06.04.23 - Pia's Journey - Experience with GR III Diary Edition

"I am at home everywhere..." This, or something similar, could be the answer when we ask photographer Pia Parolin  about where she lives.
Today a workshop in Hamburg, tomorrow a meeting with the Nuremberg Street Kollektiv in Nice for an exhibition and next week a book preview in Berlin, Pia Parolin is always on the move. And when she really wants to relax, she travels halfway around the world.
But what does relaxing really mean? Just like travelling, photography is one of her great passions. And so a camera is her daily companion, and not only when she travels. It is also her diary. She uses it to collect impressions and memories, looking for the story behind the obvious. And such stories often emerge quite unexpectedly, so it's good to have a camera quickly at hand.

Pia Parolin found the Ricoh GR III ideal for this purpose some time ago, and used it until an accident made the camera unusable. Even though she was well-equipped with other cameras, she kept toying with the idea of buying another GR III.
The RICOH GR III Diary Edition finally tipped the scales in her favour. It was a kind of love at first sight. Pia Parolin knew about the qualities, but now there was also the attractive design. And so she fell in love with the Diary Edition, which is distinguished by its warm grey finish, and initially came as a Limited Edition with a special case, a silver ring and a matching silver hot shoe cover.
She was particularly attracted to the option of having her name engraved on the cover.

And so this GR III Diary Edition was to become the diary for Pia's journey. Her impressions, she shared also on her Instagram channel. And we are happy, that she is sharing her impressions with the GR-community here - thank you for this.

Here are some excerpts from her diary.

"...In February 2023, I flew to Perth in Western Australia.
The plane touched down just before sunset, and with a glowing, brilliant fire-red sky, I drove into the city straight towards the sunset. The colours and radiance, had an energy that made up for my jet lag and many many hours in a cramped plane seat. It was just terrific to finally be there and enjoy those colours!

The next day, I started right away with an exploration tour of this so lively, young, colourful and friendly city. And -it is a photographer's paradise. This light shines from morning to night and is just great, not a cloud in the sky, all the colours are magnificent and great contrasts. And the people are uncomplicated, and friendly - and, they make wonderful silhouettes. My camera is glowing, not only because of the almost 40 °C!..."

"...Now, Australia is known for its dangerous and poisonous animals. And so the large green spaces in the middle of the city are full of animals. That excites me, because as a biologist I look for the beauty of reptiles, flowers and all the things in nature that are somehow different from those in Europe. I don't exclude the Swan River, which looks more like a lake to me. Even though the dolphins invite you to swim together, it is jellyfish and sharks that can be dangerous to people here..."

"...On the first evening, I was still suffering from jet lag and the heat, which was unusual after the cold winter temperatures in Europe. But I "dragged" myself out to the nightlife district of Northbridge, where the pubs were packed and the young people were swing dancing to live music at Mustangs and enjoying the time..."

"...Perth is quite a young city, I meet young people everywhere because many come here to work in the mines. If you get a good job after graduating, there are great salaries here. And they earn so much money to pay back the loans for their studies. The price is that you alternate between spending a week in the outback slaving in the heat and then another week in the city. This city doesn't have a daily rhythm, but a weekly one, and it shows. But since almost all young people live this rhythm, it feels quite normal..."


"...A lot is also done to ensure that the many people who work in the outback enjoy coming back to their city and enjoying the amenities. There are green spaces without end, parks, even golf courses and small water parks, and everything is incredibly well-kept and clean.
This original wetland was drained centuries ago to help the British defend themselves against the French. Yet this area was not really one of the most popular areas, because the wetland favoured diseases and also bad smells. But as in many places in Australia, gigantic deposits of gold, iron and many other mineral resources were discovered within a radius of just two hours by plane, i.e. in the immediate vicinity ;-) and around Perth, the high-rise buildings along the Swan River shot out of the ground, and the skyline is very impressive, especially at sunset..."


"...From Perth, we set off on a road trip through Western Australia. I'll be happy to report on this here in an upcoming blog article..."


So much for Pia Parolin's impressions from Perth. Besides many of the shots shown here, there are video contributions from Downunder on the YouTube channel "Pia's Journey". Be sure to visit her page if you want to see more.

Shortly after her return, on her way to a workshop, Pia Parolin stopped off in Hamburg to tell Lintaro Hopf of Samuel Streetlife  about her journey with the Ricoh GR III Diary Edition over coffee.