Here on the (other) Colorado River in Austin, Texas, it’s nothing but activity: boats taking tours up and down, joggers running past, couples getting their portraits taken.
Now we’re in the drab winter months, right before the holidays, and these photos – and this whole trip – make me miss the sunshine.
My conference hotel was on the south side of the river. A quick hop over and I was in downtown Austin.
The river made for a good orientation spot and a spectacular view.
One of my favorite kinds of street photography is to show up in a busy place where a bunch of people are gathered.
It’s probably a dash of event photography, and a splash of being somewhere where you know it’ll be busy.
And ’tis the season, right? So I stopped by St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church’s Christkindlmrkt – a European-style Christmas market with delicious German treats and lots of merriment. I had to do some Christmas shopping, and last year I visited a Christmas market in Ann Arbor and really enjoyed it. This year, I figured it’d be fun to try something new.
Knowing it may get pretty crowded, I brought along my Canon M6 and a few lenses. I snapped on the 22mm, 32mm, and 56mm on each consecutive lap around the church, opening up my aperture as it got darker.
Lots of kids, lots of families, and tons of gifts for Catholics. And all around, the smell of bratwurst on the grill. Perfect.
While the rain melted all the snow, and the temperature was getting warmer, it was still festive enough to feel the Christmas spirit – and enjoy a beer and a brat.
Here’s something I don’t usually do: some street photography around downtown Austin, Texas.
With all my work travels this year, I’ve had the chance to do more of this style of photography: Philadelphia, Mexico City, etc. And even with my recent practice, I still find it hard to do well.
But there’s nothing like practice. Austin’s perfect weather, manageable downtown, and good light all around helped.
One challenge was focal length. Either I wasn’t close enough, or my 22mm and 32mm on the Canon M6 didn’t get me close enough. Another challenge was traffic blocking some key shots.
Still, a good photowalk out and about, exploring the city.
Ali from One Month Two Cameras discusses her needs and wants for her everyday carry camera—the one you use for just about everything.
For 12 years, that was the Canon M for me. Earlier this year, I upgraded to the Canon M200, but I’ve had second thoughts. And those thoughts came right as Ali’s video went live last week.
