Panasonic DMC TZ-10

I dropped on a real bargain from Jacob’s in Liverpool to supplement my Leica C-Lux 3; a Panasonic DMC TZ-10 compact camera. What a grand little camera it has turned out to be getting lots of use alongside my Leica. Both comapcts have been bought for those times when I don’t feel like lugging my full Nikon kit around, which during the poor summer in the UK has been quite often.

The TZ-10 has a Leica DC 25mm lens and a 12.1MP sensor, lots of programme modes and “scene” settings. It’s light, easy to use and produces some wonderful images. It fits neatly in my pocket, is quick to start and quite unobtrusive in use. I’ve used it for street photography, sunsets, landscapes, portraits using natural light, flash and mixed light - which it handles very well indeed - architecture, wildlife and nature, simple record shots and macro.

The Leica DC lens is superb being very sharp at most apertures. Focusing is quick and accurate although sometimes it struggles a little if there’s a “busy” background. Exposure is also good but I’ve found that 1/3rd stop under exposure makes for richer colours; there’s a little too much noise at higher ISO ratings. I’m sure there’s a way round that! So far I’ve had to do very little post-processing and I’m very satisfied with the results particularly in mixed light situations.

The TZ-10 is now discontinued hence the bargain prices they were being sold for but if you’re considering a compact I can’t praise the Panasonic range highly enough - good quality, good value and great results. Several friends have Panasonic’s in one form or another and the images I’ve seen are very good indeed.

Click the image for the bigger picture

Click the image for the bigger picture

Click the image for the bigger picture

The images were taken on two separate street photography trips to Liverpool using the TZ-10. The colour one is a panorama using two shots stitched together in Elements while the monochromes were processed using Silver EfexPro 2.

Summer...

It’s been a very busy summer with limited opportunities for photography and blog updating. The weather played its part in the UK with long periods of grey skies and rain. Sadly, the grey skies were mostly flat and boring. I wasn’t at home a lot either, so using my little macro studio was out of the question, too. Never mind... there were some bright spots.

I did have a nice day in Liverpool where I managed some street photography but the main reason for going was to visit a couple of exhibitions: Ian Berry’s apartheid images of South Africa, “Living Apart” and Paul Trevor’s “Like You’ve Never Been Away”, which features inner city Liverpool in the mid-1970’s.

Ian Berry is a Magnum photographer and has covered some of the most dramatic moments in South Africa spanning over 40 years. He was the only pho tographer to gain documentary evidence of the dreadful Sharpeville massacre in 1960, an event that saw at least 65 black South African’s killed and more than 180 injured. Some of the Sharpville images featured in the exhibition and harrowing they were. Ian was there to see the fall of arpartheid, too, covering both the elections and the joyful scenes when the ANC were victorious.

The images are superb both in their capture and printing as you would expect from a Magnum Touring Exhibition. However, some are harrowing and not just in respect of violence; several depict the disdain with which white South African’s treated their black kinsfolk.

© Ian Berry and Magnum

© Ian Berry and Magnum

There’s also the opportunity the see John Pilger’s excellent documentary about apartheid, which should not be missed.

If you’re in Liverpool do visit this exhibition, which runs until 6 November 2011 at the International Slavery Museum (part of the Liverpool Maritime Museum), Albert Dock, Liverpool L3 4AQ. Admission is free and the exhibition is open daily from 10:00 until 17:00. You will not be disappointed.

Visit Ian Berry’s Magnum site here

In 1975 Paul Trevor came to Liverpool to document the deprivation in the city spending time in Everton and Toxteth. He captured images of family life “in the raw” both in homes, on the streets, posed and in those unguarded moments that street photographers everywhere love. Some 36 years later, 58 black and white images from the hundred’s Paul took appear in an exhibition entitled “Like You’ve Never Been Away” and show an almost unrecognisable inner city that has now largely disappeared. This was the first time many of the images had been publically displayed.

Paul wrote in 2010: “My street photography was a spontaneous approach to capturing life as it was lived. Despite initially worrying whether I’d be accepted into the community, people were friendly and appy to be photographed. Britiain’s inner cities were difficult places to live in in that era. Life was hard, but it wasn’t all doom and gloom. I met people who were good humoured, cheerful and full of energy. It was a special time for me.”

The images certainly recall those days of deprivation. Run down buildings, kids making their own amusements, their parents enjoying street corner banter; everything good street photography should capture. And believe me, this is good street photography. The images of children at play and interacting with friends and parents are priceless. Try and capture such images today and the police would certainly be taking an interest in your activities! How times have changed...

There’s still time to catch this exhibition, which runs until 25 September 2011 at the Walker Art Gallery, William Brown Street, Liverpool L3 8EL. Again, admission is free and the gallery is open daily from 10:00 until 17:00.

© Paul Trevor

 

© Paul Trevor

© Paul Trevor