Been meaning to take this photo for a long time (C43/55)

[98c43amg]

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3017/2636015129_a9e6e73410_o.jpg

Alongside Rolf's on 22nd St. & 2nd Ave in NYC... Great color and lighting. Then Lyric Diner's neon light's behind me and to the right reflecting off the car & rims...

I put the camera on a 2 ft high pole protecting a fire hydrant, using the lens hood and some cardboard for camera+lens orientation. Small aperture, long exposure, low ISO shots. 24mm, f/8, 15sec., ISO100. Minimal pp.

Maybe a few more sharp ones from last night to share later. With many people leaving NYC in the summer, I'm hoping the street will become barren in-front and behind the car so I can zoom out some more. I was really wedged in there @ this time.

[98c43amg]

(thought I'd mirror this here too for completeness)

I finally got thru many many hours of laboring over every image, converting RAWs to JPEGs. I cloned out that garbage under the driver's side door I didn't realize was there. :o Spent a lot of time figuring out the right White Balance. I settled on using the WB eyedropper on the white shutters & window frames on the building. Even @ that...
1) different points on the shutters or window frames led for different color balance,
2) the Mercury Vapor lights still cause the camera's sensor to produce an overall orange cast, most notable on the tall building in the background. Even @ 2000K it was still there. But then the sky was too blue. I liked this WB level's sky ... so settled on this being the "rightest"... it was after 2am after all, so should be dark; but it is NYC, so not too dark; kewl that blue is still there to be seen... Actually, after the follow-up shots a few nights later when I took care to look @ the building in the BG, that orange really is there to the naked eye. That neon of the diner is bright!

A shot @ 12mm helpful in picking the best WB:
http://images38.fotki.com/v1218/photos/2/296054/6436303/IMGP0631-vi.jpg
f/8.0, 20s, ISO100


One of the sharpest @ 24mm:
http://images38.fotki.com/v1219/photos/2/296054/6436303/IMGP0639-vi.jpg
24mm, f/8.0, 15s, ISO100

However... I really really dislike that perspective "twist" imparted by the 12-24mm lens causing the rear wheels of the car to appear to twist out. I definitely like the 28mm shots more [Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8], though there's still 'some' perspective 'twist' of the rear wheels:
http://images37.fotki.com/v1237/photos/2/296054/6436303/IMGP0623-vi.jpg

If you were to look @ the full-rez original, you'd clearly see the wires in the safety glass behind that wire mesh in the window with the green glow coming through. But we all know that Tamron is in incredible performer for the $.

I think the car has more parking room behind it tonight. I'm going to run out, pull the car back, and shoot some more shots using the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 @ 28 and maybe 31mm or 35mm. I'm thinking of buying the Pentax 31mm f/1.8... I think I'm going to find that focal length to be the best fast lens with balance of wide angle to least perspective distortion.