Rocco Galatioto, nice photos and good food

Macro shot. Archival Kodachrome. Nikon FTn with 55mm F 3.5 Micro Nikkor lens

Well after a really nice beginning, winter decided to show it's unpleasant face with a blizzard of sorts.  If one listened to the news report, the world was practically about to end. Fortunately it wasn't as bad as predicted and I was able to take a few iPhone images. No big deal but at least I have something to post. As they say, with winter here can spring be far behind?

The famous parachute ride in Coney Island was developed originally to be used as a  training tool for parachutists in the military. After a while, the inventor James H Strong realized it's potential as an amusement park ride. The first attempt was one he built for a Chicago amusement park in the late thirties and  then got permission to build one for the 1939 New York's Fair. The ride has success but also a few mishaps. After the fair it was moved to Coney Island where it was a great attraction as a ride. By the late sixties it suffered a slow decline just as the whole Coney Island area did and was closed and forgotten. These archival from the mid seventies photos are from this period of abandonment. Recently, a 2 million dollars restoration has taken place but the ride is not used for people it's a monument or a symbol for Coney Island's rebirth. It is still a great object to photograph and part of the fabric of New York City. These are all Kodachrome...

This is not the famous leaning tower of Pisa but  a church tower in Venice that is actually located on the canal   parallel to the famous one that sports the bridge of sighs. At any rate it is interesting that it also leans and is still standing. Considering the precarious foundations of Venice's building this seems to be miraculous.

The old historic section of Philadelphia with it's restored homes is a wonderful place to visit. It has great charm and it's a place where people reside. It is not at all touristy so one feels that the trip back in time is authentic and meaningful.

This shot, originally shot  in 1969, on Agfachrome 50 that over the years faded into magenta, was saved by converting it to black and white by scanning it. Well it's an image of the Porte del paradiso or the Doors of Heaven or Porta sud , southern door of the famous battistero or baptistry which is a separate structure from the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore . This image shows the door  before it was restored. This took about a quarter century and, unfortunately,  I failed to photograph them   duringt  my last visit to Florence because they were practically  overrun by Japanese tourists. Needless to say, the doors designed by Lorenzo Ghilberto were restored to their original golden state. The word in Italian is ripristinare . The baptistry itself was designed by Andrea Pisano and it's one of the many tourist attractions that make Florence what it is a super crowded museum. However, it's one of those places that one must see. crowds or no crow...