I took my new Sony A7C II all around South Austin last night for its first street photography outing. I caught the crowds leaving the Austin City Limits music festival and bounced a few times between South Congress and 1st Street.
I only took my Sony/Zeiss 55mm f/1.8 lens instead of the 35mm length I’m so used to. These days I mentally compose photos in 35mm, and now I have the itch to practice more around 50mm and 85mm.
The crowds and pedicabs were moving fast. I love low-light photography, but don’t have much experience doing it with shutter speeds over 1/125 sec. And I hadn’t even tested the decade-old 55mm ZA’s autofocus capabilities in low light. I missed focus and exposure a lot.
Lesson learned: Don’t learn new techniques and new gear at the same time. 😛
It may have felt uncomfortable and frustrating, but in a constructive “growing pains” way. I think the next time I go out, I’ll think less and enjoy more. That probably means I should do it as soon as I can!
