My Minimalist Street Photography Setup (feat. Ricoh GR3) 

Finally a RU-vid photography channel that actually discusses *photography*

you always talk about subjects in a way that is unique, somehow personal and powerful.

Best camera I’ve ever bought, when life threatens to takeover photography time, the Ricoh swoops in to save the day. The best one handed photography experience there is bar none.

This makes so much sense to me. It makes me rethink my way of shooting. You, Sean, are an inspiration to me

Thank you for always imparting the message that gear isn’t always everything when it comes to taking good (great) photographs that you love or are happy and proud of. You always communicate your messages so wonderfully. More power to you!

Brilliant! Your technique for street photography is exactly what I need. It makes so much sense to find a great space and then allow people to move through it. Totally inspiring❤️

I’ve been waiting on this!!!! Just ordered my GRiii because of your GRii vid. Thank you so much for your work!

I love your work. I'm a fan since day one. You've been helping me to grow as a photographer with all those videos. Such an inspiration. All the best for you!

You're doing great with these videos Sean, they are really cool. The low key lighting, the choice of music and the well worded, thoughtful narration make for something really enjoyable

Since a bought my point and shoot, my photography have changed a lot, the way I see things, my process from start to the end and mainly how I have been documenting my life, There are more series than single shots, I am really enjoying it. Thank you Sean, your videos always make we think more 🙌🏽

I’ve been following you for a while now and although I am not a very good photographer myself, I can still tell when someone’s work is really good. With photography like with anything else, you never stop learning. I enjoy watching you grow as an artist. It’s nice to know and see that someone out there is dealing with similar issues as I. I’ve got to say that your work has improved tremendously. I really like the images you show at the end of this video. Well done!

Hey Sean, I love listening to you, the details, your contents are so rich and well engaging, you make every minute worth it

I appreciated all of your reflections on the GR III. I’ve had my GRIII for over a year now and everything you said rings true to my experience. It has changed the way I photograph and the simplicity of a small, fixed focal length camera that is always with me has made my photography more enjoyable.

Swiss Army knife analogy was on point

I always love your content, Sean. Thank you for all the inspiration.

You are way underrated. You deserve to be on top man. The way you make everything seem so simple, not even schools are able to do that.

I bought the GRiii to go with a minimalist setup. Best choice I ever made. Really transformed my street photography. The snap shooting is hands down the best for me. Thank you again For the great content 🙏🏻

Its always such a treat to listen to you speak. Stay blessed Sean.

OMG I've been waiting for this for so long! I hate bringing big cameras around, but I never actually found a good point and shoot but I just feel this is the one. Everything you said is exactly what I'm looking for. Thank you so much!

Excellent video, thanks. A couple of years ago I sold off all my camera equipment, at 74 it was becoming increasing difficult to carry it all around, and invested in the new iPhone. Used it for a time but it just didn’t feel the same as a physical camera so I gradually lost interest. Then a few weeks ago I found a GRIII for sale in a charity shop and it has renewed my interest in photography once again. I’ve now become the “Happy snapper “ I once was.

I have the first version of this camera and I love it. I have nerve damage in my right arm and back so weight is a big concern and the GR has kept me shoot. Fits in my pocket and great image quality. Its became my main camera.

Huge thank you, Sean! You continue to help and inspire me immensely to move forward in my photography. I cannot wait to receive your book in the mail. Cheers from Phoenix, Arizona!

Your videos are like crack to me, every time a new one comes up my whole demeanor changes! Nothing but love Mr.Tucker!

Another great insightful video. Can’t wait for part 2!

In constant awe of how well you know yourself and can use your introverted mind to work, create and learn! Thanks for introducing us extroverts to your skin!

I finally came around and bought the GR IIIx. What an incredible little camera. Beside the beautiful image quality, the customization and the brilliant menu and controls make it a pleasure to use. I’ve owned about five different Canons, seven LUMIX cameras (which I still love, BTW) and used the Nikon D500 quite a lot. For street photography, even the LUMIX cameras don’t quite match up.

Only Sean Tucker could feature quotes from Bob Newhart and Albert Einstein alongside each other. I have used the Ricoh for about a year now and love it. Most of my professional photographs were about light and dark as well as people but for my street it is just about people and this Ricoh works so well. It is brilliant for the confused amateur look - the " oh i didnt mean to do that look" when people see that you have photographed them. There is the " This is a new camera that i am trying out look" as you turn around seemingly photographing everything but actually only pressing the trigger once.. There is the " talking to a camera " look so people think that its a mobile phone. There is the "sitting down holding the camera out in front and staring at the back screen" look which makes it seem as if you are scrolling through photos that you have already taken. Finally i set my camera up so that it focusses and immediately then takes a shot when i touch the back screen so that people don't even see me hit the shutter button. In a way it sounds furtive but it is simply so that you do not become part of the scene that you are photographing. Above all - it is great fun.

Sean, listening to feels like therapy! More power to you.

More than a point and shoot, this camera is a beast and very utilitarian. This camera from the GR ii has taught me a lot how to shoot street especially zone shooting to the point now I can use any camera for the task. It's a great tool for cityscapes or even portraits especially when taking advantage of its leaf shutter.

Always enjoy your videos Sean, even when it may be a topic that doesn't apply to me...you always have such a way of explaining things that I always learn something in your messages. You have such a calming voice as well. A good reminder for me to keep my Canon G10 battery charged, that's normally with me when going to work.

I don't do street work, but a lot of what you talked about hit home for me in my pursuit of minimalist gear. Recently I picked up a Olympus E-pl9... Since I shoot with other M43 gear it was a natural fit for me. I easily grab the E-pl9 with a lens or two and off I go. Really enjoy your videos, this one just hit it right for me!

You just made me love my gr3 more bro! Thank you for the lovely pics!

The production value and content in your videos are beyond compare. Enjoying it more Sean

I bought Ricoh GR3 in October last year and have never been happier with the camera! Started to shoot proper street photography thanks to it :)

What a good content Sean, as always! A thousand thanks for your contributions and knowledge, those same limitations in terms of the possible confrontation on the street is what makes me hesitate to take out the camera, I already had the decision to buy the GR3 now I make it more confident. Cheers from Costa Rica!!

Sean. I really love your video's. Love your honesty and authenticity. Love your style. I always look forward to the next video.

Sean, you give so many amazing tips! Loved those gorgeous images especially that image with no faces and that shadow in curves. Oh, love that one!

Such a great video Sean, thank you. You're presenting massive confidence in this one which is great to see. Also, that shot from Samuel's video with the couple walking through the crescent-shaped light shaft was, indeed, a banger! PS. Strong lockdown hair game 😁 I was looking at the X100V as a potential new everyday carry but you've made some great points to support the Ricoh. Again, thanks.

Would love to see you around London, Sean. Keep up the good work and thank you for inspiring us.

As Mies van der Rohe said “less is more.” You quite effectively illuminate the importance of always thinking about technology in the context of technique. The camera doesn’t take “good pictures.” It’s the photographer who does. That photographer accomplished it with an aesthetic and the technique to make it so with a camera that works with rather than fights creating that photo. I find it very impressive that you, Sean, consistently create useful and imaginative videos month after month particularly during this time of pandemic. Thank you.

Thanks again for the inspiring video about photography. I saw the video of Samuel L Streetlife where you mention some names that are your source of inspiration. But I must honestly admit, my inspiration is you Sean. Thank you for all the inspiration and motivation. :-)

Gret Video, Sean! Thx for being so helpful and open with sharing your opinion. This is so valuable this days. Cheers

Sean, super as always! Thank you so much!

Could not agree more about the Ricoh , Have had one for about a year, it’s such fun to use and I am constantly amazed at how sharp the images it takes can be , definitely a really rewarding, fun “pairing knife camera” to own! As always your enthusiasm is inspiring...many thanks.

The GR2 is the best piece of photography kit I've ever bought. (Influenced by your original video!) It is a great camera but you hit the nail on the head - there are no excuses for not having it with you even for short trips. It means I take more photos, of more scenes than I would before. Just love it.

You inspired me to start on RU-vid I appreciate you always. ✊🏻

This is the greatest photography channel ever.

Excellent video. So glad you decided to do a more in depth look at the Ricoh GRIII. I've been shooting street for YEARS (too many to admit). I use all kinds of gear, as many of us do. I had a Ricoh GR1 film camera in the late 90's. I loved that thing. But time moves on... and the digital age became the rage. Oddly, the full circle journey took me back. This time last year I picked up the Ricoh GR III. The utilitarian appeal and handling sort of reminds me of that old GR1. Ricoh have stayed with this design tradition for more than 20 years. There is a reason for that. Although I have a tendency to put my main camera gear in my bag when I hit the streets, the Ricoh GR III has truly taken over most of my street shooting. The other gear rarely comes out, unless I have some other pre-planned intentions. I'm learning to now just leave the studio hitting the streets with only the Ricoh GR III, and it is liberating. LIBERATING! Although I'm a professional photographer and filmmaker who only shoots RAW, I have come to enjoy just shooting JPEG's with the Ricoh GR III. I have customized the Positive Film simulation to suit my taste, and I'm a huge fan of the many monochrome options. I'm shooting a lot of black and white JPEG's out of camera, full manual, often metering for highlights. Transfer image(s) to phone and do a slight tweak using Snapseed. So much fun! I've become one with this little tool. It is certainly NOT for everybody. It is for me however. It's like a tiny DSLR fixed lens camera in the pocket. How good is that? 28mm equivalent field of view is perfect - it's the filmmakers eye as they say. The lens in this wee beast is so sharp, contrasty and full of character. A marvelous feat of engineering in my view. The added IBIS is a real treat too. I'm shooting way more than I ever have before. I never leave home without it. May I suggest (because it appears you have large hands, as do I), order yourself the JCC Metal thumbs up grip. It secures into the hot-shoe. I did this last week, makes an immense difference in holding the camera. It does not interfere with any of the buttons or dials. Wish I had done that sooner. Worth looking at! Obviously you cannot use it while you have a viewfinder in place. The viewfinder for me is not something that interests me, as I prefer to keep this bit of kit as small and unobtrusive as possible. If I want to use a camera with a view finder, I'll use something else. Good luck. Keep shooting, and thanks for producing such great content. (edit after-thought): SNAP FOCUS! That's the real treat of this camera.

As always, a brilliant exposition, Sean. Succinct. Liked the quote from Saint-Exupéry.

Thank you Sean for giving back to photography

Awesome content and I love your photography, i'm inspired. Thank you!

Great video! We love it

Wonderful video! Very inspiring to watch! Also love the video with Samuel L Streetlife!

Recently stumbled onto your channel in the past couple days. Your portrait videos have given me the confidence and inspiration to jump into portraits and try to set up my own home/portable studio. Been using your recommendations as I'm already a Godox user. Great channel mate 👍🏻 Subbed

Oh My God your shooting style is a revelation to me! I'm also super averse to confrontation even and am a huge introvert even though ironically street photography is my favorite style

I’m a new follower of your work and your speaking and teaching style just clicks for me. I know everyone learns differently but thank you for being you.

Thanks Sean. Great video and motivation to get out there and just shoot!

Everytime you post a new video I get so excited and inspired!?!? 📷💖😁

I started with a Pentax K-50 with the kit lenses and loved photography. The lenses grew to more expensive and specialized lenses, then I moved to a Pentax K-3ii. I started buying big heavy Sigma lenses and stopped bringing my camera with me so much. I then bought a Ricoh GR-ii and fell in love with it. I eventually sold all of my Pentax and GR-ii thinking that I would compromise with a Sony A6300+smaller lenses, and then I ran into the same issue of it being a hassle to bring with me, plus I never liked shooting with the Sony despite how technically good it is. I sold my Sony and moved back to the GR series, this time with the GR-iii. I keep it with me everywhere and love shooting with it. It's my favorite camera of all time. I appreciate the love you also have of it, it is great to see you putting it to use and giving me inspiration.

This is great for both minimalist but also introverts. I'm always so self conscious when I film or photograph on the street. I've even had police come to me just 3 weeks ago, while I was filming the street to show how empty it was because of isolation. There were barely any people around and I wasn't filming anyone in particular 🤦‍♀️

This is so motivated!! Thank you !

I'd previously seen the film you made with Samuel, you did a great job there, really worth people watching.

Thanks so much Sean for all these great tips as a new photographer it's good to know these things. I probably be picking up a smaller camera as well

Wow, so awesome. You’re definitely my favorite photographer. Keep it up 👍

I like your attitude to working the street. Makes sense, aligns with my thinking.

What a great little camera Sean, oh, and your video of course. Thank you buddy

Hello. I have shot very beautiful photographs with point and shoot cameras before I couldn't see any problems with the images at all. I'm glad that people are creating shots with them. They are very important tools and very effective too. They fit everywhere too.

I love your style, I want to get good at street photography and you're an inspiration!

I loved everything about this video!

Very inspiring - thanks Sean

Your explanation always lots of clarity. Thanking you

Great video as always . Love the photos

Great video Sean, looking forward to your follow up video. Many thanks 😊

Great job as usual. Thanks Sean.

Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge, workflow and so on! Mind like yours make miss London innit! Best wishes! Blessings from Japan! One love!

At the end of the 80s, i had this philosophy with my dear MINOX 35GT... With this GR3, i'm not only make photos, i feel to back in time

Great video Sean! I agree with you 100%, the only way to grow as a photographer is taking more and more pictures, there's no way around it. As always, really inspiring content, I'll be looking forward to your editing video. Take care, greetings from Scotland!

I've been sucked into the pursuit of finding the best mirrorless camera in the last few years, and this video was an extremely refreshing reminder to use what I have. I shoot on a Panasonic ZS70 which is a small, yet mighty point and shoot and I look forward to shooting my neighborhood in NYC post-pandemic

Another great video, inspirational as always. I find your approach to posting videos to be much more measured and insightful compared to some others. A refreshing approach, concerned with quality over quantity.

Waiting impatiently for the second part. I'm considering the Ricoh GRIII for my new camera.

Man your work is amazing! Thks for sharing 👌🏻

Love this video just like I love all your videos and thank you again for sharing your insight expertise and experiences I really do feel like we learn together.

Thanks a lot for this. Super inspirational! :) I just got my first serious camera (a Fujifilm X-T4) today and it is a beast. However, I really enjoyed your take on street photography. So thank you!

I am obsessed with your content 😃 I can’t stop watching your videos 😅

Thanks Sean. Great video and shots. And yes, I will be ordering a Gr3 shortly! 😃

Thank you so much! I just learned a lot. I love street photography but I never could Fichte out how to do it as an introvert. Thanks!!

Love the discussion. WIll definitely get into more Street photography. I am sold. Thank you

Thanks for another terrific video, Sean. I've had this camera for a few months and consider it one of my best purchases. In an attempt to save for a house deposit I've sold off my drone, my iPad, my old game collection, and other bits and pieces, but there's no way I could sell the GR3. I'm not a photographer but as a tool to capture shots of my family, this thing is pretty much essential. I think of it in a similar way to my phone. I'd regret not always having it with me, but because it fits in my pocket, it's always there and ready to go. I've got a Google Home display on my office desk cycling through recent and past images, and it's obvious when the GR3 shots come on. They're noticeably crisper, punchier, and livelier than those taken on my Samsung phone; it's night and day. There are some great accessories to get for the GR3, particularly the NISI filter set for longer exposures: nisifilters.com.au/product/nisi-filter-system-for-ricoh-gr2-gr3-master-kit/, but the clear reasons this is the best camera money can buy are: it fits in your pocket, starts in an instant, and has exceptional image quality. The metaphor of this being like a specialty knife is apt. You need to know when buying this that it's only for photos, but since you will also have a phone with you that can take videos, it's fine for this to be a one-function tool. It handles that function so well! Thanks again and take care!

Thanks for sharing Sean. Loved the process. Minimalist plus introvert is right up my alley. I use my canon aps-c when I want that neutral look, my main big rig is also Canon. However, being “fuji curious” I adopted fuji OOC jpg look for a subjective look, finishing on an ipad/iphone. Shooting in NY, the tall buildings, long shadows, and resultant day long “blue hour” gives so much color in the shadows that Fuji’s subjective colors really add to the timelessness. Can’t wait for part 2.

Powerful message Sean. Thank you.

I'm really grateful to hear these thoughts while enjoying your photography. I often get into ideas and want to hear from others but find opinions from those whos work I can't or don't identify with and to see your work and how you play with existing light etc was very enlightening no pun intended, to me as I just bought this camera and have been falling in love with it

I have a Lumix LX100 that I bought for similar reasons. I researched other options, including yours, but decided on the LX100 as it has an optical zoom (35mm equivalent of 24-75mm) and aperture control. And I like as well that those controls are external: the shutter speed is a dial on top, aperture is a click ring around the lens. And exposure compensation is also a dial on the top. Control ring (adjacent to aperture ring) can be configured to adjust ISO. One nice little feature I've discovered - probably unintentional by the firmware developers - is the ability for it to take a shot as soon as it confirms focus by setting "Shutter AF and "Half Press Release" both to On. So this means I can set up a shot, move my focus point, and the camera will focus and take the shot all in one motion, which guarantees a sharp shot in most circumstances.

I normally use my dslr. I recently acquired the Sony rx100 vii. You've inspired me to get out there and use it more often. Thank you for the work you put into your videos.

Interesting enough, I find this video way more educational than just how to use a GR III, you are giving away so many tips and ideas on overall photography... thank you !

I use a wide angle adapter lens on my GR. Takes it to 21mm. Makes it useful for architecture. I also don't bother with the autofocus. Hold the camera above your head pointing to your feet, set autofocus and then turn it off. Set the aperture to f8, set auto-iso, shoot aperture priority and you'll have sharp images without having to wait for the autofocus to play catchup. I have the older GR of course, where AF could be dodgy.

The photographs you take with that pocket-size camera are truly impressive. A great video as always. Thank you.

I have only just discovered your channel. I have just bought this camera for all of the reasons that you state in this video. I've been looking for the perfect street camera, and I've tried lots of different cameras, and I was drawn to this camera for everything that some have expressed to be "imperfections." This camera forces you to "see" the shot in your mind WITH the knowledge of how it will frame, and without you looking at the screen. I am a fairly confident shooter and I don't mind taking the kinds of chances that a lot of photographers will tend to avoid, but this camera, with this high spec, is truly fantastic. A fair proportion of my shots are misses because of the way I use it, but the ones that are hits are shots that I probably would never have got with another camera (and being forced to use traditional techniques), so I do not see it as a negative. Quite the contrary, this camera has helped me to take my street photography to an entirely new level. By the way, I love your presentation.

Great video. I agree that less is better when it comes to photography. My go to camera is my trusty X70. The GRIII looks like a winner, too!

Im normally a Canon 5D shooter but I bought a Fuji X70 pocket camera and its now my go to.

Sean keeps on inspiring me to actually figure out my camera and take great shots 📸 and then do it again and again!