Neon Art on Display, El Mercado – Austin, Texas
I’ve added a few gear oriented posts lately and I wanted to bring it back to the photography. As much as I like to talk about cameras, I consider myself a photographer first. What sets this blog apart from some others is that when I do talk about gear, it’s from a perspective of someone who shoots a lot of photographs. Real photographs, not of brick walls but of life around us in the cities that most of us live in.
I haven’t been going to as many larger scale photo events lately, opting more to shoot with my closest friends. Once a month though, I’ve been going religiously to the Austin Photographic Society meetings, formerly the Austin SMUG. My friend Alex has run the group for over 3 years 5 years now. One of the more challenging decisions we make is where to go for dinner, after the meeting.
Waitresses Talking, El Mercado – Austin, Texas
The last time, we changed our restaurant to El Mercado, a colorful Mexican joint on Burnet Road, not far from our meeting. The jury is still out whether we’re going back there next month but I sure like the color. As you can tell, the place is absolutely exploding with chromatic hues, inside and out. I had my Canon 6D with me as well as my Olympus E-PM2. I’m going to compare the two in an upcoming post but today, I wanted to show some crazy colors from this place courtesy of the 6D.
Colorful Outdoor Seating, El Mercado – Austin, Texas
All were taken handheld with my Canon 35mm f2 at various, fairly high ISOs. I shot in RAW and bumped up the colors in post processing like I usually do. But even without the saturation boost, the colors were quite eye searing. I’m in my element though. Color, neon and night photography, a combination I like. All this and a Margarita, after a photography get together, what can be better?
People in the Central Texas, you might consider joining this free group. Click on this Facebook Group and ask to join. We even have a regular that comes from San Antonio, nearly a hundred miles away.
El Mercado Color and Glow – Austin, Texas
Click on the photographs to see a larger image and hover over the photos to see the exposure detail.
atmtx photo blog 
Nice writeup, atmtx. I enjoyed El Mercado. Their ‘ritas are stiff. Glad we were there a while. I’m inclined to go there again this month, but we’ll see where everyone wants to go. Had never been to this particular location. I’ve been to the downtown one. BTW, we’ve been meeting for over five years, but who’s counting. 🙂
Wow, Alex sorry about that. 5 years already. Time flies.
love the colors.. here folks are more subdued, bland, boring.i originally from Africa.My man, it’s color for me! Enjoy Mexican food after living in So-Cal.
glad you enjoying the Canon. i should document one of our walks..Flickr”Toronto Photo Walks”.jason
I like colors too.