I like San Francisco’s Chinatown. I like the evil eye I often feel. I like the sounds, the crowds, and feeling the slightest bit unwelcome.

Currently listening to: You Worry Me, by Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats. [Thanks Joe.]

I headed to Grant St. yesterday to do some portrait shooting. February 16th was Lunar New Year (Year of the Dog), so Chinatown was still buzzing, mostly evident from the fireworks still being set off. As is always the case, some great talent showed up; from photographers, to models, to videographers and all-around content creators, it was a good crowd to be in, and yet another loud reminder that I need to start mixing some video in.

On the photo side, lesson learned about shooting at 50mm. I almost always shoot with the Canon 50mm 1.2L, unless I’m shooting landscapes or wide environmental portraits. Chinatown is narrow, crowded, and at times a little tall, so the 50mm was probably a little too tight. I considered switching to the 24-70, but never actually did. Either way, I was happy with the take from the day. Might challenge myself to start shooting at 35mm for a while just to compare the difference. I can either lock the 16-35 or 24-70 at 35mm, and see what I walk away with. Maybe.

All photos shot with Canon 5D MkIII, with Canon 50mm 1.2L, at ISO100, F/1.2, and shutter adjusted as needed.