Some animals from around Manhattan (2008 edition).
Charging Bull (AKA Wall Street Bull). There's usually a throng of tourists around this sculpture, found at Bowling Green, Lower Manhattan, even at night.
Sparrows hanging out and bathing in Central Park.
A Duck in Central Park's Pond.
There was some sort of car hanging on a wire and thought that it was some aerial sightseeing tour of the city. Not wanting to miss any touristy opportunities, I dashed up the stairs, but noticed that there were the standard subway turnstiles at the gate. My initial enthusiasm quickly subsided as I realized that this was not some sightseeing tour, but just an aerial tram to-and-from Roosevelt Island. The ride was only $2, so I thought I'd go anyway just to see the island. 
There wasn't really that much on the island. There was this factory, some abandoned warehouse, and a bunch of plain-looking apartment blocks.
The best thing going for it was the view of Manhattan. Actually, as I was taking pictures, some random woman came up behind me and started laughing at me - no joke. I suppose she found it funny that someone could find anything worthy of taking pictures of on her island.
The UN building as seen from Roosevelt Island.
Central Park (or any other park) seems to be a good place to start for the amateur photographer. There's a nice mix of people, animals, things, and events going on at any given time, so there's no shortage of photo opportunities.
Bethesda Terrace and Angel Statue in front of The Lake in Central Park. This is a fountain but the water is shut off in the winter. In the warmer months the terrace is filled with tourists and The Lake with boaters, but in January it's a much thinner crowd. However, the fountain itself is still a draw even in the winter.
In an attempt to free myself - at least on the weekends - of the tediousness of my job in finance, I decided to try my hand at photography. I'm a beginner/amateur at best for now (hence "dilettante"); I only purchased my first dSLR last fall, so I would appreciate any comments/critiques/questions of the images I put up here.
I keep most of my photos on Flickr, but I thought I'd showcase some of the better ones here. Most of the images will enlarge if you click on them. If that's still not large enough, I keep all the full size 5.0+ MB images on my computer so if you really want to see it, ask nicely and I'll consider sending it to you. Enjoy!
As of January 2008, I am armed with the following -
Body:
Canon Digital Rebel XTi
Lenses:
EFS 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM
EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM
EF 50mm f/1.4 USM
I also have the EFS 18-55mm kit lens, which is a decent kit lens especially for the small premium over the body alone, but I never use it since the EFS 17-85mm lens covers the same range with better results.
Books:
Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi/400D by Charlotte K. Lowrie
Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi EOS 400D by Michael Guncheon
Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson
Learning to See Creatively by Bryan Peterson
Misc:
Lowepro Slingshot 100 AW Camera Bag
Pictures to come shortly!
UPDATE 01 June 2008/ I've been adding old posts from various places, so any post before this one are here for archival purposes. Just in case you were wondering.
This is a review of the 2007 Honda Civic EX Coupe Automatic (Eighth Generation - same as the 2008 Civic). I bought this car two months ago and I still have mixed feelings about it. I have put just over 2000 miles on it to date. For comparison purposes: I am 6'1" and about 200 lbs. My previous car was a 1997 Nissan Sentra.
In the two months I've had the car, I've filled up 9 times, averaging 26 MPG as my actual MPG, with about 75% highway driving. I use 87 octane regular unleaded from Sunoco and Exxon. (For comparison, the average MPG of my old Sentra for the previous 9 fill-ups was 27.6). My lowest MPG has been 25 and my highest 27, giving me a consistent, if somewhat disappointing, MPG. This is definitely not the 30/40 MPG advertised - I understand that no car gets its advertised mileage, but my commute consists 75% of a straight road without traffic, traveling at a constant 60 MPH, and the best MPG I've had so far is 27.
Everyone I drive by stops and gawks, so there is no denying that this coupe is a real winner in the looks department - but you don't need me to tell you - this thing is sexy! I definitely prefer the look of the coupe to the sedan, but that's up to you. The extras that the EX provide are nice, especially the moonroof. It has about a 50% tint, and lets you either tilt the back open about 10 degrees up for ventilation, or slides back to open fully. It is "one touch" which lets it slide all the way open with one click.
I feel confident passing cars at highway speeds, and the 4-cylinder engine is more than enough for everyday driving. Normal highway cruising speeds keep the engine at about 2500 RPMS. There is a split-second hesitation before the engine kicks in if I accelerate too fast from a stop sign or red light.
The coupe is hard to see around, however. I cannot see down the hood of my car, nor can I see my trunk. The deck lid spoiler doesn’t help that much in locating it. Seeing around the sides of the car is also a challenge, since the curtain airbags take up a lot of space along the sides, reducing the rear side windows to tiny triangles – just barely of any use.
If you are a tall person, the 2007 Honda Civic Coupe may not be right for you. During my 10 minute test drive, I felt fine, but as the first week went on, I felt less and less "at home" in the car. The legroom for me is just alright, but my concern is the headroom - I am 6'1", and I cannot sit fully upright in the car, nor can I find a seating arrangement that works very well for me. I think this has to do with the moonroof - it does take up about 1" of the ceiling. So having the moonroof is a mixed bag – perhaps the model without it would have suited me better. The seats are quite uncomfortable because they are stiff and do not have effective lumbar support. After more than just a short trip, my lower back is in pain. I wish they had put in lumbar adjustments into this car, but a small pillow does help a little. I seriously considered returning this otherwise great car because of how uncomfortable I was in it. A triangle wedge seat pillow with a hole for the coccyx relieved a great deal of the pain, so I kept the car. The downside is that sitting on the pillow makes me sit even closer to the roof, so it’s a stopgap solution at best.
I’ve not tried the rear seats for any real amount of time, but when I’ve tried to, I’ve had quite a hard time squeezing in. The roof seems a lot lower, too, and the legroom is very minimal. I’d suggest only children and/or shorter people should sit back there for any trip over a few minutes. The plus side is that the floor is flat all the way across.
Overall, I'd say if you are less than 5'11", there is no major reason you should not get this car. It's sexy, performs great, and is a pretty good value. My mileage isn’t that great, but I'm hoping it goes up – maybe 26 MPG is pretty good for some people, I don’t know. But if you are taller than 6', I'd strongly suggest you look at a bigger car, or spend more time test driving it to see if it really fits you. Or get the DX/LX model without the cool moonroof.
Pros: Beautiful, beautiful car; EX comes with fun extras; peppy acceleration
Cons: Car roof is too low for taller people; somewhat uncomfortable seats; blindspots; rather low mileage
The Bottom Line: Good performance, sexy styling, cool extras. Some visibility, headroom, and seating issues - test it for a while before you buy.
My review posted at epinions: http://www.epinions.com/content_332733386372
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UPDATE 24 May 2008/ I ended up selling the Civic in the summer of 2007 (on Craigslist! it worked out pretty well, too). The decision was based mainly on the fact that I was moving up to New York City and decided that I didn't need a car. However, if the car had been more comfortable, I just might have taken it.
I've since purchased a 2008 Honda Accord Coupe (my review can be found here) that is significantly more comfortable and roomy than the Civic. Both the 2007 Civic and 2008 Accord coupes are excellent cars, but definitely make sure you feel at home in the car before signing any papers!
