Peneda-Gerês
For someone like me that, in the last years, has been so interested in my own country not knowing properly Peneda-Gerês, the National Park that tucked at the edge of our northern border, is a huge flaw! This may not be the best time to go there: the luscious greens of Spring or Summer , the warm reds of Autumn or even the white coat of Winter make this region look even better. But I like to go to places on odd seasons, and who knows that being naked of its colors it won’t show me its true nature…
Smoking, drinking and a monkey on his shoulder… Despite that I still see Marrakech’s Djema El-Fnaa as one one of the world’s most fascinating spots in the world, for that same atmosphere that put it in the Immaterial Heritage list of UNESCO, I wasn’t too interested in photographing its street performers on my last time there. I tend to avoid them almost everywhere, and in the Djema El-Fnaa square the only ones I would really like to take a picture are the storytellers, the sub-saharan Africans that sit in the ground while the Moroccans around follow their story and pay to see its end. Sit in the ground, with no light whatsoever, making photos impossible… I wandered the square, delighted but not taking photos, when I found this guy: full of “swag” , sitting on his scooter, smoking, drinking while the obvious monkey lies on his shoulder. This one I had to shoot, and as I stared at him he noticed that and was about to start his routine, I raised my hand in time: Don’t move! And he did not move, and I gladly gave him a few dirhams. You simply do not take a photo of a street performer without paying him, specially in Marrakech.
The glamorous life of a photographer… 😕
Because Easter in this part of the country is celebrated on Monday: Happy Easter!
Morning mist
Gear for a week of photos What to pack for a week of photos that has no concrete goal or project? A bit of everything, but without packing everything.
My pocket beast.I’ve been a fan of compact cameras for some time, and this is why: having a great tool that fits the palm of my hand. This one has been with me for some years, it’s a Sony RX100, 1st generation model (probably the 5th generation will be released later this year) but still very capable and the camera I carry with me almost every time. Photo by my friend Ana.
In the shadow of the Parliament.
<h1>Not a pretty place…</h1>
More scouting for my Tejo project, and the joy of finally finding the way to a place I had my eyes for some time. And this time I’m looking the less sexy, more suburban and industrial environment of the Tagus north bank.
Yesterday’s rainy return home…
Pausa para a escrita
Nesta última metade de Fevereiro a fotografia ficou posta de lado, os dois fins-de-semana de workshop de escrita de viagem com o Filipe Morato Gomes ocuparam algum do meu tempo livre e fizeram com que preferisse focar-me em outras óptimas formas de ver em viagem. Agora é altura de voltar à zona de conforto, que há muito trabalho a fazer por lá! :)
Intermission for writing
In this latest half of February photography was a bit left behind, the two weekends were I attended the Travel Writing Workshop with Filipe Morato Gomes filled some of my spare time and made me focus more on other great ways to look around while traveling. Now it’s time to go back to my confort zone, there’s a lot of work to do there! :)
Caretos of Lazarim
I’ve always wanted to visit one of the traditional Portugal shrovetides. After years of postponing it this year I teamed up with João and Emanuele and went North to the Lamego, looking for the small village of Lazarim and its alder masks. Still processing the results, but already pleased with what I got.
Caretos de Lazarim
Sempre quis ir fotografar um dos entrudos tradicionais do Norte de Portugal. Depois de anos a adiar desta foi de vez e meti-me à estrada com o João e o Emanuele e fomos até perto de Lamego, à procura de Lazarim e dos seus caretos de máscaras de amieiro. Ainda a processar os resultados mas já estou contente com o que trouxe.
Shooting the traditional Lazarim Shrovetide at the north of Portugal Photo by Luis Ferreira
Laekjavík, one of Iceland’s ugly ducklings
A photo shared in the form of a travel and photography tip. This one where I stand as a model (photo by Luís Costa) was taken in East Iceland, in an area called Laekjavík, that’s often overlooked by those driving Route 1. This area is nicely tuck between two areas that drain the attention it deserves: on one side the beautiful and impressive southern Iceland, with its glaciers, glacier lagoons and black sand beaches, ending with the also amazing Vesturhorn mountain (one of the most photographed landscapes in the island); and on the other the Eastfjords, with its farms and fishing villages hidden in its narrow, long and forgotten fjords. Laekjavík has none of these unique things, but its one of the nicest costal drives you’ll find, along the cliffs that prepare us for the rugged nature of the Eastfjords.I have learned to enjoy and look for these places, that are not hidden but unseen by most, and for this Laekjavík is one of “my spots” in Iceland. Next time you drive in this area make sure not to rush, drive slowly and enjoy the view; and always pay attention to these “ugly ducklings” wherever you are.
My quest for the life around the Tagus river continues, and this time I was gifted with a very unique setting: horses and horseriders in the beaches of the river’s south bank