Gandolfi Precision 8x10 inches - Studio Portraits, Lisbon, 1996

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Hictiandro and Mário

When I bought the Gandolfi Precision, back in 1996, I was anxious to try it under the control of studio lighting. It was also, in a way, an easy form of getting acquainted with the camera and it's characteristics. Although I had sometimes used a Linhof Technika, I was at the time much more familiar with the monorail design, making most of my work with a Sinar camera. It was also advantageous for me to get used to handle the much bigger film size in the comfort of my darkroom.

So, I just got some T-Max 100 and looked for some "volunteers" at hand: in this specific case, my third son Mário (now 20!) and his friend Hictiandro.

All black and white negatives were developed in Kodak HC-110, dilution B. I should maybe further write, that I never was a great friend of HC - 110... (Mr. Ansel Adams, will you please forgive me?).

To shoot these b&w images, I equiped the Gandolfi with the Rodenstock Apo-Ronar 480mm MC, and the session took place on the 4th of April.

Irina

A short time later, I decided to experiment with some color in 8x10", so I ordered some Fujichrome Velvia 50. As I was looking for some colorful subjects, I thought that it might be interesting to photograph some african girls. The only thing I asked them, was to pose with something dressed that they would think of as typical african (living here for long, or already born in Portugal, I got the feeling that they hardly knew what that could be... Well, they tried...).

I like these photographs, because I think that you can instantly perceive that the girls were amateurs, however they shone and possessed a lot of dignity. I am sure, that they had never posed in front of such paraphernalia, at least in front of such a big camera, but they seemed to have no problems whatsoever about that, they looked joyful and confortable at it.

Lots of natural talent!

I am very thankful for their patience and goodwill. They were very, very kind.

(I have already posted another photograph resulting from these sessions on a former post dedicated to the immigrants. Please be so kind and take a look, if you wish so).

The main light was in all cases provided by a Hensel Autolight.

The transparencies and negatives were scanned with an Epson Perfection 4990.

I can honestly assure you, that looking at a Fujichrome Velvia (with a lupe) in this format is just breathtaking and thrilling!!!

Well, at least for this old school fellow of yours... I hope that you enjoy.

Good night, sleep tight.

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Raúl Lino - "Casa do Cipreste", Sintra, Portugal (1993)

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Working on assignment for Editorial Blau, I came to know this absolutely wonderful project from 1912, in the small town of Sintra.

This is actually one of the houses that Raúl Lino (1879 - 1974) built for himself, and is known as the "Casa do Cipreste", a true icon of the portuguese architecture (maybe I should say "in Portugal" instead... In fact, I think that it looks more german than portuguese, what is natural, thinking that Lino studied in Germany).

Being considered by some to be a controversial personality in our 20th century cultural life, Raúl Lino cannot be ignored for sure. His importance and influence still lasts until today.

"Casa do Cipreste" is definitely a magic place full of charm and warmth, a place of outstanding beauty and harmony.

A place that I would undoubtedly love to call home!

The rectangular images were shot using a Sinar F2 camera in 9x12 cm/4x5 inches, equiped with various lenses manufactured by Schneider in Germany.

The square photographs were shot with a Hasselblad camera in 6x6, using Carl Zeiss lenses (Distagon, Planar and Sonnar types), also made in Germany.

Lighting equipment was made by Hensel in Würzburg, Germany.

Light meters by Sekonic and Minolta.

Ektachrome film by Kodak.

I would like to dedicate this post to the architect Luiz Trigueiros from Editorial Blau, a person to whom I owe a lot in personal and professional terms. He was the one who brought me to professional architectural photography, when I returned home from Germany in 1990. After some small misunderstandings that lasted for some time, we are now on good terms, and I was happy to see him and his wife again.

P.S.: Raúl Lino also designed in 1925 Teatro Curvo Semedo in Montemor-o-Novo, wich you might know from some other posts that I have done.

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