Rocco Galatioto, nice photos and good food

Photos of a feathered visitor on my street. He was perched on a telephone pole. The lens used was the Nikkor 70-300 F 3.5-4.5 G VR. The ISO was at 1600.

As you all must know by now, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden is one of my favorite places. Another nice thing is the fact that the leaves change much later in the NYC area. This photo was shot In November with the Nikkor 17-55 F2,.8 G [DX].

On a nasty day such as this one in which my back aches from shoveling snow, it's nice to play around with interesting photos' It was a nasty day when I shot this. The lens was the legendary Nikkor 105 F2.5. A lens that I will never let go. The tulips are live. I cannot bear to see them die so I take many flowers inside as the fall slowly passes to winter. I'm regaled with flowers all the time that I can photograph.

This is the seaport in 1975 at the beginning of it's transformation into a popular tourist area. It was when the redolence of the huge number of fish markets filled the nostrils. It was a time when one could shoot interesting graphic photographs. Of course, the lens was the 35mm Summicron f2. There really is no finer lens it still renders phenomenal images. The film was Tri-X developed in HC-110 for added punch. The print was made on Kodak Medalist E surface.

This is my usual breakfast in Sicily. It actually is pre-lunch as I have already had my caffe' and my cappucino. All fresh ingredients. Local tomatoes and basil and phenomenal Sicilian primo sale pepato all bathed in extra virgin olive oil and olives that came from a few kilometers away. All resting on a bread that is to die for. It's from a local bakery that has refused to go high tech and still uses a wood fired oven. The flavor, I hope the photo describes it. I cannot put it into words. BTW, that LX-3 is some travel camera. I am seriously thinking of getting the LX-5 as my daughter took a look, and took it in exchange of a Canon G-9 that my wife has now taken from me.....

My beautiful home town awaits me; I will be there shortly, in April but I want to share two from last April. Sicily, always stunningly beautiful, shows its best in the winter and spring when it's replete with incredibly intense colors. These are shot at the marina of Castellammare del golfo with the 5D and the Canon 24-105 F 4 L.

A mam sitting in front of his door at San Gemignano, a hilltop town in Tuscany. The lens was the 18-70 F3.5-4.5 Nikkor. Note the effects of globalization by the plastic chair that is similar to the ones that can be bought anywhere in the US.

I wish it were true> This was shot at the Brooklyn Botanic with a 4 mega pixel camera! Makes you wonder why we ever need all those extra pixels.

The Gyon festival in Kyoto, Japan. The lens was the 50mm F1.4 Canon FL. The film was Tri-X developed in D-76 1:1.

Shot in my old studio on 26 Street In Manhattan. I had nothing to on many days so I would experiment. These pots were shot with the Burke & James 4X5 with 22" bellows and an Ektar 175mm f 5.6 with a Caltar shutter. The film was Tri-X professional developed in Kodak HC-110. The light was basically one umbrella and window light as a slight fill. The simpler the light the better.

My wife Marcy is a wonderful photographer who amazes me at times. Here are a few she shot on our last trip to Burano. She used a simple Fuji point and shoot. Go figure. After I saw these, I began taking small cameras on my trips. There is no need for all that extra weight. You only really need a good eye and she has one. BTW, these are JPEGs right out of the camera.

Before we know it it will be spring. All the dirty snow will be washed away and the glory of nature will unleash itself and overload our senses. These two shots are from the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. The lens was the Canon EF 100mm F 2.8 Macro.

This hard looking veteran was shot on Memorial Day in 1074 on Fifth Avenue. The lens was the Nikkor 135 F2.8. Tri-X was developed in Kodak HC-110 and printed on Kodabromide F grade 2.

There was a very fertile artist community of Haitians In east Flatbush, Brooklyn who created wonderful works. The lens was the superb 35mm Summicron F2. The film, as usual was Tri-X developed in D-76 full strength. The print was made on Kodak Polycontrast F.