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Thursday, March 6, 2008

On Seeing The World Through A Different Lens

NYC Coffee Cart
Photo by myself of a coffee cart on Fifth Avenue.

Like many cities, there are carts for lots of things here - shwarma, crepes, bagels, waffles, hot dogs, pretzels and soup. You don't have to have a storefront, just a spot on the curb.

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I'm all excited about my new camera.

I don't have it yet, though I've just gotten the lens. I've been looking online for the last several weeks, mostly on ebay, for a Canon 40D digital SLR.

Weighing 1 1/2 lbs with the battery, this will be a big change from the camera I have now, which is not an SLR. The 40D won't be so portable for impromptu candids on the subway, but who knows. Hopefully I'll figure something out.

I feel very indulgent and nervous about this purchase. It's a lot of money to go toward a frivolous object. And I can't drop this thing, ever. I can be quite the flake, so this fact is upsetting.

My current G5 has been batted around a bit. I carry it all the time, without a case in my flimsy purse. It's been dropped at least once. I screamed inside when it happened.

I have to also wonder whether the new camera will provoke me to look at the world differently. It's exciting.

Hopefully soon.

21 comments:

Ha Ha Sound said...

Have you ever gotten coffee from that cart? There's one just like it at the Astor Place subway station every morning. They're always playing the coolest music, and there's always a line of people waiting. Never gotten anything from there, though.

Kitty said...

hey Ha Ha
That's the first time I saw the cart. I didn't know there were two! Holy cow.
It was a slightly freaky thing to see on Fifth, which has a certain grandeur about it, even in that area.

Ming the Merciless said...

I'm dying to get a new camera, an SLR to replace my old point-and-shoot.

But I ended up getting an iPhone instead. It's in the mail. :-)

fishwithoutbicycle said...

I know nothing about cameras, but congrats. This sounds like an exciting purchase :-)

BrianC said...

The coffee truck at Astor Place is a "Mud Truck," which supposedly has kickin' coffee at a price that's less than the Starbucks only 100 yards away. There's also a "Mud Truck" at Sheridan Square by the Christopher St. subway stop. My wife swears by the stuff. I prefer bottles of diet coke for caffeine and seem to have a bottle perpetually stuck to my right hand.

Spandrel Studios said...

Hi, Kitty. Congratulations on the new camera! It may be pricey, but it's not indulgent if you use it... and given your passion for photography it will be put to excellent use!

Kitty said...

Ming, it's amazing the photos you've gotten from a non-SLR. Your photos are amazing.

I'm thinking with an SLR that the focus will be a whole other level. The autofocus that these point/shoot cameras have make everything flat.

Thank you dear Fish!

Hi Brian!
I will have to check these trucks out. I am vehemently anti-Starbucks. I must be 1/2 blind not to have noticed these guys before.

Hey Spandrel,
thanks for the good wishes!

Anonymous said...

Pink and orange and coffee together at last!

Fredrik said...

The Canon 40D is a great camera and you will be amazed by the difference. It's fast, steady and fun. Now that you've got a DSLR you should start shooting in RAW and not JPG. In RAW you have total control of exposure, white balance, colors etc. In Photoshop there's a plug-in converter called Camera Raw that's great (and free) What kind of lens did you get?

Kitty said...

Hi Jenn
Love the photos on your blog. You should post more of them!

Hi Fredrik
Well, I splurged and got the Canon EF-s 17-55mm lens. It's gotten good reviews.
I haven't heard of this plug in. It's a whole new world. Wowee.

Your Nikon D200 is amazing. That must be the equivalent of the Canon 5D.

Kizz said...

Get a good strong strap and wind it about some part of your body at all times. That's what I do. You'll still use your beloved p&s, too, this will just give you more options. So exciting!!! I can't wait to see how it changes your perspective.

Mom Knows Everything said...

Congrats on getting a new camera! I can't wait to see all kinds of pictures when you get it! :o)

Kitty said...

Kizz, that's the thing, the paranoid New Yorker in me says this will make me a mugging target. I will have to duct tape and strap myself around the thing. Geez.

Tammy thanks! woohoo!!

Fredrik said...

You'll have a blast with the Canon EF-s 17-55mm lens. The camera house is not that important, it's the quality of the lens that matters. I'm very pleased with my Nikon 17-55mm and use it all the time. About the D200 and Canon 5D comparison. The 5D is a full-frame DSLR. Else I think they are in the same league. The D200 is faster but the 5D is better on high ISO.

Kitty said...

Fredrik, I have to admit, I am still a newb in relation to the camera terminology. A lot of the writing about it is rather dull, too.

I'm very impressed by your photos. They are stunning. Really, really inspiring!

Anonymous said...

Yay!!! You're finally getting an SLR! Your pictures are amazing as they are, but with the new camera, it's gonna be jaw dropping ;)

I can't wait for the new photos!

Kitty said...

Thanks, PP dear!
I've been inspired by your photos, to be sure.

I've always wanted to visit the other hemisphere. Now more than ever!

Melissa said...

Congrats on the 40D :) I'm assuming you've bought it by now. It's a great camera and I think you'll love it.

I second the shooting in RAW thing, it's much more flexible, but it does take up more space and the write times will be VERY laggy especially if you have slow memory cards. (buy the "extreme" cards and you won't notice it as much. That said, I know some professionals in the biz who do very well and prefer to shoot in jpeg, but there isn't as much flexability in the file.

As for the duct tape thing, dont' do it. lol If someone want's your camera they're going to take it, I wouldn't want half my arm to go with it. lol Just keep your smarts about you and be aware of your environment.

Kitty said...

Hey Bitter!
Thanks for the advice. I SO need it!

Welcome back to the States, dear!!

Anonymous said...

Love Coffee ? never heard of these characters ... they any good ?

Kitty said...

Welcome Crash!
I love your photographs. I can only hope to become as fluent with my new dSLR as you obviously are with yours.

I hadn't heard of Love Coffee til I took that photo. For some reason, I'd missed them in the 10+ years living in Manhattan. Go figure.
But they have nice wheels!