPEG files. It’s a beautiful, beautiful snowy day, and yeah, I’m just embracing the spirit of play, snapshotting my way through life.

Photography as a Visual Diary

I’m currently on my break from work, just going for my little afternoon stroll and making pictures along the way. Treating photography as a stream of becoming, a visual diary of my day.

Here come the geese…

“Where are you going, geese? Let me try to make a photo. Come this way, come this way.”

Maybe I’ll get two of them there. Yeah, it’s fun to just take the camera out.

Oh, here they come. Wow, look at this pleasant surprise. I can try a vertical frame. They’re moving, man. Where are they going? Come back.

The Joy of Walking and Exploring

The joy of walking, the joy of the open world, exploring… that’s what it’s all about.

The camera, right? The camera is the excuse. It’s the passport. It’s the thing that gets me out my door. It’s the thing that gets me up in the morning like a cup of espresso.

Choosing the Right Camera

The camera choice is important because it’s the tool we use daily. I’ve been bogged down by gear in the past—

  • Using the Fujifilm system with interchangeable lenses.
  • A compact rangefinder style camera.
  • But the issue? It doesn’t fit in my pocket.

The Ricoh GRIIIx fits in my pocket. I can go to work and still be my playful photographic self. I’m open to making pictures because it’s always there.

“Now with the Ricoh, I’m simply living my everyday life and bringing the camera along for the ride.”

Shooting Every Single Day

For over two years, I’ve photographed every single day with the Ricoh. And frankly, for the past decade, I’ve been photographing daily. But now? Even more.

  • The Ricoh is in my front right pocket.
  • It forces me to take pictures.
  • I’ve taken over 250,000 frames in just two years.

More photos than I’ve ever made in my life. I’m just having so much fun under the sun.

Who Is the Ricoh GR For?

Let me tell you who it’s not for:

  • The photographer who loves the tactile feel of film.
  • The one who enjoys the bells and whistles of modern cameras.

And who is it for?

  • The father with two kids who wants to take photos while enjoying a walk in the park.
  • The street photographer looking to enter that flow state of always making pictures.

“At the end of the day, the Ricoh is for those who say, ‘fuck cameras.'”

I don’t need a fancy camera. I need a black box with a shutter. I don’t need a viewfinder or all the superfluous junk cameras have these days. I need something that’s always there, always reliable.

Compact is the Future

Compact makes your life easier. Compact is the future.

Simplify, simplify, simplify. Strip down to the basics:

  • Shutter button.
  • Black box.

What else do you need? Really, you don’t need much.

Embracing the Spirit of Play

“Just follow the light and enjoy your life. Snapshot along the way.”

You don’t have to take photography so seriously. Have fun. I’ve never had more fun since bringing back the Ricoh into my life and following the light.

Scroll to Top