I was ecstatic about the view from my hotel room. A floor-to-ceiling view of one of my favorite buildings in New York, the Chrysler Building. It was a rainy night, and water droplets on the window created some extra sparkle.

The Chrysler Building was built between 1928 and 1930, and at a height of 1,046 feet (319m), it was the tallest building in the world when it opened. Just 11 months later, the building lost its tallest crown to the Empire State Building. However, I think the Chrysler Building’s Art Deco flourishes make it significantly more attractive than the Empire State. Its beautifully slender profile is one you don’t see in modern skyscrapers.

I brought an odd assortment of cameras to New York City, and my primary was the Leica D-Lux 8, which I used to make this photo. The camera works great and produces images that exceed my minimum acceptable image quality threshold in a compact form factor with a 24-75mm-equivalent lens. It makes for a perfect take-anywhere travel camera. Most people would only need this one camera, but I brought other serious and goofy cameras because I’m an enthusiast. More on this later.

Blog readers, you’ll love my free monthly photography magazine. Signup for the free magazine to get articles and topics not discussed on the blog.