So, with the website for the Railyard Condos, I’ve finally made the jump from Dreamweaver generated tables to a lovingly hand coded CSS layout—phew. Next step, force it all into validating submission.

I’m also creating custom photography for the site with new EOS 30D and Tokina 12-24mm f4 lens I ordered after much research and anticipation. The EOS 30D camera and the Tokina 12-24mm f4 are the best digital SLR and super wide angle lens you can buy without spending over $5,000.

I chose the wide angle for now because for this website I’m taking tight interior architectural shots and exterior views where I want to get as much of the surroundings as possible. It’s also interesting to note that you need a wider angle lens such as the 12mm to capture the same level of zoom-outed-ness as a 20mm on standard 35mm film cameras because the EF sensor (or “film”) for the digital camera is 1/3 smaller and essentially crops off the outer edges of your photo.

On top of that, I’m using Google Maps API for the first time to create an interactive map element complete with controls and eventually custom markers—surprisingly easy. This web project is true nerd-joy.