Rocco Galatioto, nice photos and good food

At least it's not snow but enough already.

We usually take a trip to Greenport a few times a year because it's located at the end of Long Island's wine country. After stopping to taste several wines we end up eating at a typical dinner so we may be fortified for the trip home. I just love this wine country and this lovely old town that has still touches of it's past.

With the uncertainties caused by the government shot down Santa needed a reliable guide to New York City. I volunteered my Charlie who had a rough night. He arrived cold and tired so he took a well deserved rest on the couch.    

As the song goes, "almost heaven, West Virginia..".but I always added "not quite." These rural images, scanned T-Max 100 film with a Leica M-4 date from 1974 and by today's standards can be considered ancient. I like then and simply want to share. Things are much better now,

….can spring be far behind?  Let's hope so.

With the approach of the solstice we say goodbye to fall. Here in the north east it's the best time of the year to photograph.

These images of a housing demonstration are from a few years ago. They were made while I was covering this event for Catholic Charities, my costumer. There was serious protesting along with lots of fun, an inevitable result of any demonstration. I did enjoy covering this event.

…. This is especially true when you don't know what to post. Here is a  scan of  an old image made with 120 Tri-X Pan and a Rolleiflex. I love the feeling it creates.

New York during the Christmas season is extra special

I bought this holly tree in a small container and planted very close to the fence. It grew into a beautiful tree that makes wonderful berries.  

I'm going through my color negatives and scanning the best and throwing away the rest. It's a tedious job best done in the winter. These images date from 1990 and were shot in Castellammare del Golfo before it was transformed into a tourist center. At that time it still had a uniqueness but sadly, with this transformation it has lost it's soul. The place is full of cafe's, restaurants, trendy shops and souvenir sellers that  deal in made in China items. The sound of trolleys being toted by tourists is everywhere but this could be anywhere in any touristy place. There is no longer that quality that set it apart and made it different. Those of us born there return and try to hold on to our memories and attempt to ignore the situation in an pathetic attempt of denial. Fortunately my block is still OK but on my street there are many air B&Bs and so called residences that are being created out of the old buildings. It's the new economy and the way of the future. How...

Florence shot from Piazzale Michelangelo back in 1969. Can it be that long ago? As the line goes: I remember it well.. The camera was the Canon FT and the film was Agfachrome 50 that I scanned and converted to black and white because the colors had faded that not even Photoshop could restore.

Nothing can make me like winters but they do offer photo possibilities.

...where the people I have photographed over the years are now. What are they doing; what happened to them; what do they look like? Case in point is this very cute child photographed in 1971 at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. The amazing property of photography is that it can freeze a moment in time. Because of the technology, photos do not age in look any more. This picture could have been taken last spring because it's overall appearance does not show its age. This is due in part by Kodachrome's ability to keep its colors and with a good scan and proper digitizing, the image will keep as long as it's not lost. Negatives and slides can also be lost. This aspect of photography always amazes me. It is quite uncanny, to sat the least.

The Verrazzano Narrows Bridge is a truly majestic structure: typically New York.

As much as I despise that white stuff, it does help with the images.