One Camera. One Lens. One Day. ALL JPEGS!
An ode to embracing simplicity and having fun with in-camera color profiles.
I overcomplicate everything.
My wife and I had a full day planned to see some sights at a pumpkin patch, and I immediately grabbed a camera bag with five lenses to take with me.
Then my wife shook her head and talked some sense into me: “Just take one lens, and have fun.”
That’s great advice, and it’s advice I’ve given to others in the past… but of course I’m a hypocrite and want to use all the lenses.
Instead, I grabbed the OM SYSTEM OM-3 (affiliate link!) and threw on my newly acquired zoom, the 12-100 f/4 PRO.
The camera/lens you choose doesn’t really matter. Although I love my OM SYSTEM gear, the point is to let yourself find some freedom in embracing a single, smaller package, whatever that means for you and your stuff. Just use your cell phone if you must!
To further the idea of simplicity, I also shot in JPEG, and for this post, I only uploaded the SOOC (straight-out-of-camera) jpegs derived from multiple color settings (The OM-3’s creative dial makes this super easy). Gotta be honest: my exposures aren’t perfect, but I who cares. I’m sick of perfection.
Again, the camera doesn’t matter. Almost every camera today has multiple, creative, and unique color profiles and settings, including the iPhone!
EMBRACE THEM!
We arrived at the pumpkin patch, and I had a blast shooting.
For these photos, I chose to use the OM-3’s Creative Dial to dial-in a natural, but bright and vibrant color setting.
And when I got into more of the gardens of the pumpkin patch, I switched it up and chose a different color scheme for these photos:
These look great!
But I wanted to get a little more funky, and so I used the “art” filter.
Now - on many cameras, these “art” filters can be pretty gimmicky, and that’s true at times. However, they can be awesome, especially in the right situation.
For my OM-3 (and many other OM SYSTEM cameras), I use the “ART 16” filter with an added in-camera border.
Great for fall photos!
I chose to use a Zoom lens today - you can see what the 12 mm looks like on the left, and without moving, I can zoom in and get the shot on the right:
Having a versatile lens like the 12-100 is a lot of fun.
THESE PHOTOS ARE PURE “FALL.”
And the best part? ZERO editing. Just shoot and share.
It started to get dark, so some moody shots were in order:
And finally, some bokeh balls with the holiday lights the pumpkin patch had up:
So, here’s the challenge: go take one camera and one lens out, and just start messing around with your camera’s color settings. Depending on your camera, they might be hidden in a menu, but give it a go.
You just might find some situations where you LOVE the unique colors!
If you allow yourself to have an open mind to embrace jpegs and all their glory - then you might have a blast!
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE!
I can’t thank you enough. Over the years I’ve had so much support, and I’m honored you consider my writing and photography worth your time.
If you want to support me further, you could subscribe to this blog with a subscription, or you could buy a print from me here:
jerredz@gmail.com
Great stuff Jerred. I am of the misinformed opinion that a prime isn’t needed any more. I feel like it’s all about the sensor and software. Especially if the final lives online.
Beautiful images Jerred! I love them... how do you like the 12-100? Have you tried it in lower light as well?