Monomad in San Marcos

This is my entry for the #monomad challenge

I recently took a trip to San Marcos, Texas. This city is about an hour south of Austin. Of course I brought my camera along with me and my trusty Jupiter 135mm lens for some good ole street photography around town. From what I saw, San Marcos is right next to Texas State University making San Marcos a decent sized college town. The vibes from the area were cool, a couple people out and about on a beautiful Sunday afternoon getting coffee, eating some food, grabbing some drinks. Just all-around socialization around the town.

Originally we traveled to San Marcos for a comedy show which turned out to just being an overhyped open mic which is normal and OK I guess. Luckily we, my girlfriend, myself, and an acquaintance, wanted to walk around a little bit since we are all feeling trapped inside the house and not really walking too much in Texas.

As what is becoming the new normal for me I shot everything on the 135mm lens in aperture mode, auto white balance, and auto iso so I can strictly focus on the focus pulling on the camera.

Being that I shoot exclusively on vintage lenses with a digital camera, there is not automatic focusing for me, which I do prefer. I prefer this just because I have way more control over the image as far as what’s in the foreground and the background. Also the vintage lenses give me more of a creative look in my opinion. The lenses aren’t overly sharp or overly soft, it’s right down the middle. Different vintage lenses give you different looks, which I enjoy.

I’m not a huge fan of the ultra crisp photos as it seems unnatural to me. Nothing against it, I do appreciate a modern looking photo every now and again. It’s just not what I prefer to shoot.

Also something I’m really enjoying shooting in camera is Monochrome style because it allows me again to hone in on the highlights and the shadows. I get a lot more information in camera so I can see a lot more detail in the photo. So let’s say I do bring it back into color in post, I also shoot in raw, I’m not losing any quality here.

Overall I did love the energy that San Marcos gave us. It was a pleasant day. So glad we were able to walk around with some beautiful weather and good conversation. I’m looking forward to going back just to enjoy the area or maybe we go back for a show. Who knows.

Till next time