Ricoh GR II: Winter Light and Shadow in Qingxi
The low, sharp winter sun slicing through Qingxi town provided the perfect canvas for the Ricoh GR II’s High Contrast Black & White mode. This setting was ideal for emphasizing the town's harsh geometries and the dramatic interplay of light and shadow.
Stark Geometries and Solitude
Using the 18.3mm F2.8 GR Lens, I focused on isolated, compelling elements. A rigid street light stood as a sentinel against the brilliant sky, its permanence contrasting with the abandonment of an everyday object—a discarded flat tire. The vastness of the sky was momentarily punctuated by a solitary bird flying above a building, a fleeting break in the stillness.
The street itself offered abstract compositions. A prominent street sign pointed toward an unseen destination, while the shapes of a building and a distant flight path merged into a singular, dramatic form.
Boundaries and Textures
Signs of definition and structure were everywhere. A barbed fence atop a building clearly marked a limit, while a nearby, simpler fence and a large building presented imposing, elemental forms. A glimpse into quiet domesticity was found in a small dwelling: a cat bathed in the late sun in front of a small building.
Moving indoors, the dimly lit interior of a warehouse highlighted the texture of bricks, set against the vertical lines of a wooden ladder. Back outside, the peculiar sight of a plastic basket hanging from a roof, with a flight in the sky above, elevated a random object into a photographic subject.
Life and Vibrant Contrast
The human presence moved at a quiet, determined pace, exemplified by an old woman walking down the street with a stick. Yet, life and growth burst forth elsewhere: a vibrant building with an abundance of flowers and a half moon visible in the sky, and the delicate structure of flowers arranged in a vase.
The sky continually provided a source of dramatic contrast. Feathery bamboos were silhouetted against the bright expanse, juxtaposed with the solid form of a building and the half moon. The complexity of infrastructure was also visible, woven into a building covered in a tangle of utility wires.
The afternoon concluded with a moment of quiet connection: a fellow photographer, a silent observer like myself, standing before a wall covered in Chinese writing. Ultimately, the expansive landscape of Qingxi town was distilled into pure shades of black and white, a memory permanently fixed in time.
Gears & Settings | Figures |
Camera | Ricoh GR II |
Lens | GR Lens 18.3mm F2.8 |
Creative Style | High Contrast Black & White |
Date | 1 December 2025 |
Location | Qingxi, Dongguan, Guangdong, China |
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#: 1 | SS: 1/1500s | ISO: 400 | F: 4.0 | +/-: -0.3 | FL35: 35mm | Caption: A black and white photo of a street light | #: 2 | SS: 1/320s | ISO: 400 | F: 4.0 | +/-: -0.3 | FL35: 35mm | Caption: A flat tire on the ground |
#: 3 | SS: 1/1250s | ISO: 400 | F: 4.0 | +/-: -0.3 | FL35: 35mm | Caption: A bird is flying in the air above a building |
#: 4 | SS: 1/500s | ISO: 400 | F: 4.0 | +/-: -0.3 | FL35: 35mm | Caption: A black and white photo of a building | #: 5 | SS: 1/1000s | ISO: 400 | F: 4.0 | +/-: -0.3 | FL35: 35mm | Caption: A black and white photo of a building |
#: 6 | SS: 1/2500s | ISO: 400 | F: 4.0 | +/-: -0.3 | FL35: 35mm | Caption: A barbed fence is on top of a building |
#: 7 | SS: 1/750s | ISO: 400 | F: 4.0 | +/-: -0.3 | FL35: 35mm | Caption: A black and white photo of a roof fence | #: 8 | SS: 1/750s | ISO: 400 | F: 4.0 | +/-: -0.3 | FL35: 35mm | Caption: A black and white photo of a building |
#: 9 | SS: 1/1250s | ISO: 400 | F: 4.0 | +/-: -0.3 | FL35: 35mm | Caption: A black and white photo of a building | #: 10 | SS: 1/2000s | ISO: 400 | F: 4.0 | +/-: -0.3 | FL35: 35mm | Caption: A black and white photo of a small building |
#: 11 | SS: 1/640s | ISO: 400 | F: 4.0 | +/-: -0.3 | FL35: 35mm | Caption: A wooden ladder in a warehouse with bricks |
#: 12 | SS: 1/750s | ISO: 400 | F: 4.0 | +/-: -0.3 | FL35: 35mm | Caption: A plastic basket hanging in the roof with a flight in the sky | #: 13 | SS: 1/1000s | ISO: 400 | F: 4.0 | +/-: -0.3 | FL35: 35mm | Caption: A person walking down a street with a walking stick |
#: 14 | SS: 1/800s | ISO: 400 | F: 4.0 | +/-: -0.3 | FL35: 35mm | Caption: A building with a lot of flowers in front of it and half moon in the sky | #: 15 | SS: 1/500s | ISO: 400 | F: 4.0 | +/-: -0.3 | FL35: 35mm | Caption: A black and white photo of flowers in a vase |
#: 16 | SS: 1/1000s | ISO: 400 | F: 4.0 | +/-: -0.3 | FL35: 35mm | Caption: A black and white photo of trees and sky | #: 17 | SS: 1/1000s | ISO: 400 | F: 4.0 | +/-: -0.3 | FL35: 35mm | Caption: A black and white photo of a building and half moon in the sky |
#: 18 | SS: 1/2500s | ISO: 400 | F: 4.0 | +/-: -0.3 | FL35: 35mm | Caption: A building with a lot of wires on it | #: 19 | SS: 1/2000s | ISO: 400 | F: 4.0 | +/-: -0.3 | FL35: 35mm | Caption: A person standing in front of a wall with writing on it |
#: 20 | SS: 1/1000s | ISO: 400 | F: 4.0 | +/-: -0.3 | FL35: 35mm | Caption: A black and white photo of a landscape of Qingxi |
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