Camera
The winning images of the GR Photo Festival 2024 celebrate daily life
Ricoh GR Photo Festival winning images
The 2024 Ricoh GR Photo Festival winners have been announced, with images celebrating ordinary life worldwide. The contest began in 2022 and is structured slightly differently from most contests. Instead of judges ranking images in order of excellence, the GR Photo Festival has professional photographers from around the world select three images that stand out to them. No prizes or award money are involved, and no titles are given out.
This year, the contest theme was daily life. “It is in your ordinary day-to-day life that you find precious moments,” the festival explains. Any images that were taken with a GR series camera were eligible. You can learn more and see all of the selected images at the Ricoh GR Photo Festival website.
Selected by judge Reggie Ballesteros
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Photographer: 树·先生
Location: China
Camera: GR III
Judge: Reggie Ballesteros
Judge’s comment: This reminds me of a fleeting moment between a child and their parent. The composition and lighting make it a compelling frame with multiple frames within a frame, yet the identities of the subject are in shadow which makes it relatable and universal.
Selected by judge Reggie Ballesteros
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Photographer: 刘旻尚
Location: China
Camera: GR IIIx
Judge: Reggie Ballesteros
Judge’s comment: Using a cell phone in public is such an everyday occurrence. This photo captures that and make it beautiful and abstract – a man on his phone amidst this minimal scene with a pop of color. The man is also so close yet so far from the person next to him who seems to be exhausted and napping.
Selected by judge Reggie Ballesteros
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Photographer: 张裕烽
Location: China
Camera: GR III
Judge: Reggie Ballesteros
Judge’s comment: Walking is such a common occurrence and activity that we forget it’s beauty and universality to the human experience. The lighting isolates the legs and obscures the identity of the walker. This image is bold and abstract turning this activity into an artful sight.
Selected by judge Jeremy Cheung
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Photographer: 潘宇轩
Location: China
Camera: GR IIIx
Judge: Jeremy Cheung
Judge’s comment: This photo beautifully depicts the everyday life of workmen. The unified emerald colours of their uniforms match perfectly with the muted soil as well as the hazy background skyline. The whole scene portrays a routine hardship life under a collecive culture. The gestures and actions of the nine workmen are also very well timed to complete a poetic yet candid snapshot.
Selected by judge Jeremy Cheung
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Photographer: Adam Taufiq Suharto
Location: Malaysia
Camera: GR III
Judge: Jeremy Cheung
Judge’s comment: This photo uses a elevation angle to tell an everyday story inside a school or community centre. Actions are packed within the well-spotted ‘circle’ frame, with each of the members focussing on their own tasks or living in their own world. The process of ‘word making’ gives the viewer a sense of fun guess, with the passing of ‘M’ is cleverly placed in the centre of the image. Complication is masterfully tackled with all elements balanced and structured. The colour tones are very truthful and aesthetically pleasing too.
Selected by judge Jeremy Cheung
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Photographer: Cristobal A. Padilla Moreno
Location: Chile
Camera: GR III
Judge: Jeremy Cheung
Judge’s comment: The split lighitng temperature of the two sections in the photo gives an illusion of two different worlds. The phtoographer also brillantly chose to stand on a spot where the diverging perspectives of the two corridors were captured beautifully. The scenes shown on both sides are exceptionally detailed and inviting to more discovery. For me, it is like reading 2 different photos but in a single photo. It is a joy to feel how this night scene vividly delivers.
Selected by judge Oliver Jiang
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Photographer: 快门师傅 徐威
Location: China
Camera: GR III
Judge: Oliver Jiang
Judge’s comment: The image is masterfully layered with different elements, I can see the state of the people in the sunset, from near to far. The big dog takes up an important part of the picture, and I think it will lick the camera at any time. Without its “intrusion”, this will be a very ordinary work.
There must be humid air, warm sunshine, and laughter at the scene. It’s a comfortable evening, especially in such a big busy city in China as shown in the picture, and I believe such a comfortable time is worth cherishing. I don’t know if the photographer was one of the participants of this waterside “leisure party”, but I am grateful to him and through his photo, I feel that I am involved in this wonderful afternoon.
Selected by judge Oliver Jiang
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Photographer: 略商
Location: China
Camera: GR III
Judge: Oliver Jiang
Judge’s comment: This photo gave me a deep composition impression from the beginning. Many days after the first screening, I asked myself which photos I still remember, this photo appeared in my mind at first. I seldom simply summarize the principles of composition, but there is no doubt that this is a simple and clean black-and-white work, and I like this unique black-and-white expression of GR. I used to wonder what this thin young man was looking at and thinking, but it suddenly dawned on me that this is exactly what the photographer wanted me to do. Hehehe, well I fell for the trap. An unintentional yet interesting piece.
Selected by judge Rikard Landberg
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Photographer: nicole sánchez
Location: Portugal
Camera: GR III
Judge: Rikard Landberg
Judge’s comment: There are multiple layers in this image that make me pause and reflect, evoking a sense of mystery. The individual in the shadows seems to escape time, almost like a spirit from another dimension. The city in the background, bustling with motion and life, contrasts sharply with the calm solitude in the foreground. The corridor feels like a metaphor for the soul’s journey, a path leading away from the familiar and into the unknown. The black-and-white tones enhance the drama, turning the image into more than just a moment, it becomes a story without words.
Selected by judge Rikard Landberg
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Photographer: Eric Lopez
Location: Spain
Camera: GR III
Judge: Rikard Landberg
Judge’s comment: CHAOS! But chaos in a good way. There’s so much happening in this image that it almost makes your eyes wander in circles. I think the composition is excellent, with a touch of humor that I truly appreciate. It raises countless questions that let the imagination run wild. Bath time often means kids struggling with soap in their eyes, and they hate it. But what if this foam bomb is their way of turning the tables? With goggles on, the kid becomes a fearless shark in the water, while the adults are left squinting and wiping soap from their faces.The hand in the bottom right corner seems to be trying to stop it all. But is it too late? The white foam acts as a canvas that enhances the scene. Well done!
Selected by judge Rikard Landberg
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Photographer: Shiho Ichimura
Location: Japan
Camera: GR10
Judge: Rikard Landberg
Judge’s comment: This is an image I find myself returning to again and again. It has something that truly makes me pause for a moment and brings a smile to my face, a metaphor for this year’s theme. Just like everyday life can be quite predictable, you might think you know what’s hiding under all those layers of newspaper. Or do you? Sure, the shapes and patterns look very familiar. But can we ever be completely certain? Perhaps this wrapped package holds a surprise, something unexpected that breaks the monotony of our all-too-familiar daily life. In the end, it’s a reminder that even in the most predictable moments, there’s always room for the unexpected to reshape our perspective. I really like this one.
Selected by judge Annalaura Pretaroli
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Photographer: Jay Melliza
Location: Philippines
Camera: GR III
Judge: Annalaura Pretaroli
Judge’s comment: This picture captures a beautiful balance of light and shadow.
The left side of the image is darker, gradually revealing more light on the right: I find it pleasing to the eye. Some leaves might be burning in the background? Or is it just thick mist? The fog does the trick and beautifully enhances the warm sunlight filtering through the branches, adding depth and intrigue to the scene. The viewer wanders in search of details that could explain this beautiful, almost magical, rural scene. The two people in the image blend seamlessly into the composition, allowing the true star -light- to shine!
Selected by judge Hamish Ta-mé
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Photographer: Cezar Niculescu
Location: Romania
Camera: GR III
Judge: Hamish Ta-mé
Judge’s comment: An intriguing moment in an ordinary day. Like a still from a moody art film, the image takes a mundane stage and populates it with actors, each with their own concerns and lives unfolding. We’re presented with multiple leading frames, each with it’s own focal point from near mid and distance. This is an exquisite masterclass in observation, anticipation, composition, technical capture, remarkable technology, mood and postproduction.
Selected by judge Michael Young
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Photographer: Penphan Tarczaly
Location: Thailand
Camera: GR III
Judge: Michael Young
Judge’s comment: This image captures the everyday life of commuting to or from work in an urban setting. The composition, with the vertical panels dividing the frame, creates a sense of order and routine. The figures lined up behind the panels, though blurred, suggest a sense of anonymity and the collective experience of daily routines.
I like the interplay of light and shadow it adds another layer of meaning. The bright light filtering through the panels creates a stark contrast with the darker areas. I like how each individual person stands partially hidden, and obscured, emphasizing anonymity.
The frames within frames, with each panel act as a visual barrier and offer a glimpse into a private moment within a public space. The use of perspective, with the figures seemingly receding into the distance, creates a sense of depth.
Through its careful composition, use of light and shadow, and framing, the photograph invites viewers to contemplate the themes of anonymity, routine, and the juxtaposition of public and private life in the urban landscape. It’s a poignant reminder of the ordinary moments that make up the fabric of our daily existence.
Selected by judge Qianqian Zhang
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Photographer: 马可风
Location: China
Camera: GR IIIx
Judge: Qianqian Zhang
Judge’s comment: The classical beauty of simplicity requires a longer gaze, keep staring a little longer. A good creator can send everything he feels in the present to the future through visual language. Photos speak of the past, but how do people travel between the past and the future?
The fishing net, the boy, and the sea in front of you are surprisingly quiet. Where are they taking you to? Please keep watching, as if you are staring at your deceased self. Time will surrender to the moment when you bend down. The boy is still a boy, but he will say “Forever like the sea will dry and the rocks will fall apart.”
People have been salvaging all their lives, salvaging gold, salvaging fish and shrimp, salvaging themselves. What are you salvaging at the moment? Condense “restraint” and “as you wish” with the simplest simple composition, so the viewer can stop for long. There are still many secrets hidden in the picture, waiting for you to discover.
Selected by judge Qianqian Zhang
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Photographer: Nicholas Sansone
Location: United States
Camera: GR III
Judge: Qianqian Zhang
Judge’s comment: How to praise this moment? Flowers, hugs, and kisses can’t explain the power of life, especially the pain and joy of life. In ancient times people celebrated the birth of a child with fire shouting ceremonies. At this moment, the camera is transmitting and framing all emotions.
How to portray the appearance of loved ones? Printing technologies with ink or oil paint have already reproduced countless faces. The photographer is “portraying” it truly without any interference. The wife waves towards the role of a mother, and the child is at ease. Can you portray such a scene every other year? Because this is painting “home”, you will reap the fruit of “love” in 10 years.
How do we “portray” our family in the long and complicated days? Please be brave enough to pick up the camera to record the pain and joy of life in those moments of life and death, just like the warrior in the photo, who loves his family in front of you.
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While visiting Dry Tortugas National Park, located 109km west of Key West, Florida, I looked down from the top of Fort Jefferson and saw this group of snorkelers just off Garden Key. Moments after this photo was taken, one of the snorkelers had the bad luck of being stung by a Portuguese man o’ war.
Photo: Dale Baskin |
The theme for our March Editors’ challenge is ‘Water’.
Show us the essence of water in its many forms, from the roaring power of the ocean to a gentle rain, reflections on a lake, smooth waterfalls, frozen ice, or even fine art. The possibilities are endless, so let your creativity flow and show us your best photos that revolve around water. Our favorites will be featured on the DPReview homepage later this month.
This challenge is open to photos taken at any time.
Photos can be submitted between Sunday, March 16, and Saturday, March 22 (GMT).
Important: Images MUST include a title and a caption of at least 25 words to be eligible. Viewers want to know the story behind your photo. We will consider both photos and captions when selecting our winners, so make sure to tell us that story!
Visit the challenge page to read the full rules and to submit your photos for consideration as soon as the challenge opens.
Visit the challenge page to see all the rules
| Images: Vanguard, Apple, Elinchrom |
CP+ may have ended last week, but that apparently hasn’t stopped the flood of accessory news. Today, we’ll look at a few lights, bags, computers and more, but first, let’s see what’s on sale.
Second-gen Goodness
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| Photo: Richard Butler |
Canon’s Stacked sensor flagship, the EOS R5 II, is currently on sale for $300 off MSRP. We reviewed it late last year, and came away very impressed – it’s a camera that excels at nearly everything.
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| Photo: Richard Butler |
Panasonic’s S5II isn’t quite as performant, but it’s still quite a good camera. It’s also substantially cheaper than the EOS R5 II, especially given the current sale that gets you $500 off.
Let there be lights
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| Image: Godox |
Godox’s latest light for videographers and photographers is the Litemons C30. It’s a tiny LED panel weighing 248g that packs an internal battery capable of putting out 30W of light for up to 45 minutes. A USB-C port lets you recharge the battery or run the light for an extended period of time.
There are two versions of the light – a bicolor model, which costs $59, and an RGB model that will run you $89.
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| Image: Elinchrom |
If you need something a little more powerful, there’s the recently released Elinchrom LED 100 C, a continuous RGB light with an integrated 72Wh battery that provides up to 40 minutes of power in the field. It comes with a diffusion dome and an adapter for Profoto light modifiers and can be charged via USB-C.
On the level
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| Image: Vanguard |
Ball-head tripods are great if you want to easily level your tripod without messing around with leg length, but what if you already have a tripod that you like? Vanguard’s LVL accessory might be for you. It’s designed to sit between your sticks and your tripod’s head, adding a bit of height and letting you level your tripod head in a matter of seconds.
Vanguard makes several sizes, so it should be compatible with a wide range of tripods. The smallest, the LVL 42, has a 42mm base and can support up to 20kg (44lb), while the LVL 75 can support up to 40kg (88lb) – just make sure the rest of your tripod can handle that much weight too.
In the bag
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| Image: Wandrd |
If you want to carry around some camera gear without using a massive backpack, Wandrd’s Stratus Photo 18L may be the bag for you. It’s relatively small and has built-in organization for your camera gear, as well as access hatches on both the right and left-hand side. It’s made of weather-resistant materials and has load-adjustment straps and a chest strap, which should let you carry it comfortably even if you’ve got it filled with gear.
New affordable iPads
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| Image: Apple |
People don’t always think of the iPad as a photographic tool, but nowadays Apple’s tablets have a lot of processing power and can run many of the apps photographers use on their desktops. The company’s entry-level models – the iPad Air and the plainly-named iPad – have just gotten updates that make them better than ever. The Air gets the laptop-class M3 chip, as well as a new, optional keyboard with a bigger trackpad, function row and aluminum design. The M3 iPad Air starts at $599, and the new keyboard costs $269.
The cheaper iPad, meanwhile, gets the A16 chip from the iPhone 14 and 14 Pro. While it’s not as powerful as the M-class chips and doesn’t support Apple’s suite of AI features, it should still be plenty for light photo editing and organization. Its base storage has also been doubled from 64GB to 128GB. It starts at $349, which is what its predecessor sold for ever since Apple cut the price by $100 in 2024.
That wasn’t all Apple announced this week, though…
Get caught up
Some accessory news is so big that it gets its own article during the week, but we’d feel remiss not also mentioning those products here.
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| Image: Apple |
As an example, Apple’s new computers. The company announced updates to its entry-level MacBook Air and top-of-the-line Mac Studio this week, adding its latest processors. The MacBook Air has enough processing power to handle the typical Photoshop and Lightroom tasks that most photographers need, all while being hyper-portable, while the Mac Studio can handle the highest-end photo and video editing tasks.
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| Image: Peak Design |
Also announced this week: Peak Design’s Roller Pro, the company’s first piece of roller luggage. It’s a bit of a hybrid between a hardshell case and a softshell one, with plenty of padding and a front sleeve that can hold a laptop and other everyday carry items. You can read our full coverage of it here.
It’s currently being sold via Kickstarter for a discount over its $599 MSRP, but the usual disclaimer applies: Remember to do your research with any crowdfunding project. DPReview does its best to share only the projects that look legitimate and come from reliable creators, but as with any crowdfunded campaign, there’s always the risk of the product or service never coming to fruition.
| Photo: Richard Butler |
Sony has released a firmware update that brings its Content Authenticity Solution to the a7 IV. The company announced a similar update for the a1 II, a1 and a9 III in January. However, this is the first time the tool to authenticate images will be available on something other than high-end, professional-grade cameras.
Software Ver. 5.00 for the Sony a7 IV adds support for the “Write Digital Signature” function for still images. This function allows photographers to add an electronic signature to their images to prove that they were taken with that camera. Authenticity tools such as this are becoming increasingly important with the growing prevalence of generative AI-created imagery and, as a result, the spread of fake images.
Of course, as with the update for the three pro-grade cameras in January, there are some caveats involved. The Digital Signature function requires a paid license and is only available for certain media outlets, not the general public. Unfortunately, Sony still hasn’t provided any additional information on if or when it will be available for general consumers. On the firmware update page, Sony simply says that the “timing for the provision of paid licenses to customers other than certain media outlets is yet to be determined.”
Even though the current usability is limited, Sony rolling this out to consumer models is a step in the right direction. The Content Authenticity information page also says that “more camera models will be supported in due course,” so it sounds like we should see additional cameras with the tool at some point. If Sony makes the feature more widely available beyond media outlets, the Digital Signature feature will already be on cameras and ready for use.
If you want to be prepared, or happen to work for one of the select media outlets, the Sony a7 IV firmware update Ver. 5.00 is now available for download.
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