Fieldnotes

A new version of #t3mujinpack is just around the corner!In the last couple of months my photos (like these from last week at Trás-Os-Montes) have been processed in Darktable using temujinpack, my film emulation presets, and that means it was tested quite thoroughly, with updated emulations and some even “rewritten” from zero. One of those big updates was the Kodachrome emulations, probably of the most complicated to replicate, and the truth is I’m much happier with its outcome when compared with the last release. While you wait for the final, and complete, set of the new presets you can already test the new Kodachrome film emulations by yourself.Download now it now from bit.ly/t3mujinpa…

Funny to see how my most popular nine Instagram photos of 2016 (generated by 2016BestNine) are a nice mix of some portfolio stuff with work from my current trips and projects. Thank you all for the past year and there’s more of this coming in 2017!!!#mymostpopularof2016 #2016bestnine #instagram

And it’s over… #portugal #trasosmontes #caretos

Going again after masked peopleEarlier this year me, Emanuele Siracusa and João Maia drove north, to the small village of Lazarim and its carnival played behind alder masks (http://www.joaoalmeidaphotography.com/en/2016/05/lazarim-alder-masks/). Nowadays these ancient masked traditions from Northern Portugal and Spain are connected, as they share a common background, and it’s very common to have invited groups in each others events. It was the case there with, among others, the red clothes and noisy cow bells of the masked men from other places of Northeastern Portugal doing their mischiefs and pranks to the crowd in the streets.Despite being funny and highly photogenic my attention wasn’t on them last February: they were out of place (my focus was Lazarim with its masks) and out of time (although similar theirs is a solstice tradition, not a carnival one). But next week will be different, I’ll be at the right place at the right time. Follow my updates to see it!

Time to test drive new Fujifilm gear: the XF 50-140mm and, more important, the new Fuji X-T2 (which is still hard to find, here and everywhere else). Today was about pushing its ISO to the limits, all photos have been processed and have noise removal applied, but even when at ISO12800 there’s plenty to work with. Feels great to have my two feet on the Fuji system!

Magusto“(…) essential Galician and Portuguese autumn pagan origin festival similar to the Gaelic Samhain (or “Samaín” word adapted to the Galician from the irish Gaelic). In addition to chestnuts and local young wine, various foods have been incorporated such as sausages and other products made from the pig slaughter, which occurs precisely at that time.” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castanyada)Despite being an event that should take place in early November, close to Saint Martin’s day, any cold Autumn Sunday is a good candidate for a magusto, just as long as there’s chestnuts and wine.