Philadelphia is the birthplace of the United States of America. I am proud to be born and raised here in this great city! We have bustling streets, diverse people, beautiful parks, rivers, and the greatest bike trail on the East Coast.
The coolest video camera is the GoPro HERO11 Black Mini. It’s so compact and accompanies my Ricoh perfectly on the streets. You can shoot video with one hand, and photo in the other. The future of video is POV and immersion-based? I think people will want more authentic and immersive videos in the future as opposed to traditional cinema.
This is definitely the most minimalist GoPro I have ever used. It has a built in battery and no LCD screen. It’s a simple, magic black box that records everything in front of you. I like that there is no extra battery to carry around with me and no distracting screen. Maybe you want a more robust option, but I prefer this stripped down version of the GoPro.
The Ricoh GRIII is a minimalist’s dream once you’ve set it up. At first glance, the menu system can feel overwhelming, but the beauty lies in its customization. I’ve refined my settings to focus solely on shooting without unnecessary distractions. With my setup, all I need are two controls: the shutter and the adjustment lever for exposure compensation.
Below, I’ll break down my go-to settings for street photography.
Why these settings? AV Mode lets me control the aperture while the camera adjusts the shutter speed within my defined limits. This keeps my shots sharp and properly exposed in dynamic lighting conditions.
Why Small JPEGs? They’re lightweight and perfect for quick workflow. The high-contrast black and white aesthetic enhances textures and shadows, giving a bold, timeless look to my street shots.
I’ve customized my function buttons for efficiency:
The goal with this setup is to simplify the process and focus on what matters: capturing the moment. With these settings, I can react quickly to changing scenes, maintain a consistent aesthetic, and avoid getting bogged down in technical adjustments.
Street photography is about staying in the moment. These settings let me shoot with speed, curiosity, and confidence.
Whether you’re new to the Ricoh GRIII or looking to refine your process, feel free to try these settings and adapt them to your style. Happy shooting!
Don’t use hot water.
Stay outdoors all day.
Only eat right before bed.
You need nothing to survive but a portion of greens, some meat, and clean water. We actually have unlimited resources despite what billionaires say and every human can thrive together.
When I wake up I have been taking cold showers everyday. Not only does it make my muscles feel good, but any challenge I face feels easier as a bi-product by overcoming sleight discomfort first thing in the morning.
Street photography isn’t hard—we make it hard. The truth is, photography is one of the simplest and most intuitive art forms. You look, you observe, you react. The camera is just a tool, and once it’s set up properly, the rest is about being present.
“Photography is simple: you look, you observe, you react.”
With my Ricoh GRIII, everything is streamlined. The camera is always ready:
In two seconds, the shot is captured. I don’t overthink settings or worry about perfect framing. The camera is already optimized with my go-to setup—f/8, snap focus, auto ISO. All I need to do is point and click.
Forget about fussy technical details when you’re on the street. If you’ve set your camera to work for you, the only thing left to do is see.
“Learn the technical stuff once, then forget it. Let the camera do the work so you can focus on what really matters: the moment.”
What separates great photographers isn’t their ability to manipulate settings; it’s their ability to see. The hardest part of photography isn’t the technical side—it’s learning how to observe the world around you.
“Street photography is about learning how to be on the street, how to carry yourself, and how to react at the right moment.”
Capturing those once-in-a-lifetime moments takes time and patience. But the process itself? It’s straightforward. Master your tools, trust your instincts, and let the streets guide you.
“Photography isn’t hard. What’s hard is committing to the time it takes to see and capture extraordinary moments.”
So, stop overcomplicating it. Set up your camera, get out there, and let the magic unfold. The rest will take care of itself.
If you shoot high contrast black and white small jpegs with the Ricoh GR, just import them directly to the photos app on an iPad into a dated folder for each day, cull through them by looking at the small thumbnails like a contact sheet, hit the favorite button on photos that seem semi-interesting.Then go back and create curated folders of the pictures you deem as “keepers.”
I like to observe every detail and walk slowly on the streets- letting things come as they will and being present in the moment
