In a territory that gets emptier each year, where traditions slowly dwindle, every one of those that still thrives, or is even recovered by people that are not willing to give up yet, feels like a sign a hope that not all is lost. Really happy to finally see this red mask back to the streets of Vale de Porco, hoping to be able to see it again and again in the upcoming years. #wintersolstice #velhodevaledeporco #trasosmontes #portugal
One of the most beautiful masks of the winter traditions of Trás-Os-Montes is also one of the most challenging to photograph.. The single masked figure is constantly running from door to door, with very few breaks, and always surrounded by men who guide him through the streets, because of the very limited visibility of the heavy mask. Except when there’s something in the costume that needs some urgent repair. #wintersolstice #chocalheirodebemposta #trasosmontes #portugal
The fog that has been the norm throughout Trás-Os-Montes this end of year. #trasosmontes #portugal
Someone once told me at Constantim that the problem isn’t finding people to dance at each front door of the village, is having someone that actually opens the door… All these Winter Solstice rituals are very different but have one thing in common, at least here in Portugal, there’s always one or more characters that go to each house, where who lives there welcomes them (and their entourage) and celebrate together. If those doors remain shut, which is more and more common, then all this becomes just another parade.
Galhofa. Wrestling on top of straw in the barns of Trás-Os-Montes, where showing one’s strength goes hand in hand with local rivalries. Because not everything related with winter solstice has to do with masks.
Yesterday, when I wrote about masks becoming less important to me as I go more often to these masked traditions, this is a bit why: the joy of celebration, the sharing of an identity, those were subtle things I was referring to. The kind of things that actually drive me more to go there than just the mistery of the masks and costumes. Not on purpose, but today the photo I picked from today’s visit to Grijó de Parada was more in tune to that.
I often tell everyone that the more I go to masked traditions, at least in this corner of Europe, the less important the mask and the costume feels to me. It still is, a lot, don’t get me wrong, but there are so many other subtle things that it feels not fair to look only at that one. But today, as I quickly browsed through my pictures from my return to Ousilhão, one that caught my eye was one where the mask is the main character. I’d love to be more consistent, but things aren’t as linear as that 😁
Winter afternoon photowalk at Lisbon’s eastern meighborhoods with my mate Bruno. There’s no better way to catch up with friends that also photograph than going on a walk with our cameras, if you happen to take nice shots then that’s an extra bonus!Also was a chance to take out new gear for a drive, but in the end mostly used only one camera. Mental reminder not to take the #X100V when testing new gear…#fujifilm_xseries #fujifilmx100v #lisbon #portugal
In the latest video of Framelines (https://youtu.be/Sd41x2vp0fM), Josh Edgoose goes on a small tangent from the main topic: lenses should use the full-frame equivalent focal length, not the real focal length.
Why should the full-frame equivalent be the base reference? I understand the conventions and all that, but feels weird to put a focal that’s not the actual focal length, and, more important, it gives the sense that full-frame somehow is the “right one”, and the others orbit around it, which for me isn’t the case (all sensor sizes have their place, from tiny smartphone sensors to large format).
If it’s to get an universal measurement, then I’d rather jump head first to thinking in lenses in terms of field of view angle, and not focal length, something I’d loved lens makers displayed more prominently.
Chilin’ with your mates, checkin’ what’s going on at the Lisbon Photo Book Fair, roamin’ on the streets taking snaps. To sum it up, a nice Sunday afternoon!
De volta do Exodus Aveiro Fest, meio que ainda a processar tudo do fim de semana: as palestras, os reencontros de caras conhecidas, os bons hábitos que se foram criando ao longo dos anos.#exodusaveirofest2023
On fear and travel.
It’s funny how often the questions towards a traveler are kind of projection of the doubts and fears of a non traveler: “Where you scared?”, “Was it dangerous?”, “Don’t you think you can have an accident?”, “What if?”, etc.
This is neither good or bad, or it might be, depending on who’s asking. But there are much interesting answers when the question is realigned to things that were actually found, more than the things that could have happened.
A pensar em algo profundo no Exodus Aveiro Fest. Ou em cerveja. Um dos dois! 📸 Marília Maia e Moura #exodusaveirofest2023
I’m becoming a grumpy old person, and still kind of getting back to the everyday routine after returning from Nepal, so take this with a huge pinch of salt. But I’m getting so tired of most of the travel content being created nowadays, we somehow lost the joy of curiosity and discovery.
When did the travel stuff switched from the displaying the best of a place to “hey, look what I am doing now!”?
Why do most of the travel content creators now put themselves between the reader and the place they’re at?
Why do so many of them kind of play around with the readers lack of knowledge of that place to not be entirely honest about it, so it conveys the narrative they’re building?
I think I know the answers to all these questions, I guess this evolution to a more lifestyle driven way to do things never really caught on me. But again, I’m just a grumpy old guy…
Almost forgot to post this from my Annapurna trek: my arrival to Machhapuchhre Base Camp, with the weather really getting worse as we went up!
One more nepali taxi!
Finally time to give Bhaktapur its well deserved slow place, because good things don’t like rushing out. #bhaktapur #kathmanduvalley #nepal
Panauti, a quiet, slow paced, no frenzy Nepali historic town for a change. #panauti #kathmanduvalley #nepal
Hike in the Kathmandu Valley countryside, to reach Namo Buddha, one of Nepal’s holy Buddhist places. Made me realize I still have things to do at Bodhanauth, let’s see if I can squeeze that when I returned to Kathmandu. #namobuddha #kathmanduvalley #nepal
Day 4 - Dovan to Machhapuchhre Base CampGoing up, up in the mountains, but often what’s over there isn’t a bright sunny day.#annapurna #annapurnatrek #nepal
