UPDATE: welcome visitors from Bob Lussier’s post.  I’m very gratified to have inspired such a good photographer to try something new.  If you want to see my other crosswalk shots, click here, for other bus stop shots (a related series), click here.  You can also check for the tags “Crosswalk Tuesdays” and “Bus Stop Fridays.”  As those names suggest, a new crosswalk shot is posted every Tuesday, and I’ve expanded that to Wednesday as well.   Bus stop shots go up on Fridays and Saturdays.

I get a different perspective on my candid shots with the Olympus E-PL1 that I do with the Nikon D700.  With the latter, everyone notices the camera.  It’s huge, and makes anyone who uses it look like a pro.  Even in midtown Manhattan, which is filled with tourists with cameras, the D700 stands out a bit, which limits my ability to disappear and grab completely candid shots.  The E-PL1 looks like a basic compact camera and doesn’t draw attention, and I’m quickly learning how to frame shots while it sits on the strap around my neck.  I don’t look at the viewfinder, and sometimes  I don’t even look at the subject of the photo.  I get a lot closer, and the perspective is lower, as  instead of shooting at my eye level (which puts me a bit higher than 90% of people), I’m shooting at my chest level.

I’m enjoying the different looks I’m getting now with both cameras.  One thing missing from the E-L1, even with the 20mm f1..7 lens, is bokeh.  It only creates the bokeh effect when the subject is really close, and then the effect is somewhat muted.  I added the our-of-focus bokeh effect to this image using OnOne software’s Focal Point software.