Kings Park Psychiatric Center: The Abandoned Long Island Asylum

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Kings Park and the Education of an Explorer Every pursuit has a place where beginners go first. Skateboarders have their parking lots and curbs. Climbers have their local crags. And if you are just finding your way into the world of urban exploration on Long Island, sooner or later someone points you toward Kings Park. The former Kings Park Psychiatric Center has become, over the years, something like a finishing school for people who don't yet know they're enrolled. Getting onto the grounds is straightforward. Finding a way inside the remaining buildings, if you know where to look, is not much harder. Which is exactly why the Parks Police have written thousands of trespassing tickets here in a single calendar year, why security visibly tightens every Halloween, and why local photography groups have been known to show up with large, enthusiastic crowds of people who want to take what they call "creepy" photos of old hospital asylums. The place attracts everyone, which...
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Sharp Shooter Super-Takumar Asahi 55mm 1:2


Pollinating Bee Inside Flower
Shot all these photos wide open at f/2.

Yellow Daisies Behind Backyard Fence
No editing was done in the post. Straight RAW and unprocessed.


You can't go wrong with a Super-Takumar lens. Sharp images, sharp contrast, and crazy bokeh. I purchased my 55mm copy (a steal) for around $23.00. The lens does have an inordinate amount of these white particles sitting on the back element lens but you would not even know that if I did not reveal this tragic flaw. The pictures here would not even show any discernable trace of particulate in the way. The quality make and feel of Super-Takumars is phenomenal. If you are not into manual focus lenses and believe in the auto-focus Gods, a Takuma inside your camera bag is worth a bit of space any day. I recommend getting yourself a copy in the 50mm, 55mm, and 135mm. Matter of fact any will do. These lenses perform like champions. If the postman would hurry up and deliver my takumar 135mm I can get outside and test it out.



Purple Cluster of Flower Heads
Very willing flower buds and bee subjects for my shoot today.

Round Bokeh Flower Buds
The blues and purple colors really stand out. Deadly sharp.

Hovering Bee Pollinating Flower
A bee among young flower buds. 

🔭 Do You Shoot with the Super Takumar 55mm?

Have you used this classic Asahi lens on a modern digital camera? Share your own sample photos, adapter recommendations, or comparisons with other vintage 55mm glass. Your experience helps fellow photographers discover and appreciate these old lenses.

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