Reductionism in Photography, as Covered by Theme

Reduction, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7, 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 Series II Kit Lens

iso 200, f9, 1/60 sec.

 

I read an interesting post on the blog Theme, about reductionism in photography. It considers the act of boiling down everything that we see, hear, and think to a simple concept. In photography, that translates to reducing composition to the absolute minimum.

 

(Click Here) to read the post about reductionism on the Theme blog.

 

Personally, I'm not sure where the intersection is between reductionism and simplicity. Many photographic texts and teachers stress simplicity in photographic composition. I don't really work that way. I have been told that some of my images have too much clutter, are not simple to understand. In general, I don't mind this, if the image still transmits a message. I don't want my images to be so simple as to be obvious or shallow.

 

The picture above is a rare example of simplicity (or is it reductionism?) for me. I took this one in Provincetown, Massachussetts when I was there for a workshop. To me, it represents a special quality to the light that I experienced there. It also reminds me of the simple yet completely satisfactory room that I stayed in while I was there. Of course, no other viewer will have the benefit of that experience.

 

It was the light that caught my eye, not the subject. I love how the light coming through the holes in the strainer is golden; I didn't set that up in any way. It's just the way it was.

 

Anyway, I'm sure that I can benefit from considering reductionism in my photographic work. I will do that, without losing some of the complexity that I feel when I make a picture. There's something to learn from each and every person's approach to photography and art.

 

But, I still don't really know if reductionism and simplicity are the same concept.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

Lone Cypress, Pacific Grove, California

Here's a shot I made this afternoon of the Lone Cypress on the 17 Mile Drive in Pacific Grove (near Monterey) California.

 

Lone Cypress, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7, Lumix 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 Aspheric Series II Kit Zoom

at 23mm, with 3 stop ND + Polarizing Filter

iso 200, f22, 0.5 sec.

Edited in Snapseed on my iPad

 

This same spot is photographed hundreds or thousands of times every day. I tried to think hard about composition. I used the ND and polarizing filter to allow me to shoot a long exposure (1/2 second), in an attempt to make the water motion smooth and ethereal. It worked at a certain level.

 

What a gorgeous place this is.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

Another Berkeley Favorite - Used Book Stores

Actually, this bookstore (Pegasus) is at Rockridge in Oakland, just across the border from Berkeley. I find used bookstores to be a sign of true culture. Of course, that' just my opinion.

 

View from Pegasus, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7, 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 Series II Kit Zoom

iso 800, f5, 1/320 sec.

Unedited image straight from the camera

 

The light on this foggy morning was very subtle. It was the soft shadows around the bench the first caught my eye. Then the line of the bookshelves provided a nice lines, intersecting with the window ledge to focus attention near where the people outside were walking by.

 

Not an important shot, but a fun one none and an exercise in composition none the less.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

Newport, California - Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve

We arrived last night in Newport Beach, California, where we're attending the wedding of a close family friend.

 

I awoke early, being on East Coast time, and decided to find a nice place to take a sunrise walk. Pulling up Google Maps, I immediately found the Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve, just a couple of miles from our hotel. While the web said it didn't open until 10:00 AM, I took a chance, and was rewarded with an open, yet empty parking lot. Here are a few scenes from the morning walk, all shot with the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 and Series II 14-42mm kit zoom.

 

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

 

Caught in the Maze

The National Building Museum in Washington, DC is currently hosting an exhibit called the BIG Maze.

 

(Click Here) to read about the museum and the maze.

 

The BIG Maze, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7, 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 Series 2 Kit Lens

iso 800, f5.5, 1/80 sec.

 

I like the context of the enormous museum interior to help show where the maze is in the larger space. I also like the single person in the very middle of the maze in this picture. She adds a lonesome element. People tended to gather in the center of the maze; I'm not sure why.

 

If you decide to attend this exhibit, be sure to get your maze entry tickets early. We came late and were not able to get it. But, that gave me the opportunity to photograph it from above as we watched others go through.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

Belizean Palm

 

Belizean Palm, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1, Lumix 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 Series II Kit Zoom

iso 800, f11, 1/125 sec.

 

Getting up at sunrise on the final day of our vacation in Belize, I was rewarded with this image. It could only be taken at dawn or dusk, as the contrast would have been excessive at any other time.

 

The Series II 14-42mm kit zoom is really quite impressive. Paired with the diminuitive GX1, they can really deliver in good light such as this.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

New Mexican Art, Shot With Lumix DMC-GX7 Micro 4/3 Camera

I've been posting a few images from New Mexico, including a couple of fisheye images. Well, here are a few more, probably the last I'll post from this particular trip.

 

Old and New, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7, Lumix 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 Series II Kit Lens at 31mm

iso 200, f22, 1/200 sec.

 

This was shot outside an art museum. I very much like the contrast of the modern art right up front, and the more traditional looking sculpture in the background. After capturing this, I decided to get up close and personal with the stature, taking advantage of the fisheye lens' capability of simultaneously showing detail of the sculpture and the distinctly Southwestern architecture and courtyard surrounding it.

 

Native, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7, Bower 7.5mm f3.5 Fisheye Lens

iso 200, f-stop unrecorded (f8?), 1/1000 sec.

 

I really like how the fisheye captured this scene. I don't consider this to be only a special effect lens, as I had anticipated. Yes, there is quite a lot of distortion of the lines in the building, but I don't think it takes much away from the composition. I would like to compare this image to what I would get with the Voigtlander 12mm f5.6 (rectilinear, not fisheye) lens on a Leica M body. Less distortion, and even a little wider angle would be expected, but I don't know if I'd like the image as much or more. Sounds like a good test for the future.

 

Finally, a purely tourist-targeted scene:

 

Southwestern Kitsch, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7, Lumix 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 Series II Kit Lens at 34mm

iso 200, f11, 1/640 sec.

I don't mind that this is a stereotypical tourist trap scene, including some fake, painted peppers (the multicolor ones; the red ones are real). It's part of the environment in New Mexico now. So, why not show it?

 

One of my goals on this short trip was to see if I can rely on the GX7 for good travel photography. Carrying the GX7 and the even smaller GX1 as a backup body worked very well for me. I'm thoroughly impressed with the image quality of the GX7, if not the handling. I still don't feel that it quite fits my hands. But, it's pretty darned good.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

I Love Meeting Interesting People When I Travel

This is Doc. I met him on my recent trip to New Mexico.

 

Doc, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7, Lumix 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 Series II Lens at 33mm

iso 200, f5.4, 1/200 sec.

 

Doc had just gotten out of the hospital and ventured into town looking for work. He loves living in New Mexico, and it shows.

 

Doc's Hands, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7, Lumix 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 Series II Lens at 29mm

iso 200, f5.4, 1/320 sec.

 

As you can see, I was using my Lumix DMC-GX7 on this trip. With the Series II kit zoom mounted, I think of it as a reasonable stand-in for the Leica X-Vario. I find the lens specifications to be extremely similar. While the GX7 has the disadvantage of a smaller sensor, it has the major advantage of interchangeable lenses, making it a much more flexible system camera. I'm quite impressed with the performance of the Series II kit lens.

 

One of my goals on this trip was to bond with the GX7, which I've had for a while now, and used very little. Did I meet that goal? Well, to some extent, yes. I now better respect the imaging capability of the GX7, which is really quite tremendous. I also reminded myself just how compact and light the Micro 4/3 kits can be. I carried two bodies (GX7, GX1), several lenses: a Bower fisheye 7.5mm f3.5, Lumix 20mm f1.7, Lumix 14mm f2.5, Olympus 75mm f1.8, 14-42mm Series II kit lens, a Pentax 55mm f1.8 lens and adapter (just for fun), and a small flash, all in a single messenger bag. It was light and easy to carry.

 

That said, the form factor of the GX7 is just not ideal for me. Can I live with it? Yes, but I do inadvertently hit buttons sometimes. I find the GX1 fits my hand better. Maybe one of the SLR-shaped Lumix cameras, perhaps the DMC-G6, would suit me better. But, the performance in such a small package in the GX series cameras is truly impressive to me.

 

More results to come from the GX7 and GX1 on this trip.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

Getting More Acquainted With the Lumix DMC-GX7

I took my Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 out for a hike last weekend. It was the first nice weather we've had in quite some time, and I simply had to get out. Hoping to photograph some birds or other wildlife, I packed up my GX7, 100-300mm f4-5.6 OIS zoom, and the new Series II kit zoom (14-42mm f3.5-5.6) and headed for a Virginia State Park known as Sky Meadows.

 

The birds have not yet come back to this part of the world. So, after sitting in the woods for a while (not an altogether bad experience), I walked around some of the old farm buildings at the park. Here's an image I saw and was able to capture in side one of the barns:

 

In the Shadows, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7, Series II 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 Kit Zoom

iso 200, f8, 1/40 sec.

 

I am quite pleased with the dynamic range of the sensor, and the sharpness of the image overall. There are still a few setup options I need to explore with this camera, but nothing too difficult. The GX7 has several programmable function buttons, and I need to find the optimum setup for them.

 

So far, so good!

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

Cold, Rain, and Snow - Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 and Series II 14-42 Kit Lens

One of my colleagues came to my office this morning, saying that I really needed to get out and shoot some of the plants around our building while they were still covered in ice. That was all the motivation I needed.

 

All of these were shot with the new 14-42mm kit zoom that comes with the DMC-GX7 at iso 200.

 

 

 

 

 

Not bad for ten minutes outside with a kit lens!

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

 

Different Takes on Autumn Leaves

As I wrote earlier in the season, I've tried to avoid taking the same autumn leaf pictures that I (and many other) photographers take each and every year. For example, I used the kit zoom on my new Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 to add some motion blur to shots that would otherwise have been quite static. I made threes separate posts about that:

 

(Click Here) to see my first post on leaves in motion.

 

(Click Here) to see where I developed the concept a little further, with a set that make me feel like I'm being pulled through the treetops up into the clouds.

 

And finally, (Click Here) to see my favorite of the series, where I attempted to get the best combination of detail in the leaves, blur from camera motion, and color.

 

Well, today's images take a less drastic departure from "normal" fall color photography, but I hope still show something a little unique. As in all three posts above, I shot these with the DMC-GX7 and the much-improved 14-42mm Series II kit lens.

 

On my way to have lunch with my lovely wife, I looked to the side of the road and saw this tree. The most important element that drew me to photograph it was not the tree, however, it was the way the leaves on the ground appeared. Because the ground slopes upward behind the tree, the fallen leaves provided a partial background for the image.

 

 

Ground As Background, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7, Lumix Aspheric 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 Series II Lens at 14mm

iso 200, f8, 1/125 sec.

 

I like the shot above, but it's quite conventional, other than the ground sloping up. Looking for a different perspective, I used the rotatable finder on the GX7 to get down low. I took several shots that way, but nothing that really looked different to me. Finally, I started playing with selective focus from the low angle. Here's an example of what I came up with:

 

Drawn to the Front, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7, Lumix Aspheric 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 Series II Lens at 24mm

iso 200, f8, 1/125 sec.

 

This shot has only a narrow band of leaves at the very bottom of the image in focus. Personally, I like how it sort of asks a question of the viewer. At first glance, it just looks like a blurry picture of a tree, and at that point, some may stop looking. Looking closer however shows that the leaves at the bottom are perfectly sharp. This draws the attention to the leaves on the ground, which were the element that drew me to the scene in the first place. The tree itself takes on only secondary importance. One could argue about which image is more "pretty," if either fit that bill; I can say that the second shot better communicates how I felt about the scene.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

Yesterday's Post Was the End of Autumn, Today's Sky Looks Like the End of the World!

We had a crazy sunset and cloud formation tonight. Here's how it looked:

There was no severe weather associated with this, believe it or not

 

This is why I always have a camera with me. These were all shot with the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7, 14-42 f3.5-5.6 Series II kit zoom, on iAuto. I didn't make any decisions besides zoom and composition. These are jpegs right out of the camera.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

Autumn's End

 

Autumn's End, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7, 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 Aspheric Series II Lens (at 40mm)

iso200, f14, 1/40 sec.

 

It seems that autumn has nearly run its course. There's a possibility of our first snow tonight.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

 

Another Autumn Leaves Series, With Motion

This will mark my third small series of fall leaves in motion. As I said before, I did push myself to keep pursuing the idea, tweaking it as I went, to see how far I could push it. Of course, it could go further, but I think the following three images represent something of an accomplishment for me.

 

These shots were all made with the new Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 and 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 Series II kit lens. What I feel I've learned so far in this exercise is to play with the level of realism and abstraction, which I actually think I came close to in my previous mini-series (on November 1). I really like those previous images, but did push a little further.

 

This time, I paid more attention to color. The shots from the previous post are pretty bland, color-wise. I think these below pull together my intention in terms of both the level of abstraction and in fall color. I know these won't be attractive to everyone, but I am somewhat satisfied with where the exercise took me. Now you can judge them for yourself.

 

Color and Motion 1, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7, 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 Series II Kit Lens

iso 200, f22, 0.4 sec.

 

Color and Motion 2, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7, 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 Series II Kit Lens

iso 200, f22, 0.2 sec.

 

Number 2, above, is probably a little too swirled to stand on its own, in my opinion. In the context of the other two, I think it works.

 

Color and Motion 3, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7, 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 Series II Kit Lens

iso 200, f22, 1/8 sec.

 

If I had to pick one (I don't have to), I'd pick number 3. I love the color. I think it's right at the edge of complete abstraction, but it still says "autumn" to me. But, I think the three in this series hang together pretty well.

 

One thing I'm learning right now is to give my images time before being done with them. I've been playing with this project quite a lot, and living with the images, thinking about them. I think I'll probably print these three, and see if I'm done. At some point, the leaves will all be down, and I'll be finished by definition.

 

One thing I think is that I could crop all three of these to square images. All of them could lose some empty space on the left side. It would change the character a lot, moving the swirl center away from the center of the frame. I'll give that a try before calling it done.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

Oh No! Banding on the GX7 Sensor? Not to Worry.

I saw a post by pisanoal on mu-43.com that initially had me worried. You see, I've only had a little time to play with my new Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7, and most of that has been with the surprisingly decent new 14-42mm Series II kit lens.

 

In this post, pisanoal showed an example of the GX7 sensor producing "bands" in the image when shooting with the Lumix 20mm f1.7 (1st series) lens, which is one of my favorite Micro 4/3 lenses. Here's the example:

Image Source: http://www.mu-43.com/showthread.php?t=54486

 

Worrisome. Now here's the good news - it was shot using the electronic shutter.

 

When I was looking at the features of the new GX7, the electronic (silent) shutter came out as a major plus. I have always thought the Micro 4/3 camera mechanical shutters a bit loud. I found myself thinking, why would I ever use the mechanical shutter if I have an electronic one? The image above is one answer. The frequency of the data collection on the sensor when using the electronic sensor can interact with the frequency of some specific types of light, such as the fluorescent lights in the image above. Also, the electronic shutter cannot be used with flash.

 

(Click Here) to read the post and comments by pisanoal on mu-43.com.

 

Remembering those limitations, I have already found the silent electronic shutter to be a real advantage, as in the example below, which I shot inside a Buddhist temple. Photography was permitted in the temple, but I still found it nice to be able to shoot without drawing the attention of others.

 

 

Bathing the Buddha, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7, 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 Series II Kit Zoom at 42mm

iso 1600, f5.6, 1/30 sec.

 

Not bad for iso 1600, at the long end of the kit zoom, wide open aperture, huh? This is a pretty impressive little camera.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

Pulled Skyward - Autumn Leaves With a Twist (Lumix DMC-GX7)

I've been feeling that I'm at a creative plateau for quite some time. I'm trying some things that are new, if not to the photographic world, at least to my portfolio.

 

Autumn leaves are not so impressive in my part of the world this year, at least not yet. So, I decided to try adding some motion to those same old fall pictures I take every year. On October 30, I posted a set of five images of leaves with motion, starting with simple lines, then moving on to rotations.

 

I really enjoyed looking at those images. I could hear the photographic mentor in my head saying:

 

Good. Nice start. Now go spend some time with it. See how far you can take it.

 

So, I went out for another session. As I was walking out to the small stand of trees that are my subject, I started thinking about the degrees of freedom I could play with in motion while the shutter is open. I came up with several: f-stop, shutter speed, lateral (x,y) motion, angle (of the sensor, in-plane rotation), and angle of view (zoom). So, I played with them all.

 

Here are three images that show one theme that came out. I call it "Pulled Skyward." The threads of white (there was no fog; it was a perfectly clear day) remind of a spirit being pulled up through the trees.

 

Pulled Skyward 1, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7, 14-42mm Series II Kit Zoom

iso 200, f22, 0.4s sec.

This first one is very nearly completely abstract. For me, abstract means that you can't really tell what the actual subject was. And, for me, it's a little too abstract to stand on its own. Hopefully the next two will give it some context, and help it to remain in the collection.

Pulled Skyward 2, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7, 14-42mm Series II Kit Zoom

iso 200, f20, 0.4s sec.

Number two clearly shows that we're looking up into the treetops. The white streaks show nicely.

Pulled Skyward 3, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7, 14-42mm Series II Kit Zoom

iso 200, f20, 0.4s sec.

 

Number 3 is my favorite of this set. I feel like I am being pulled up through the trees. The white streaks are just prominent enough to connect me to the treetops. However, I do feel that all three go together well.

 

If you know my photography, hopefully you'll recognize that this is a real departure for me. I'm somewhat of a photographic realist. I enjoy razor sharp images of interesting subjects, or street scenes where you can see multiple things going on. These are much more symbolic than my normal work.

 

It's good to stretch the mind.

 

I have a different set of images from this session, with a different color palette. I'm still working on those.

 

To those of you looking for how technically well the new DMC-GX7 and Series II kit zoom work, how sharp they are, sorry. I feel drawn in this direction at the moment, and the sharp, realistic images will have to come later.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

Autumn Leaves in Motion

Autumn is coming slowly here in Northern Virginia this year, or at least it feels that way. Lots of browns amongst the yellow and orange trees.

 

I was out playing around with my new Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 yesterday, and decided to put some motion into my images. Nothing new here, but I think they're interesting. I started by putting the camera on shutter priority exposure (S), picking the lowest speed I could use without serious overexposure. First, I tried moving the camera linearly, upward, to follow the lines of the trees.

 

 

Leaves in Motion 1, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7, 14-42mm Series II Kit Zoom

iso 200, f22, 1/6 sec.

 

This first shot has a little mood to it, I think. While the sky was actually completely clear and blue, the blur gives it a little feel of fog. I think there are multiple smaller images within this one. I could imagine cropping to just the lower 1/3 of the image, for example. Actually, I can see three images, each 1/3 of the vertical height of the original. I think I'll give that a try.

 

Here's another with upward movement, this time with some branches that go off the vertical quite a bit.

 

Leaves in Motion 2, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7, 14-42mm Series II Kit Zoom

iso 200, f22, 1/6 sec.

 

Then, I started rotating the camera around different centers in the image. Here are my three favorites:

 

Leaves in Motion 3, 4, 5, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7, 14-42mm Series II Kit Zoom

iso 200, f22, 1/6 sec.

 

I realize that these are the first images I've shared from the new GX7, and they don't help much if you're trying to see the capabilities of the camera or new kit lens. I promise to share some sharp, more traditional images soon. But for now, I can say that I am enjoying the new camera, and the lens is quite impressive for what it is.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

New Lumix G Vario 14-42mm Series II Kit Lens - Cousin To the Leica X Vario Lens?

Indulge me in a little fantasy, please. Read on.

 

I have decided to jump back into Micro 4/3 in a big way, with the new DMC-GX7 from Panasonic. I packed up my Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 and G3, sending them off to KEH for resale. Hard to see them go, but it was time. So now I'll be shooting with the new GX7, and the GX1 as my backup body. Two tiny, full-featured cameras.

 

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7

Image Source: shop.panasonic.com

 

I happened to order the GX7 with the new Panasonic kit lens, the 14-42mm G Vario Series II. Interested to see what had changed from the last version of the cheap 14-42mm Lumix kit zoom, I was intrigued to find that they've made it smaller, and reportedly better, through the use of two aspheric elements. This rang a bell in my head.

 

Here's how Panasonic describes the new lens:

 

"Lens Construction:  9 elements in 8 groups (2 aspherical lenses)"

 

Intrigued, I decided to look up the new, highly-acclaimed zoom on Leica's new X Vario camera. Here's how Leica describes their lens:

 

"Lens Leica Vario-Elmar 18-46 mm f/3.5-6.4 ASPH. (corresponds to 28-70 mm in 35 mm format),

9 lenses in 8 groups, 2 aspherical lenses."

Now, I know they're not the same lens. They're not the same focal range, but they're close. And, the Leica lens must cover the larger APS-C sensor. But, it does seem a little ironic to me that they have the same number of elements, groups, and aspheric lenses, especially since we know Panasonic and Leica collaborate at some level, as evidenced by the excellent Pana-Leica lenses (the 14-42 is not one of those, and is branded solely by Panasonic).

 

So, I'm going into this with the probably-unrealistic belief that my new kit zoom has some influence in design from the X Vario!

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

Pay Toilet in Panama, by billgreen on mu-43.com

 

Image Source: http://www.mu-43.com/f60/pay-toilet-santa-fe-panama-41027/

 

This shot shows so much. First, the call to pay for the toilet, of course. But beyond that - how about those drums and blankets? Great environmental features. I think this shot is so well done.

 

Poster billgreen on mu-43.com shot this with a Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1 and Lumix 14-45mm kit lens.

 

(Click Here) to see the original post on mu-43.com

 

I love images that share a real feel for a place. This one works for me. I wonder what it looked like in color?

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

By the way - the GX1 has been on sale at very low prices lately:

 

 

Philippine Festivals - Shot by krijtin on mu-43.com with Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Plus One of My Festival Shots

krijtin of mu-43.com has posted a series of images captured at two separate festivals in the Philippines. Both were shot with the Lumix DMC-G3. The first, the Sinulog Festival, was covered with the Lumix 20mm f1.7 lens.

Sinulog Festival, by krijtin on mu-43.com

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Lumix 20mm f1.7 Lens

Image Source: http://www.mu-43.com/f57/2013-philippine-festivals-40593/

 

The second festival, Dinagyang, was shot with the G3 and kit lens (14-42mm):

 

Dinagyang Festival, by krijtin on mu-43.com

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Lumix 20mm f1.7 Lens

Image Source: http://www.mu-43.com/f57/2013-philippine-festivals-40593/

 

I thoroughly enjoy shooting events like this. krijtin has done a nice job with the G3 here, especially with the kit lens, which I find quite limiting due to its small maximum aperture. Here's one I shot at a Japanese Obon festival in Fairfax, Virginia, using the G3 and 20mm f1.7:

Japanese Obon Festival, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Lumix 20mm f1.7 Lens

iso 200, f4, 1/125 sec

 

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com