Super-Takumar 28mm f3.5

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.

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.

Shanghai Disneyland Street Photography [Super-Takumar 28mm f3.5]

A day out at Shanghai Disneyland, with all the expected crowds and activity, seemed like a good opportunity to shoot some street photography. So I packed my camera and went to my first, and at the time of writing only, Disney park.

Having read some negative press about the whole park experience beforehand, I was unsure how exactly the day would go. What I felt more sure about was my chances of coming back with some images worth sharing here.

As you’re reading this, that’s what happened. So come on in. Check them out. And let me know what you think of them, and how your own theme park street photography went if you’ve ever tried any yourself!

Make Your Street Photography Better than Average [Super-Takumar 28mm f3.5]

How’s your street photography? Good? Great? Average? Not sure which? I’ll stick my neck out and say it’s probably the last one. Average. Most people’s is. That represents an opportunity, though.

You want to have your street photography noticed? Then you don’t necessarily need to be great. Not yet. Just get yourself above average.

You want to know how? I’ll give you four ways. None of them are groundbreaking, or even difficult to put into practice. You just need to come and make the effort.

One Hour of Street Photography is Enough [Super-Takumar 28mm f3.5]

One Hour of Street Photography is Enough

One thing I struggle with is finding completely free days where I can head out with my camera. Work and life get in the way, I tell myself.

However, this perceived lack of time isn’t as severe as the voices in my head would have me believe. I don’t actually need whole days. Far from it. And there are plenty of ways I could manage my time better that would give me, say, an hour a day for street photography.

An hour is better than nothing, of course, but is it actually enough? Well, spoiler alert: check the title. And then come read the article.

Street Photography Clichés: Get Over Them [Super-Takumar 28mm f3.5]

Street photography clichés, such as people walking past pictures and signs or people using their mobile phones, make up a huge percentage of the street photography posted online.

It’s an important step in the development of a street photographer, but there often comes a time when you’ll want to shoot something more original. Perhaps more importantly, there also comes a time when your fans will want to see something more original.

The question is, when the time does come, how can we get over clichéd street photography? Come find out in this post.

Effort Justification and Your Street Photography [Super-Takumar 28mm f3.5]

Effort justification is making you overestimate the quality of your photography. Because you know how much work went into creating it, you hold it in higher regard than anyone else does. And then you wonder why nobody thinks it’s as good as you think it is.

It’s not confined to photographers, of course. Anyone who creates anything will have a skewed idea of its worth. The important thing is to understand this and try to remove it as much as possible. Doing so will help you know what to publish and what to shelve, and to understand why your work might not be getting the acclaim you think it should.

Lessening the effect of effort justification isn’t as difficult as creating your thing was in the first place, but it might take more time. Come learn how here.

The Swimmer’s Body Illusion and Your Photography Blog [Super-Takumar 28mm f3.5]

The swimmer’s body illusion is what makes us think enough lengths of breaststroke can give us the physique of an Olympic athlete. It’s what makes us think some cosmetics can have us looking like a supermodel, and that Oxford is producing genii rather than taking them in.

It’s also something you can use to your benefit with your photography, blog, or anything else you want to do well in. Once you understand the concept, you can use it as a guide to building on your strengths and letting someone else do what you’re average at.

Come learn more about how this cognitive dissonance affects us all, every day, and how recognising it can help you turn it into your advantage.

Super-Takumar 28mm f3.5 Lens Review

super takumar 28mm f3.5 sony nex 5n

The Super-Takumar 28mm f3.5 is the third vintage lens I bought, and it helped me take a big step forward as a street photographer. Shooting wide open with f1.8 lenses is fun, but foregoing the shallow depth of field and looking for other ways to make interesting pictures adds a whole new level of fun.

In the beginning though, I wasn’t sure how much I would enjoy using this lens. After being so used to other focal lengths, I was struggling to take any pictures I really liked. With practice, that changed. I now love this little block of metal and glass.

It’s a vintage lens I think you’ll love too if you pick one up. Come see why in this comprehensive review of the Super-Takumar 28mm f3.5 – with sample shots included.

Beware of Social Proof with Your Photography [Super-Takumar 28mm f3.5]

There’s probably not a photographer alive who doesn’t want people to tell them what they do is good. However, chasing the approval of an audience over an artistic vision can be damaging for the quality of the work.

Social proof is a powerful thing, but is the social proof demonstrated by the number of ‘likes’ on social media something we should assign any value to?

Of course, it depends on your goals. But if you’re looking for a photographic legacy you can be proud of rather than Insta-fame, chasing the social proof as seen on social media could be holding you back. Come read more to find out why.

Nanchan Temple, Wuxi, China [Super-Takumar 28mm f3.5]

Visiting a temple is always high on my list when I go to a new town or city. Not to pray, but to just go take a look. Just to see if it’s a nice temple or not, really.

One bonus of doing this is I always feel better when I leave than I did before I went. Something about the buildings, statues, and iconography I suppose.

Nanchan temple in Wuxi was pretty nice, and climbing the pagoda meant I could get some urban landscape shots of the surrounding city. So that’s another bonus of visiting temples. Being able to share the photography with you. Don’t leave me hanging. Come take a look.

Be a Factory, Not a Warehouse

You often pick up the best advice from the most unexpected places. I was listening to a podcast today when that exact thing happened.

Steve-O was never my favourite person on ‘Jackass’ but I gave his interview on the Joe Rogan Experience a listen. And I am so glad that I did.

A wholly surprising and inspiring life story for sure, but it was one statement in particular that moved me to write this post. The title is paraphrased, but I think anyone who sees themselves as a creator needs to hear the message. And that includes you.

Playing is Winning (a.k.a. the process is the result)

I like the maxim ‘the process is the result’. Playing the game, rather than worrying about who wins and loses, is where the value is.

Going out with your camera and enjoying your day, rather than coming back with a slew of keepers, is what brings the most benefit to your mind and body.

Writing this blog post probably did me more good than posting it will. Reading it will do you more good than if you don’t. So come on in and give yourself the gift of both the process and the result.

Costumes and Countryside in Xijiang, China [Super-Takumar 28mm f3.5]

Sitting in China’s southern Guizhou province, Xijiang minority village is a popular spot to take in some local Miao culture, and to enjoy the relative peace and fresh air.

With traditional wooden homes built on the hillsides, picture postcard bridges, a river flowing gently through the valley, and plenty of residents and tourists happy to pose, it makes for a highly photogenic trip.

Want to see exactly how this looks when shot with a vintage camera lens? Well then come on in and take a look.

Checking out Chongqing’s Cable Car [Super-Takumar 28mm f3.5]

Although Chongqing is technically China’s biggest city by area, it’s often not on the tourist map for those visiting from outside the country. It was never on my list either until circumstances made it the best option for a short trip. For those tourists who do make it to Chongqing though, its cable car is one of the more famous things to see and do.

But is it worth it? Both the city and the cable car? Should they go onto your own list? I went to Chongqing expecting to enjoy it, but not knowing why. I came away having enjoyed it and for a reason I could never have anticipated.

With a few lovely pictures to look at too, this is me checking out Chongqing and its cable car.