Lee

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A Shot in the Park [Kentmere 400]

Kentmere 400 isn’t my favourite film in the world, but I could only learn that for myself and know it for sure by shooting some. Part of the roll was shot in a park – hence the title.

Come see how it turned out and why I’m very happy I tried Kentmere 400, even though I generally prefer the results I’ve gotten from other films so far.

7 Reasons You Should Have a 50mm Lens, a.k.a. a Nifty Fifty

If you think you’ve reached a plateau with your current gear but have never tried a prime lens, I’ve got good news. They can make a huge difference when compared to shooting with your kit lens.

A great one to start with is the ubiquitous 50mm – also known as a nifty fifty. Come see why in this guide to why you should have one in your photography arsenal.

Two Simple Black and White Film Photography Tips [JCH Street Pan 400]

Wherever you are with your photography, there will always be people who can learn something from you. There will also always be people who can teach you something new.

The two simple tips in this article might not be new to you, especially if you’re further along than me. But they can be useful if you’re just starting out and want to make your monochrome work better.

Whichever camp you’re in, there’s also some shots taken with the lovely JCH Street Pan 400 to look at here. So come and do that, if nothing else.

Parks and Recreation [Kodak Gold 200]

For a city so built up, you’re never short of a park to spend some time at in Shanghai, and these parks are never short of people using them for recreation.

That makes them decent places to shoot some film photography, as I did and then wrote about here in this little blog post. Their recreation became a subject for mine.

Kodak Gold 200’s bright colours make it a good film for sunny days like this, as these shots from the Yashica Electro 35 give a glimpse of. Come see.

Two Fishing Villages in Shitang, Wenling [JCH Street Pan 400]

shitang wenling

You’re never short of places to visit in a country as big as China, as towns like Shitang are constantly proving. To me, anyway.

Most people have probably never heard of the place but I can tell you it’s near the city of Wenling, which is also a place most people have probably never heard of.

Regardless, I went there and shot some JCH Street Pan 400 in a couple of the fishing villages. Come see how that turned out.

Jing’an Sculpture Park, Shanghai [Oriental Seagull 100]

jing'an sculpture park shanghai

Jing’an Sculpture Park offers nice respite from the city outside its boundaries and good artwork to check out once inside them. It’s artwork that’s constantly changing too as new pieces regularly replace existing ones.

I loaded the Yashica Electro 35 with some Oriental Seagull 100 and went to make some photographs of the sculptures there when I was, along with some shots of the people who were too.

This is the write-up of those shots, and it features a sculpture that’s actually kinda famous in certain circles. European sculpture circles, I think. Come see what that is and everything more in this piece on the Jing’an Sculpture Park.

Small City Street Photography [Kentmere Pan 400]

Sometimes you have to get away from the sprawling metropolis and head for the small city. Especially when it’s Chinese New Year and you have people to visit.

While you’re there you may as well get in some street photography. That’s what I did, and on Kentmere 400 film no less. A stock I hadn’t shot before now.

Want to see how it turned out? Because you can. Come see the small city street photography, the thoughts surrounding it, and one simple way some of the shots could have been better IMO.

Rushin’ Around the Cotswolds [Silberra Pan 200]

The Cotwolds aren’t the kind of place you’d typically rush around, and I wouldn’t recommend you do so. Not when you have all that scenery to stop and take in.

It’s scenery that deserves your best photography, which is something I didn’t give it. For me it was more of a testing ground for a roll of Silberra Pan 200 – a Russian film I got as a crowdfunding campaign reward.

That explains the daft pun in the title, but it doesn’t tell you how the shots came out. To know that, you’re going to have to click inside and come see for yourself.

Using Zone Focus to Improve Your Street Photography

Zone focus and hyperfocal distance are two timeless techniques that can help you improve your street photography once you’ve learnt how to use them.

Don’t be put off by the fancy sounding names, either. All it takes is a comprehensive yet easy-to-follow tutorial, which is what we have here, and some practice, which is what you’ll need to do after reading it.

Also included is a section on pre-focus, which is another closely related way of going beyond auto-focus and taking your street photography to the next level. Come read. You know you want to.

Say Hello and Wave Goodbye [Agfa Vista Plus 200]

Sometimes you sit down with a bunch of photographs to share and no idea of what to write about to go with them. It’s not often I do that, but this piece is one of those occasions.

That title comes from a Soft Cell song. It was later covered by David Gray. It also covers a few themes detailed in this post. The passage of time is one. As is a discontinued film. Also a new way to even write stuff for this website.

Come see what we’re saying hello and waving goodbye to, why, and whether these are good or bad things. Hint: I think they’re mainly good.

Longhua Martyrs’ Memorial Park, Shanghai [Agfa Vista Plus 200]

Longhua Martyrs’ Memorial Park offers a few things the rest of Shanghai doesn’t. Soviet-style communist sculptures and peace and quiet being the main ones.

It makes for a decent trip out of the city centre – especially when you consider Longhua temple is right next door too. Take your camera and perhaps even a picnic.

These are some shots I got from Longhua on Agfa Vista Plus 200 in the Yashica Electro 35. Come take a look and come learn more about the place before you visit.

Edinburgh Street Photography on Russian Film [Silberra Pan 200]

After about a decade away, I returned to one of my very favourite cities in the UK. So of course I had to take the Yashica Electro 35 GSN and a roll of film with me.

That film was Silberra Pan 400 – a Russian stock that ran a Kickstarter campaign in 2017. This roll was one of the rewards I got for backing that.

The last time I went to Scotland’s capital, I wasn’t really into photography that much. So it was nice to go there and come back with some shots of some landmarks and, of course, some Edinburgh street photography.

Fishing for Eyes in the Good Light [Kodak ColorPlus 200]

Not the clearest article title there, is it? But it does describe what you’re about to read pretty well if you give it a chance. And that is a 3-step process for shooting the kind of images I like to shoot.

It’s not a hard thing to get your head around and you don’t need to do street photography for it to help you. It can be useful whatever you shoot.

Want to know what the process is? Then come take a read as we go through it from its logical beginning to end, and all illustrated with a bunch of street photographs shot on film using it.

The First Roll from the Yashica Electro 35 GSN [Fujicolor Industrial 100]

Rangefinder film cameras aren’t always the easiest to get to grips with when you’ve never used one before. As you can see from the title, I’d never used one before I shot this roll in my Yashica Electro.

If you’re wondering how it went, you’re not too far away from what I was thinking while shooting. I had no idea how it was going either.

The short version is it finished better than it began, which is understandable as you get used to a camera. The long version is inside. Come read it.

How to Shoot Street Photography with Vintage Lenses

I was asked a question on an Instagram post that went a little something like this – “… how do you manually focus for street; what method do you use to guarantee pin sharp focus?”

It was a good question and one I appreciated receiving. While I did answer at the time, I thought it also deserved a more detailed guide on here. Because maybe you want to know too.

Shooting street photography with vintage lenses really isn’t hard once you get going. Come read and learn how, and get yourself inspired to give it a go.

The #leesixtyfive Project: Photographs 331 – 365

Look at that title. It has the number 365 in it. That means the #leesixtyfive project actually got completed. At no point was I 100% sure it ever would.

This update features the last batch of photographs along with some lessons learnt whilst doing the whole thing. If you’re doing a 365 project of your own, you might find some helpful nuggets here.

Come read, come see if the final images were any good or not, and come get inspiration and motivation for your own projects if that sounds like something you want to do.

Olympus Supertrip Camera Review

olympus supertrip camera review

The Olympus Supertrip is a point and shoot film camera from the 1980s with nothing but the most basic features. Sounds terrible, you might think. I don’t necessarily agree.

I’ve shot some street photography with mine and have not been unhappy with the results. Going out shooting was actually pretty good fun, thanks in the main to that dearth of settings to get bogged down in.

Come read this review to see some example shots and decide whether the Olympus Supertrip should make it into your own collection or not.

The #leesixtyfive Project: Photographs 301 – 330

Number 11 of the planned 12 #leesixtyfive updates is here and taking us into the final stretch of the street photography marathon I decided to put myself through.

It features some shots from earlier in the project, as I needed to dig myself out of a hole and catch up, and some shot in the more correct time period for this chapter.

Come see how they look, my thoughts on them, and how the project itself is going with just one more update to go after this.

Canon Sure Shot AF-7 Camera Review

This Canon Sure Shot AF-7 cost me less than the lunch I had before finding it in a charity shop. It cost less than each and every roll of film I’ve since put through it.

So at that price, it must be a heap of junk, right? No, not right. Maybe I have low standards (I definitely do) but it’s actually not bad at all for the street photography I shoot.

Come find out in this review if you should seek one out too, or whether you should take the plunge and spend your hard earned couple of pounds or dollars if you also come across one in the wild.

Chasing Light in Qibao Old Town [Fujicolor Industrial 100]

qibao temple pagoda

Sitting out to the west of the city centre but still absolutely in Shanghai, Qibao old town makes a lovely day away from the shiny skyscrapers of China’s biggest metropolis.

If you’re going to go there, try to pick a day with fewer people. So neither a weekend nor a national holiday. Try also to pick a sunny day. Then you can take advantage of the light and get better photographs.

Trust me. I shot parts of Qibao – on Fujicolor Industrial 100 film – on both bright and overcast days. Come see the difference good light makes to your photography here.

The #leesixtyfive Project: Photographs 271 – 300

I’ve finally done it, friends. I’ve finally gone and raided the archives to give the #leesixtyfive project the boost it needed. All 30 photographs in this update were taken at some point earlier in the year.

You may consider it breaking the rules of a 365 project. I can understand that. But y’know, my project, my rules. And they switched to 365 images in 365 days a long time ago.

Come check out this latest update to find out why the process of your own 365 project is the result, and to see if I’ll ever get mine completed in time.

The #leesixtyfive Project: Photographs 241 – 270

So we made it past the 250 mark. Although that doesn’t seem too significant a milestone when the target is 365… but it’s better than not making it to 250.

These descriptions are getting harder to write for these middle-of-the-project updates, although I’m happy I have the opportunity to have to come up with something.

In truth, photographs 241 to 270 aren’t the priority right now, even as I type this. Photographs 271 and onwards are. Come read and check out how I plan to get them in the coming weeks.

A Few from the m50 Art District, Shanghai [Fujicolor Industrial 100]

m50, at Moganshan Road in Shanghai, is one of the city’s most iconic art districts. It’s also one of the only places in town you’ll find genuine street art.

I went there with the old Olympus Supertrip and a roll of Fuijfilm Industrial 100 to get a few shots, which you can see in this short essay.

Come take a look, find out how the m50 art district came about, and how you can get there if you’re in Shanghai and want to check it out too.

Shooting for the First Shitty Camera Challenge [Rollei Retro 400S]

shitty camera challenge

The Shitty Camera Challenge was pretty much as the name suggested. That was… to shoot with a shitty camera. You could use any film you wanted and then were to post the results to Twitter.

There was a suitably bad first prize, which I don’t know who won right now but I hope it wasn’t me, and lots of fun to be had on the #shittycamerachallenge hashtag.

For me, it was an excuse to get out again with the Canon Sure Shot AF-7 and try some Rollei Retro 400S for the first time. This is how it went. Come take a look.

A Failed Photography Trip to Nanxun Water Town [Fujicolor Industrial 100]

Nanxun water town sits not too far from Shanghai, which makes it a good getaway from the city. It’s also a pretty photogenic place, if that’s what you’re into.

And if you are, you won’t want to make the same mistake I did which led to coming back with just four photographs – shot on Fujicolor Industrial 100 – to show for it.

Come read what happened, see how to avoid the same happening to you and why, in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t really a failed trip at all.

The #leesixtyfive Project: Photographs 211 – 240

Photographs 211 – 240 of the #leesixtyfive project, you say? And a write-up to go along with them? That’s exactly what we have here.

240 is a lot of photographs but the days are running short. I have a plan, though. Come see what that is and why it might make this thing more ‘Shanghai’ than I thought it was going to be.

Come in, come read, come learn how this instalment went, and come see if it can’t motivate you to do your own project too.

The #leesixtyfive Project: Photographs 181 – 210

china street photography banners

Chapter 7 of the #leesixtyfive project is here and itching for you to read it.

I’ll be honest. I wasn’t sure what to write about in this update, as not much has happened since the last one. Just getting out there and making 30 street photographs, really.

So there was no plan for this. No outline. I just wrote. Father John Misty came up, as did the numbers ‘64%’ and ‘85%’. Can you guess the significance of them? No? Probably a good idea to come read and find out, then.

How to Use Vintage Lenses on Your Digital Camera

How to Use Vintage Lenses on Your Digital Camera

If you’ve ever considered using vintage lenses on your digital camera but haven’t yet taken the plunge, it’s possible the thing holding you back is uncertainty. That may be uncertainty in how it all works, and uncertainty in whether you’ll be able to make it work for you.

I’m here to dispel those misgivings. The technical aspects of using vintage lenses on digital cameras are not hard, and nor are the creative ones. That means fitting them to your camera isn’t hard, and neither is getting good results from them.

Come read and see how to use vintage lenses on your digital camera.

Vintage Lens Adapters – the Ultimate Guide

vintage lens adapters ultimate guide

Using vintage lenses on digital cameras has become pretty popular in recent years. There are plenty of reasons why this is, with a big one being the rise of the mirrorless camera making it so easy to do so.

Whatever the real and full reasons are though, there’s one thing about using vintage lenses on a new camera that cannot be avoided: you’ll probably need a lens adapter.

If you don’t know much about lens adapters and why we need them, this guide is for you. If you do already know and want to find the ones you’re looking for, the handy tables can help you quickly track them down. Come read, come learn, come find the lens adapters you need.

The #leesixtyfive Project: Photographs 151 – 180

Welcome to the 6th update of the #leesixtyfive project. It’s great that you’re here. Great for a couple of reasons. The first is simply that you’re here, reading what I’m writing.

So if you’re reading, it means I’m still writing. And that means the project isn’t dead, which is the second reason i’ts great that you’re here.

Not for the first time, though, this update is overdue. In more ways than one. However, that’s actually good news. For you as well as for me. Come see why as I present photographs 151 – 180 of the #leesixtyfive project.

The Best Street Photography Books to Inspire Yours

best street photography books to inspire yours

Consuming and admiring great street photography books is a fine pastime, but it doesn’t have to be a passive experience. Not when they can also inspire you to create your own.

So to help you with that, I’ve put together a list of some of the best ones ever, and what you can take from them to get yourself included in articles like this one day.

So come read, come learn about some of the best photography books of all time, and see how they can help you make your own masterpiece too.

The #leesixtyfive Project: Photographs 121 – 150

#leesixtyfive 365 project shanghai street photography

Chapter 5 of the #leesixtyfive project is done, dusted, and ready to read.

It’s taken longer than expected to get to this stage, but that’s all good. I’m learning more from this project not quite going to plan than I would have otherwise.

Come see what exactly that entails and how it can help you with your projects too.

Two Simple Ways to Use Colour in Your Street Photography

using colour in your street photography

If you do colour street photography, I’d like to ask you a quick question.

Are you simply shooting ‘in colour’, or are you truly ‘using’ colour in your work? There is a difference, and making the mindset shift to actively using colour can help take your street photography to the next level.

Come read to find out two ways how and, perhaps more importantly, why.

Minolta MC W.Rokkor-HG 35mm f2.8 Lens Review

Minolta Rokkor MC 35mm f2.8 Lens Review

If you’re looking for a 35mm vintage lens, the Minolta MC W.Rokkor-HG 35mm f2.8 could be the one for you.

A legendary name producing one of the most common focal lengths. What’s not to like? Well, there is one thing in particular to be wary of.

Want to know what that is and if it should stop you buying one? Come read and learn.

The #leesixtyfive Project: Photographs 91 – 120

the #leesixtyfive project

The 4th chapter of the #leesixtyfive project is complete!

It hasn’t been easy though, and certain difficulties have led to a small change in the creation process. We’re not stopping though, and evolution and learning are both good things.

Come see what happened as this 365 photography project reached 33% completion.

Using the Rule of Odds in Your Street Photography

rule of odds street photography1

There are certain photography types, looks, and styles that fall out of fashion and can make your work look dated at some point in the future.

And then there are eternal composition tips that pre-date photography and will never not be effective. The rule of odds is one of those.

Come learn what it is, why it works, when to use it, and when not to. It can help you improve your street photography from today, and that improvement will last forever more.

Konica Hexanon AR 50mm f1.7 Lens Review

The Konica Hexanon AR 50mm f1.7 has always had a reputation for sharpness; ever since it was first produced back in 1973. But how does it stack up today when used on a digital body?

The short answer is ‘pretty well, actually’. The longer answer can be found in this comprehensive review. It includes a brief history of the lens, a report on its build and image quality, my opinion on using it for street photography, and of course some real world test shots.

Come read and learn more about this popular and inexpensive vintage lens here.

The #leesixtyfive Project: Photographs 61 – 90

Photographs 61 – 90 of the #leesixtyfive project are done, which gives me the chance to write you another update.

While the last edition talked about the 20-mile march, this one put it into practice due to me hitting a bit of a wall creatively. The motivation to make photographs waned a little but, thankfully, the desire to not quit the project prevailed.

Come read more about what went down, see the photographs the month produced, and get inspired to work on a photography project of your own.

Film-aged Shanghai by Lu Yuanmin – Photography Book Review

Film-aged Shanghai is a collection of street photography by the city’s own Lu Yuanmin, shot on monochrome film in a Lomo LC-A.

The photographs themselves are good. Some are very good. But it’s the body of work as a whole that interests me – photography projects and books are always greater than the sum of their parts.

Come see how Film-aged Shanghai can inspire you with your own future photography projects, and maybe even your future photography books, in this review.

Selling Your Street Photography on Print-on-Demand Websites

If you’re not selling your street photography on any print-on-demand websites – and have never considered doing so – then I’m going to suggest you should be.

I’m also going to tell you it’s not a get rich quick scheme. Think of it as a piece of your overall long-term money making strategy.

It requires some time in the beginning to get everything uploaded. Sales might be slow. But, for me, doing it is better than not doing it. Come learn exactly why.

Captivating Color – Photography eBook Review

If you want to improve your colour street photography, it’s essential to understand what makes a good colour photograph.

It takes more than just shooting in colour. You need to know how to deliberately use colour. The question is how, and some of the answers lie in this Captivating Color eBook.

I always want to improve my street photography, which is why I picked it up. But did it help me? And can it help you too? Come find out in this review.

The #leesixtyfive Project: Photographs 31 – 60

365 project leesixtyfive my favourite lens

The #leesixtyfive project has passed another milestone, which means writing up another blog post.

This one covers photographs 31 – 60 and features some rambling on the Antarctic explorers Roald Amundsen and Robert Falcon Scott, and Instagram hashtags. You’re going to have to come read it to see how those topics line up.

If you’re doing or thinking of doing a 365 project yourself, the message in this piece can help keep you going. I mean, it’s not like you’re trekking to the South Pole, is it. Is it?

The Art of Thinking Clearly by Rolf Dobelli – Book Review

If you want to make better decisions in life, you don’t need to learn any extraordinary new tips or techniques. All you need is to understand *why* you may be making bad decisions and then use that knowledge to cut them out.

The Art of Thinking Clearly by Rolf Dobelli outlines 99 cognitive biases that affect us all, causing us to unknowingly do the wrong thing or feel the wrong way all too regularly.

I recommend you pick it up and give it a good read through. In this review, I’ll tell you why and also explain how it helped me with my photography and blogging.

The #leesixtyfive Project: Photographs 1 – 30

Confession time. Despite having this website all about vintage lenses and street photography, I haven’t actually been doing as much shooting as I could or should.

Perhaps I was burnt out. Or uninspired. I don’t know, but I needed a reason to go out more often with my camera. So, thinking that every day would probably be often enough, I started a 365 project.

Of course I then had to call it the #leesixtyfive project. This is how the first 30 days of it went down. Come read, come see.

Where to Buy Vintage Lenses (and other camera gear) in Shanghai

If you’re looking to buy vintage lenses or pretty much any camera gear in Shanghai and don’t want to order online, there’s really only one place you’ll need to go.

That place is Xing Guang Photographic Equipment.

A 6-storey department store full of cameras, lenses, studio equipment, and all the accessories you’ll ever need, it’s my go-to place for my vintage lenses. Come see why, and learn all about how to go there to fulfil your photography gear needs too.

How Much Are Lightroom Presets Worth?

Here’s the truth. The real worth of Lightroom presets is governed by how much value the buyer will get from them.

That means, depending on the type of photography you do and how it rewards you, any given pack may be worth more to you than it is to me. Or less. I can’t possibly say.

But I can get you to ask yourself some questions to help you figure out if that Lightroom presets pack you’ve got your eye on is really worth the asking price. Come read, come learn.

Understanding (and Using) ISO, Aperture, and Shutter Speed

Understanding (and Using) ISO, Aperture, and Shutter Speed

Understanding what ISO, aperture, and shutter speed are isn’t essential in making good photographs, but it can help you to make better ones.

However, for that to happen, simply understanding what they are isn’t enough. You’ll need to know how to use them too.

In this actionable post, you can learn both. Grab your camera and a cup of coffee and come follow along.

How to Install Lightroom Presets on Desktop and Mobile

Lightroom presets will dramatically streamline your post-processing workflow. However, before you can use any you’ve bought or downloaded, you’ll have to install them.

The good news is, whatever version of Lightroom you’re using, it’s pretty simple to do so. All is explained in this post. Come read, come learn.

Shooting Ilford Pan 400 in Shanghai

More film photography, right here. And this time we’re shooting monochrome.

Ilford Pan 400 is a film available in Asia. It’s not expensive, but does that make it worth buying if you’re in the area? Or even getting some shipped if you’re not?

To find out, I shot some Shanghai street photography with it. Here, in this very article, you can come see how it turned out. Come one, come all. Come on. Come in.

How Can Lightroom Presets Improve Your Photography?

Looking to improve your photography? Who isn’t?! But seriously, we’d all like to be better at what we do. The question is how.

Pounding the streets and shooting often is one way to improve your photography. It’s the hard work – the graft – that we all need to put in.

Using Lightroom presets to improve your photography is smarter. And it works. Want to know how? Come read, come learn.

Are Lightroom Presets Cheating?

Is using Lightroom presets cheating? I’m going to say no. No, it isn’t.

So how about Lightroom and Photoshop themselves, and all the other photo editing software out there? Is that cheating? Nobody wants to think an image has been, gasp, ‘photoshopped’, do they?

Of course, some dishonesty can happen when processing your images. But in most cases, I don’t see it as cheating. Come read and learn why.

Why Nobody Cares About Your Street Photography [Super-Takumar 28mm f3.5]

Nobody cares about your street photography. Not your friends or family, not the people who only ‘like’ your Instagram posts because they want you to check their work out, and certainly not the general public who have no idea who you are.

But if you do street photography, you probably do want people to care. The question is, how?

The answers lie in this post. Come read. Come learn. Come get people caring about your street photography.

Yuhuan – a Film Photography Essay [Ilford Pan 400]

Yuhuan is a small, industrial city on China’s east coast. I don’t think many people go there for the sightseeing.

I went there for a Chinese New Year and took my charity shop film camera and two rolls of Ilford Pan 400. I wanted to tell a story. I wanted to present Yuhuan as I saw it.

This film photography essay is the result of that. Come take a look.

Why Use Lightroom Presets?

Post-processing. How do you do yours? For me, it’s all about the Lightroom presets. If you’ve never tried them yourself, I think you’re missing out on something that could transform your workflow.

That’s quite a bold statement, but this article explains all, with the main points being that Lightroom presets can save you time, help you find consistency and your own style in your work, and actually improve your editing skills.

Why wouldn’t you want to do all that? Come read to learn how. To learn exactly why you should use Lightroom presets.

Where to Buy and Develop Film in Shanghai

If you’re a travelling film photographer, finding a place to buy and develop your rolls on the road can be tricky – especially in a place as big and confusing as Shanghai.

So to make your life easier, I’ll tell you where I’ve had mine done. Right now that’s two places. One called Weima Professional Photo and one called Film Park. This post includes directions, maps, and my thoughts on what you can expect at both.

Come read, come learn, and don’t waste any more time researching where to buy or develop 35mm film in Shanghai.

Why I Use Lightroom to Edit My Photographs

If you’re a photographer or blogger, or even a photography blogger, you probably want to use photo editing software that you know gives you the best results.

I certainly do for the images I post on here, which is why I use Lightroom. It’s not free, but it does save me time and gives me peace of mind. Both of which I value highly.

Come learn more about why I use and recommend Lightroom in this piece here. If you’re struggling with some other software, it might just change your whole workflow.

Shooting Ciqikou with the F.Zuiko 38mm f1.8

I’ll always say the F.Zuiko 38mm f1.8 is a great vintage lens for your street photography.

It’s small, which keeps it discreet. It’s inexpensive, which means you can pick one up without feeling guilty. And the image quality is really good, which is really the most important thing.

I shot with mine in Ciqikou, in Chongqing, China. Come see how it went here.

Loving the Yashica Yashinon 45mm f1.7 in Wuxi, China

A short trip to Wuxi seemed like the perfect chance to get some more shooting in with the Yashica Yashinon 45mm f1.7.

Still getting back used to the focal length, I needed the practice as much as I wanted photographs I thought good enough to post here.

I got both, and with a lens that I loved shooting with. Come see, come read, come find out more. 🙂

Yashica Yashinon-DX 45mm f1.7 Lens Review

Look at this lens, sitting there all shiny and chrome and making even the old Sony NEX-5N look sexy.

There’s no doubt the Yashica Yashinon-DX 45mm f1.7 is a handsome bastard, but how does actually it perform on your digital camera? What’s the build and image quality like? Is it easy and enjoyable to use? And why doesn’t it need an adapter like most other vintage lenses?

The answers to these questions – and more – can be found in this review. Come learn!

Why You Shouldn’t Watermark Your Street Photography

To watermark or not to watermark. That is the question… that seems to never go away in the world of online photo sharing.

I have a simple rule that I came up with while writing this post. If not watermarking your photography is losing you money, then watermark it. If that’s not the case, then don’t.

Most street photographers will fall into the second group, but there’s a further reason why I don’t think you should be watermarking your decisive moments. It’s because you need to be better than that. Want to know what that means exactly? Come read and I’ll tell you.

12 Things You Can Do With Your Old Cameras and Lenses

Got any old cameras and lenses you never use but don’t know what to do with? Having them take up space in your home in some sort of forced retirement seems a waste, to me.

So what should you do with them? What can you do with them? I think the best thing to do, for your gear and for the photography community as a whole, is to get them into the hands of people who will use them. You could even help out a charity while doing so.

There are plenty of options to achieve this. Want to know what they are? Then come on in, read, learn, and figure out the best thing to do with your old cameras and lenses.

Testing the Olympus Supertrip in Shanghai [Kodak ColorPlus 200]

Another new old camera, bought cheap in an English charity shop, and a roll of the only film they had in Tesco. Taken to Shanghai and tested out in the winter sun.

The images I got are presented in this article. There aren’t that many of them but what is here is worth seeing. I wouldn’t have shared them otherwise.

So come take a look and see how a camera that cost less than the roll of Kodak ColorPlus inside it fared on its first outing (I presume) in China.

Testing the Canon Sure Shot AF-7 @ Airport Square, Chongqing [Kodak ColorPlus 200]

We need to be honest here. Chongqing’s Airport Square is in no way a place you should ever visit. Chongqing the city certainly is. But spend your time seeing the good stuff in the city centre.

That said, Airport Square was good to me. It provided a nice little location to test out my new old camera – the Canon Sure Shot AF-7. The question is, how did the shots turn out?

The answer is in this post. So maybe you should come on in and find out. Please. Thanks.

My First Film Cameras

Despite shooting with vintage lenses 99% of the time, I’d never really thought about trying my hand at film photography. That changed when I picked up these two cameras and a couple of rolls of Kodak ColorPlus.

So how did that happen? What made me want to give it a go? And how did the pictures turn out?

Come find out in this post. Come on. Humour me.