July 2010

I have personally translated in English the original Italian subtitles found in the DVD of the 1978 colour TV edition of Eduardo De Filippo’s “Le voci di dentro” (The voices from within).

The timing included should be correct for the DVD published in 2007 by Gruppo Editoriale L’Espresso S.p.A. By using a decent player (I like SMPlayer), you can watch the play and have the subtitles in English.

You can download the file here.

Stasera ho creato una ricetta di pasta:

Ho tagliato a striscioline sottilissime alcune foglie di salvia e le ho fritte nel burro caldo fino a ottnere ricciolini croccanti. Li ho prelevati dalla padella (la Safepan è fantastica) e li ho messi a asciugare su carta da forno.

Ho diluito il burro con un po’ di olio di vinacciolo e ho cotto uno zucchino tagliato a rondelline sottilissime; al tempo stesso ho calato la pasta (papiri Gentile di Gragnano, da cuocere 12 minuti – e non 10 come indicato sulla confezione). Una volta che lo zucchino s’è cotto (fuoco alto, in circa 8 min) ho prelevato con un cucchiaio e molta perizia buona parte dell’olio avanzato (per rendere la ricetta più leggera). Ho lasciato le zucchine nella padella, a fuoco spento, e vi ho adagiato sopra alcuni cubetti di formaggio Taleggio, spolverati di pepe bianco.

Scolata la pasta, l’ho versata nella padella ancora calda e ho mescolato il tutto fino a mantecatura completa. Ho versato la pasta nei piatti e ho aggiunto, per finire, i ricciolini di salvia e un po’ di parmigiano grattugiato a bastoncini.

Il tutto, l’ho accompagnato da un vino che non ci azzecca niente, ma è molto buono: Moscato d’Asti.

Finally uploaded the images, all taken with the trusty Olympus XA, around Wolsingham in County Durham, in occasion of the welcome visit from Mike and Sara.

As usual, the images are copyrighted and all rights reserved. Visit www.istockphoto.com/marcoventuriniautieri for purchase.

I have updated the Durham in B&W gallery and created a brand-new ass-kicking The windows of Durham photo gallery. Enjoy!

Southampton, shot with the Nikkor 35-135 AF - All rights reserved - (C) Marco Venturini Autieri 2010 - also available on iStock

Having just received my second Contax 139 (to replace my beloved original one that I got when I was 16), I reckon this is the right time to summarise my photographic equipment.

I am not a collector. I own cameras and lenses because I use them, with the only exception of the first in the list below:

• Zenit 12XP with the screw-mount Helios 58/2: I still keep it because it was my first serious camera (I was 14), and I shot many pictures with it. My father, of course, would always pay for the development and print, without objecting to their inherent non-art.
• Contax 139 Quartz: two bodies, since the first one is almost dead for the lens-hit-with-the-mirror syndrome.
• Carl Zeiss Contax/Yashica Sonnar 135/2.8: mechanically, I love it, it’s a jewel. Optically, it is good, which is a disappointment, because with such a name, a lens should be excellent. I often think of selling it.
• I used to own a Carl Zeiss Contax/Yashica Planar 50/1.7, but my aforementioned father damaged it while trying to un-mount it from my 139 as if it were a Nikkor lens, so I sold it.
• Carl Zeiss Contax/Yashica Tessar 45/2.8: just lovely, optically excellent and compact. Probably in conbination with the 139 is the most compact SLR solution ever.
• Tamron SP 90/2.5 Adaptall macro 1:2: I can use this on my Fuji S3 as well as on my Contax and Nikon. Supersharp and contrasty, I could easily live with this one and sell the Sonnar.
• Olympus XA: could well be my only camera need, but the lens vignettes too much (at all apertures). Fantastic otherwise. I have pictures shot with it accepted into iStock Vetta and Alamy!
• Nikon FM2n: I never doubt it will work. I bought it after watching Blowup (yes, I know the camera in the movie is not the same) and I mostly use it today with the Ilford Delta 3200.
• Nikkor AF-D 50/1.4: optically fantastic from f/2, but flimsy and ugly plastic otherwise. I also had an AI 50/1.4 but, unwisely, I sold it.
• I had a Nikkor AF 35-135 3.5-4.5  zoom (see pic in the post), that I soon sold because it was really, really bad, optically.
• Wide-angles: a fantastic Nikkor AI UD 20/3.5 that today replaces the wide-angle lenses I owned in the past, all sold: a Vivitar 24/2.8 screw-mount, a Nikkor AI 24/2.8, a Tamron SP 17/3.5
• Nikkor AF-S 24-120 VR: optically bad, my first experiment in terms of VR, that works great.
• Bronica SQ-A, with a Zenzanon PS 80/2.8 (great!) and a Zenzanon PS 150/4 (great!). I bought it to replace my Mamiya C220 with 80/2.8 that was fantastic but, unfortunately, defective.
• Fuji S3: my only digital camera. Great sensor (great dynamic range and great colours, bad resolution), very slow, small and dim viewfinder, heavy and bulky.

It’s time for another camera bag.

There are many ways to look at Durham

There aren’t many things to see in Durham, but those few things are keen on being watched and watched again.

I updated some of my photo galleries (People in the picture and Graham Sports Centre).

The picture above was shot on Ektar 100 with an Olympus XA.

Grazie a Marco Raco per la visita, e per avermi fatto notare questo bella scenetta!