Open for Walkups, 6th Street – Austin, Texas

I think there is a real sense of urban grittiness to this image. The bright green wall covered with graffiti certainly adds to that feel. I shot this on 6th Street during the ROT Rally, but this could’ve been any night.

Locals call this area “Dirty 6th”, and you can tell why. The pizza parlor is surrounded by many bars which also exhibit their own unique brand of grittiness. It makes for interesting shooting, especially at night, where the light and shadows adds contrast and mystery. During the day, not so much.

I shot this with the Olympus PEN-F and my now often used 25mm f1.4 lens. It’s a combo I’ve been using a lot and in black and white, but the green walls are much too interesting not to appreciate in full color.