I have two similar compositions of neon restaurant signs today for your viewing pleasure. While the framing is not exactly the same, they offer a similar vibe. I marvel at the number of new businesses opening up downtown, and these infrequent explorations of Austin yield a satisfying number of subtle low-light visuals.

I’m still featuring pictures from my first real test of the Leica D-Lux 8, which arrived late last year. Properly capturing neon in dark conditions necessitated a hefty negative exposure composition, which allowed me to easily shoot this at the base ISO 200.

As I’ve discovered, the D-Lux 8’s low-light performance is adequate, but the small-ish cropped Micro 4/3 sensor hits its limits way before full-frame. I processed these with a light touch, not overly brightening the shadows, creating a more compelling image with more mystery. Limitations can be good.

As I hunt for visuals, I often don’t remember where I make these pictures. I looked up these establishments on Google Maps and discovered they are both on 3rd Street, steps away from each other.

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