20 Minutes of Monochrome Downtown (With just a splash of color)

I have a thought that goes through my head on occasion (usually when I missed a shot because I didn't have a camera with me) that I ought to carry my camera with me more often. So I try, especially when I am going to places that are more likely than the average area in suburbia to present photographic opportunities. You have seen this in earlier posts where I have carried my camera with me to my occasional (PRN) employment downtown. Yesterday was no exception to this desire, and I chose my SMC K 50mm F1.4 vintage manual focus lens as my carry lens. It is a bit long for real easy snap shooting, and needs more studied compositions especially when shooting at f2.0 to 2.8 which is my usual practice with this lens. I am more likely to carry my 35mm f3.5 in the future, or something wider, but more likely than not whatever I carry will be Old, Manual Focus, and a lot smaller than my zooms. This is part of why I love Pentax, small primes. This lens (Pentax DA 21 f3.2 Limited) is my #2 on my lens buying list, and really calls to me. Give me a couple of years and I may be able to save enough to buy it. (Anybody wanna donate?)

OK, on to the fun part the photographs. These shots were all taken in a 20 minute span, with my Pentax K200d, and the above mentioned lens. It makes a pretty compact setup and it very nice handling and fairly lightweight.

I don't know why this caught me eye, but it did, wish I had had my polarizer along... I call this one "Headless Beauty".

The next several shots are all of the same bike, it was sitting in front of the same vintage thrift shop as the mannequin. All shots of the bike were shot in B&W in camera, and only slightly adjusted in Photoshop for exposure and contrast.

Not sure I would want to ride this puppy.

I was now in move mode, I had 25 minutes to get to the bus stop from the Train stop, and had used a bit of time surveying the bike. This was in a back alley I cut through, originally shot it in B&W but went back to the RAW and brought it forward in Color, simply because I missed the rust on the frame.

I wasn't sure why this level of security was needed for this trash container, but I had to admire it.

I shot this from chest level on a split second decision to take it. I almost deleted it, but liked the sense of motion.

This girl caught my eye as I walked past, she was busily primping and working on her hair in the reflection of the Pawn Store window, I didn't get he focus on, but caught the action.

I chose to go back and bring this out in Color as a contrast to the B&W, there is just such a juxtaposition of color and casual unusualness to the scene that I couldn't help myself.

I thought this made a nice end to the series, I am not sure how this stayed here all day, or however long it was there. The tidiness of the made bed in the doorway of a closed/boarded up shop made me stop in my tracks and stare. I really wished for a wider lens to show the people waiting for the bus with this at their backs.

Hope you enjoyed the display of 20 minutes of my photography life, I don't know when I have gotten so many shots I liked in as short of a time period before.