Have a beautiful weekend

The way it was

This is a 1970 shot of the castle on the sea that gave the town the name of Castellammare. It was on the water and the lambent waves would caress it. Then under the guise of protecting it a sort of parking area was built around it. The whole aesthetic was lost and the castle decane dwarfed. Now that sea walls have been built the castle is no longer at risk so some work in removing the ugly area around the base has begun. naturally the so called protection was just a way to spend money and enrich some developers. The castle is over one thousand years old and it withstood the vagaries of the sea. I must admit that the castle itself was rehabilitated and the inside was made into a conference center, a museum and other wonderful areas. We shall see. I still remember how it was and miss it

What a city

Although I miss Sicily. I'm glad to be back in this amazing city. These shots of Midtown were made from Gantry Park in Queens. This is a great place to spend a hot summer evening.

My friend the fisherman

My friend and neighbor Tommaso is a commercial fisherman. He had just fried these super fresh fish and was sharing them. The flavor was out of this world.

Let's celebrate summer

It may be hot and humid but it's still the best season.

Making sauce for the winter

This is a time honored tradition in Sicily and in most of Southern Italy. It used to be sun dried sauce that gave a rich and thick paste but car pollution has practically put an end to this. Many prefer to make a sauce that is basically made by putting boiled tomatoes through a machine like a juicer that separates the liquid from the residue. It is then bottled. Afterwards, the filled bottles are boiled and allowed to cool slowly. Naturally this is a family affair but neighbors also come to help, offer suggestions or just get in the way. These are my neighbors who live a few houses above me. The street is actually on steps. They are truly wonderful people very friendly and helpful as are  most Sicilians. I miss  being there at tis time even though I just returned.

Horace Hagedorn

This photo dates from October of 2000 and was shot with my first digicam, a Nikon 990 Coolpix. 
Horace Hagedorn was a wealthy industrialist and the founder of Miracle Grow fertilizer. What made him special was his generosity and philanthropy. He gave much to Family and Children's Association, one of my clients. The photo was taken during the opening of the Hagedorn Family Services Center in Hempstead, Long Island. The shot was not posed. Horace just sat with the child and started interacting with him. As they say, I caught the decisive moment with a camera that I really didn't really  know how to really use yet. This is one of my all times favorite images, digital or film.

Have a lovely week

Enjoy your sunday

I hope you find the perfect tomatoes.