Outside Amin Indian Restaurant, 7th Av., Park Slope
Annapurna, Brooklyn, Hindu, Indian, Park Slope in Businesses, street pics 
PSbklyn is gearing up to open their doors next week. Their executive chef, Adam Goldgell, describes it as a gastropub featuring "American cuisine with influences from around the world." He's designed the menu to be accessible to most wallets and palates with twists to keep it unique and like nothing you've had before. Plus 98% of their items are made from scratch. Adam encourages parents to bring their kids. They'll feel at home at the table or in the incredible adult-supervisied game room.
Adam gave me a very detailed description of his special saag paneer pizza with goat's milk in the crust. He didn't know that saag and pizza are my two main food groups. On February 11th, I'll be first in line for that number! Give them a visit at 833 Union.
Brooklyn, PSbklyn, Park Slope in Businesses At 1 A.M. today we had our 1,000th visitor to Park Slope Lens! The site is still less than a month old. Thanks to all of our readers for helping us grow so quickly. Click the email button above If you have suggestions, comments, or something you'd like to see.
Spencer Ritenour
seen in North Slope near 8th Av.
Brooklyn, Park Slope, construction in people 
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 
This was taken late last night near President St. It was a beautiful chilly evening with quiet still air.
Does you neighborhood ever feel a little blah? A cool trick is to always carry a camera with you, and be on the lookout for something to shoot. You'll be surprised at how it will open your eyes and make you see things that you've glossed over dozens of times. Your neighborhood will feel "new" everyday. As a pleasant side effect your photography skills will improve too.
Try making little photo challenges for yourself. I have an ongoing game where I seek out building corners that are more or less symmetrical. Now I have loads of pictures like the 2 featured above. Also I ride a Bianchi Pista bicycle and photograph every Pista that I see on the street. That may sound silly, but they are by far my most popular pictures.
Leave a comment or email me what you like to shoot. I always LOVE to know what fellow Slopers find interesting.
As the old adage goes: the best camera is the one that you have with you.
