Meet Alphonso. He's a cook at Russo's Mozzarella and Pasta on 7th Av.
This is the first post in a new series called "Worker Wednesday." Each Wednesday I'll feature someone who works at a local cafe, bar, restaurant, or shop. Who are the people in your neighborhood? Find out every Wednesday at Park Slope Lens.
Park Slope, food in Worker Wednesday, people 
It's so very cold, but that sky, oh my, that sky. January 27, 2011
Prospect Park West, snow, sunset in street pics 
I didn't know this Key Food supermarket on 7th Ave & Carroll closes at midnight, Mon thru Sat! I don't live on this side of the hood, but it's still good to know.
I DO know there's this awesome belgian waffle truck, Wafels And Dinges , that parks in this corner on Saturdays!! They're yummy!!!!
Many photographers of all skill and interest levels purchase a SLR camera with a zooming kit lens. After a while they purchase 1 or more other zoom lenses. Very few people consider getting a fixed focal length lens. These lenses have no zoom, and the lens elements stay a constant distance from the image sensor.
What does this mean to you?
A fixed lens is incredibly fast due to a very wide maximum aperture. This allows for easier night shots and cool depth of field tricks. Instead of zooming with your camera, you "zoom with your Nikes." I personally find this to be a neat limitation that boosts my creativity. If I see something that I want to take a picture of, I can't just zoom in or out to make it fit when I'm sporting a fixie. Instead I have to walk around to find a rewarding angle and distance from the subject. Currently I have a fixed 50mm lens that's my workhorse. I also have a 28mm that gets a lot of use as well. Most days these are the only lenses that I carry, and my zoomers just collect dust on my desk.
I would highly encourage anyone who has never tried a fixed lens to go get a 50mm. Fantastic ones can be found for about $100. Leave me an email or comment if you have any questions about them.
50mm in street pics 
Many of us had a snow day this Thursday. Great day for a sled ride. January 27, 2011, Prospect Park.
Park Slope, Prospect Park, fun, snow in people 
There's something about these Brooklyn backyard views that really captivates me. There's the fact that you never get to see a view like this from the street. Basically, if you can see this, you're probably in someone's home. So there's something very intimate about them. I like that. These backyards are from the 5th Ave & 13th St area.
This was taken late last night near President St. It was a beautiful chilly evening with quiet still air.
The snow was so heavy on the night of Jan 25th and morning of the 26th that it was easier for people to walk right down the middle of the plowed streets that roll through the dirfts on the sidewalk. This shot is taking at the intersection of 5th Ave and 9th Street, looking up towards Prospect Park (taken around 2:30am on the 26th).
I can't remember how many times that Neergaard has been a lifesaver by being open 24 hours a day - so few places are in our neighborhood: I only wish it was a few blocks closer to us! This photo was taken around 2:30am on January 26th, 2011 during a record snowfall (for New York in January). Clearly the folks at Neergaard also believe in shoveling all through the night: within a block of here I counted about 5 cars that were all stuck in the snow. Using a waterproof housing for my camera allows me to show in pouring rain or dumping snow, which gives a lot of opportunity for photography that wouldn't otherwise be possible without ruining the camera.
