Anna

I'm kind of playing with the idea of getting a cheap and cheerful manual focus lens with lots of 'character' (read: optical defects) to play with. Also to see if it gives my images a different look. So I took a walk to the only surviving secondhand camera shop in Edinburgh to try out a few samples. I'm still dithering, but it was gratifying to see that manual focusing with an AF camera wasn't that hard. OK, no split prism focus screen from yesteryear, but the little green dot in the viewfinder was surprisingly usable. The same focus aid that I have been totally ignoring, such is my total reliance on the camera's auto-focus.

This subject was chatting with someone else outside the Usher Hall, which I thought would make a terrific background against her white jacket. I tried to centre her against the doorway, but it looks like I haven't quite nailed the composition. I must admit, doing this kind of fast reaction no-second-chance street portraiture with a manual focus lens will take me a lot of practice!