Rocco Galatioto, nice photos and good food

This was how we went down to our car in Siena. The Parking lot was technically outside the old wall of the city. We had to leave via the rear of the Hotel, the Palazzo Ravizzi, and go down to our car while smelling the April roses and other flowers; simply beautiful. The camera was the Nikon D-200 with the 18-85 F 3.5-4,5 lens.

This is another development in  an accelerating rate of change [sounds like calculus] that is making the heavy and sexy large cameras obsolete. It's happening faster than anyone anticipated.   Toshiba is Making a Lightfield Camera for Smartphones Recently, one of the most paradigm shifting developments in camera technology  is Lytro's lightfield camera , that takes images in  a way that one can focus after the shot has  been taken. It may not be foe everyone but there's much promise the technology, especially with  cheaper cameras.  historically  Toshiba is taking this technology and using it in  smartphones and, perhaps, tablets.  What is interesting is that your cell phone can out perform your expensive DSLR. Go figure.

Venezia, bella Venezia...cannot forget this beautiful and enchanting city that we have visited again and again never getting tired of it. These sort of trite shots were taken in April of 2008 with the Canon 5-D and the Canon 28-85 3.5-4.5 EF lens. Of course, the Grand canal lies below in all it's majestic glory.

An urban forest, that is. This is Forest Park in Queens, NYC, a veritable forest and a very important open space for the big city. The camera was the LX-7 that never fails to amaze me, 

photo by Ben Lowy Mobile phones have arrived. Just take a look at this Time cover photo shot with a mobile iphone  if you still have doubts.

I love Greenport on the North Fork of Long Island. We usually stop there to eat after our trips to the wine country. I absolutely love the wines here and I drink them exclusively. Sorry  all of you connoisseurs. Walking around, I am attracted at the shop windows and their reflections. I realize that these may be trite for some but what do I care. Post we most so dig we must. The last one has a surprise in the presence of the store owner knitting by the window.

These delicious cookies were made by my daughter Jennifer the photographer who at times makes me feel like Leopold Mozart. She made them for the Christmas Eve gathering at her apartment. The shot is hand held with the Panasonic LX-7.

For some this may the answer to their HD prayers. HDR without the drawbacks: Apple patent hints at the future of imaging Over the last few years, high dynamic range photography has become an increasingly common, built-in tool in both fixed-lens and interchangeable-lens cameras. Unfortunately, most existing HDR modes also have some pretty significant drawbacks. Multi-shot HDR modes typically don't handle moving subjects well -- in fact, many can't correct for even very modest camera motion between shots, let alone for subject motion. Single-shot modes, meanwhile, don't have any such problems, but they actually aren't providing true HDR images at all. They simply tweak the image to provide a crunchy, pseudo-HDR look. A new patent application from Apple aims to change all that. The patent application, uncovered before the holidays by the Patently Apple blog and since picked up by several other tech sites, can be seen in its entirety on the US Patent...

Shot many years ago in 1975 with a Yashicamat 124 on Ektachrome Professional 100. It was scanned with the Epson Perfection 2450. It may be too early for spring but the thought of the coming winter is dreadful.

This dramatic perspective was made possible by the Canon 16-35 F 2.8 L on the full frame Canon 5-D.

DP Rewiew just finished a poll of it's visitors asking them to name the best camera of 2012. The results were very interesting and may indicate a more rational approach to the bigger is better race that has unfortunately taken place since digital came to the photo scene. The third place camera was the Canon 5-D III that has 21 mega pixels; the second place camera was the Nikon D-800 with 36 mega pixels' while the winner was the retro four thirds Olympus OM-D that  has a puny 16 mega pixels. People may be getting more reasonable as to what matters in new cameras. Let's hope that this is the reason for this welcome result.

Although the blog is basically the same in terms of navigation etc, the colors have been toned down. I like to think of this blog as a place to visit in order to take a break from the exigencies of the modern world. A place where fine photos may be appreciated and therefore a place where stress may be reduced...I hope. In keeping with this concept, I have moved away from strong primary colors. I hope you like the new look. Once more, thanks for visiting and Happy New Year.

May this new year bring you happiness and health. Thank you for visiting the blog .  Thank you for visiting All the Best, Rocco Galatioto

The genius of Italian food is it's simplicity. That doesn't mean that there aren't complex dishes that take hours or even days to prepare, but one can achieve delicious results by simply using the best and freshest ingredients. Pasta all'aglio, olio e peperoncino, is a prime example of this.  To the main ingredients: garlic, oil and red pepper flakes, I added some anchovies  paste and some non toasted  plain bread  crumbs and naturally some pecorino, The parsley is for garnish although it adds some subtle flavor. This easy and fast dish is very healthful. Free radicals do not stand a chance.

Anyone who has ever tried photographing a dog at play knows how hard it is. These photos of my Catahoula  Leopard dog were shot with the Olympus E PL-2. I was amazed how well the auto focus worked.

Progress marches on The Canon 5D Mark II is Officially Retired The 5D Mark II has been a huge camera for Canon, and not just in terms of sales. The 5D Mark II was the first DSLR to offer full 1080p HD video capture, and that earned it jobs on TV and even in films like 'Captain America.' It helped significantly in the advancement of the use of DSLRs for HD video production. Canon announced the 5D Mark II back in September of 2008 and it's been incredibly popular since. Now, a little over four years later, the company has announced that they're discontinuing the camera. For those who've wanted one since it's unveiling, the good news it the price of old stock should drop, making it an affordable option for many.