u/sechurity

Got a Tsunago pencil sharpener and I have been using it since (instead of pencil extenders).

Main reason I don't like pencil extenders is that I can't sharpen the pencil easily using a hand crank sharpener because the extender is often too wide to fit in the hole.

Second reason is that it's just troublesome to take the pencil out and in every time for sharpening it.

With the Tsunago sharpener, I put 2 shorter pencils together and I can use and sharpen it like a normal pencil for quite a while. Sometimes I just put a regular pencil and a stump and use that weirdly long pencil because it still beats using a short pencil or a pencil extender in terms of convenience and comfort.

Wondering if there are any alternatives (for a non-woodworker) to connect 2 pencils together like the Tsunago easily

Have been only shooting 35mm for the past 8 months to train myself and for lighter gear, even for more difficult subjects like birds.

Here are 5 lessons I've learned:

1. City pigeons are quite accustomed to people, moving the camera closer by extending your arms is less likely to scare them away than walking towards them.
2. The photos with environments are the most memorable ones. Even though shooting wide-open kind of melted the background away, I think a blurred, less-compressed background of a 35mm is still better than a clear, heavily-compressed one produced by a >85mm for capturing memories.
3. Getting close to your subject takes courage, and it has to be practiced. And having courage makes you less anxious in other parts of life.
4. Was expecting to get very few usable photos without cropping in post. Turns out it's not necessary because after a while, you will nail the composition when you shoot. Even though your subject is small in frame, it will still tell a story.
5. 4k60 Crop mode is a feature, not a limitation. Slow-mo AND getting closer to the subject? Sign me up.

I now understand why some photographers swear by this focal length, after getting through the initial stage of countless boring photos myself (mostly because of the lack of subject).