Friday, March 9, 2012

May this be the last of snow





Winter does very little for me. I cannot help it but I dislike it with a passion. Go away.

What goes around comes around

I frankly am not enamored of emulating film with digital. If I want film I shoot film. The two media are different. It's like trying to emulate analog in digital sound recording. Nevertheless many still want to mimic that film look. The problem is that many have never shot with film and do not know what that old film looked looked like. NEVERTHELESS....

DxO Film Pack Upgrades to 64-Bit in Latest Version

DxO-64bit.jpgDxO Film Pack is a piece of software designed to take you back to the golden days of film by emulating saturation, color, contrast and grain of over 60 different films. Whether you're just goofing around with some vintage looking shots or trying to capture a very specific type of photo, DxO FIlm Pack has something for you.

The latest upgrade to the Film Pack gives the program 64-bit capability, which means it's going to run even faster on 64-bit machines. You'll now be able to play with photos of up to 200 megapixels.

You can pick up the Film Pack 3 Essential Edition ($79) or the Film Pack 3 Pro Edition ($129) now, directly from DxO. You can also pick up a fully-functional 30 day trial version.

Happy Frifay / Buon venerdi

A great week end to all. Una magnifica fine di settimana a tutti.

Archival photo / Nikon FTn

Shot in June of 1975 on Ektachrome 100 -the one sold in 100 feet rolls- and developed on Unicolor chemicals.The image has undergone some changes that I was able to correct in a limited way. This location was on Fulton Street in Brooklyn.

Thursday, March 8, 2012

The Sicilian Cuisine Blog: Exquisite fava beans mash: the Sicilian "maccu"

You got to be in it to win it

National Geographic Launches a Photo Contest for Students

Natgeo.gifHigh school students can get themselves an incredibly cool prize if they take first in the National Geographic Student Photo Contest - a free trip to experience a London Photography Workshop, valued at around $6,500.

The theme of the contest is "exploration and discovery." To enter, you'll need to write up a 100 word essay describing the photo, the location, the technique used and how it represents the theme. The first place winner will get themselves a trip while second and third place photographers will earn $200 and $100 in National Geographic Store gift certificates; respectively.

"We are excited to offer this opportunity to a student who is passionate about photography and exploration," says student travel director Deb Harris. "The London Photography Workshop is an exceptional chance to work with a dynamic team of instructors and like-minded students, and to hone photography skills in one of the world's greatest cities."

Visit National Geographic's "Student Expedition" website for more details.

An old friend / Canon 5D

My old  and dear friend Michael shot with the 24-105 Canon L F 4 with available light.

Happy Thursday/ Buon giovedi'

Add caption

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

What a lens


My old Nikkor 105 F 2.5 ia an  absolute gem. I bought it in the spring of 1973 along with my first Nikon, the Ftn, This lens has had more work than any other and it still functions. The great thing about the Nikon system is that it is almost obsolescence proof. A 40 years old lens will still work on a modern digital SLR.

Buon appetito


Two shots that my daughter Jennifer shot in Sicily with the Canon 5D II. The great looking guy with the pizza is naturally yours truly.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

A photo for a Wednesday / Una foto per un mercoledi'

More so so photos with interesting light



No light no picture, no interesting light, boring picture. Interesting light, interesting picture. These are axioms that must be employed by anyone wanting to take better photos. Here, while walking my dog, I used the E PL-2 to capture the late afternoon light,

Lightroom 4 released, A great program gets even better

  There are too many improvements to mention. Go to adobe.com for full details. Lightroom has been our program of choice for handling many files. Version 4 should continue and improve on it's strengths. Stay tuned.

Fall splendor