Happy birthday Sara! (22nd of September)

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“Birthday”

You say it's your birthday
It's my birthday too, yeah
They say it's your birthday
We're gonna have a good time
I'm glad it's your birthday
Happy birthday to you.

Yes we're going to a pally party
Yes we're going to a pally party
Yes we're going to a pally party

I would like you to dance (Birthday)
Take a cha-cha-cha-chance (Birthday)
I would like you to dance (Birthday)
Dance

I would like you to dance (Birthday)
Take a cha-cha-cha-chance (Birthday)
I would like you to dance (Birthday)
Dance

You say it's your birthday
Well it's my birthday too, yeah
You say it's your birthday
We're gonna have a good time
I'm glad it's your birthday
Happy birthday to you.

(Words and music Lennon / McCartney)

From the album “The Beatles” (aka “White Album”) by THE BEATLES, 1968

Canon EOS 1n + Canon EF 1.4 / 50mm

Kodak Ektachrome Film

Sara pictured on April 2003 with our puppy Charley.

The photograph was made in Gouveia / Fontanelas.

In those days, I was living alone with Charley, and Sara came with her brother Mário for a visit.

As usually, we drove around in the Land Rover and strolled in the nice fields that surrounded the small village where I used to live.

We tried to pretend we didn't feel the pain of separation...

Canon EOS 30D + Leitz Telyt 6.8 /400mm

(enjoyyourcamera adapter)

September 2010

Sara will be fourteen today.

She is the youngest of my four children, and she also has the honour of being the only girl.

She now lives with me and Maria Helena in Alentejo.

We made these photographs last Sunday afternoon, not far from Montemor.

Not long ago still a baby, Sara will forever be the Princess of the family...

So, please, allow me to say:

"Happy birthday my dear daughter, wish you all the best in the world, all the luck and happiness that you can have.

I am sure that everything is gonna be alright!

I love you very, very much!!!"

For my little baby a sweet lullaby:

“Golden Slumbers”

Once there was a way to get back homeward
Once there was a way to get back home
Sleep pretty darling do not cry
And I will sing a lullabye

Golden slumbers fill your eyes
Smiles awake you when you rise
Sleep pretty darling do not cry
And I will sing a lullabye

Once there was a way to get back homeward
Once there was a way to get back home
Sleep pretty darling do not cry
And I will sing a lullabye

(Words and music Lennon / Mc Cartney)

From the album “Abbey Road” by THE BEATLES, 1969

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The Minolta Years - Natal em Veneza, 1978 (Part Three)

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I never had so much bridges to cross in my life!

Jorge's kinderwagen and my cameras seemed to weight a ton.

At the end of the day my legs would be exhausted and I would feel wet to the bones.

My back would ache and I would starve.

But what a sight! What a magical sensation!

Everything I saw was just dazzling.

How I gazed with wonder...

Venice might be drowning, but it's place in eternity is unquestionably guaranteed!

Minolta cameras + Rokkor lenses

Minolta Autometer

Kodak Ektachrome film

“Mr. Spaceman”

Woke up this morning with light in my eyes
And then realized it was still dark outside
It was a light coming down from the sky
I don't know who or why

Must be those strangers that come every night
Those saucer shaped lights put people uptight
Leave blue-green footprints that glow in the dark
I hope they get home all right

Hey, Mr. Spaceman
Won't you please take me along
I won't do anything wrong
Hey, Mr. Spaceman
Won't you please take me along for a ride

Woke up this morning, I was feeling quite weird
Had flies in my beard, my toothpaste was smeared
Over my window, they'd written my name
Said, so long, we'll see you again

(Words and music by Roger McGuinn)

From the album “Fifth Dimension” by THE BYRDS, 1966

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The Minolta Years - Weihnachten in Venedig, 1978 (Part Two)

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Observing these photographs that I made so long ago, longer than I can recall, I am afraid that any word that I might write down will be doomed to become a superfluous word.

What can my gossip add to these winter shades, to the cold and wetness (so much wet that you can nearly smell the mildew...) of these not far from surreal landscapes, these glimpses of ethereal life?

Aren't these photographs more alive than my vanishing memories?

All photographs made with Minolta cameras and Rokkor lenses

Minolta Autometer

Kodak Ektachrome Film

“Magic Carpet Ride”

I like to dream yes, yes, right between my sound machine

On a cloud of sound I drift in the night

Any place it goes is right

Goes far, flies near, to the stars away from here

Well, you don't know what we can find

Why don't you come with me little girl

On a magic carpet ride

You don't know what we can see

Why don't you tell your dreams to me

Fantasy will set you free

Close your eyes girl

Look inside girl

Let the sound take you away

Last night I held Aladdin's lamp

And so I wished that I could stay

Before the thing could answer me

Well, someone came and took the lamp away

I looked around, a lousy candle's all I found

Well, you don't know what we can find

Why don't you come with me little girl

On a magic carpet ride

Well, you don't know what we can see

Why don't you tell your dreams to me

Fantasy will set you free

Close your eyes girl

Look inside girl

Let the sound take you away

(Words and music by John Kay and Rushton Moreve)

From the album “The Second” by STEPPENWOLF, 1968

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The Minolta Years - Christmas in Venice, 1978 (Part One)

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Way back in 1978, my ex-wife and I took the chance of having some vacation time, and decided to drive down to Venice to spend Christmas season over there. Jorge, our oldest sun, was almost one year old, and we brought him along.

In those years, one could still sometimes enjoy Venice free of multilingual crowds flooding all the place.

In fact, I hardly remember someone not speaking Italian, but ourselves (we did speak by then a strange kind of mix of English, German dialect, Portuguese, and who knows what more... I guess that no one could really understand us...).

Venice was mostly a magical place full of charm and quietness on those winter days, and I believe that the (bad?) characteristics of the film material of those times actually helps to mirror and accentuate the feelings and sensations that one could experience crossing those thousands of bridges over those thousands of canals.

Time could stand still amidst the haze floating over the lagoon, you could levitate and melt with the mist, becoming part of the mistery surrounding you.

Like any other town, Venice is not only made of harmony and pretty colored postcards.

Struggle for survival and death happen like everywhere else, and I am glad that I felt enough attracted by everything I saw, so much that I felt the wish to document it.

I did try to shape my photographs with true colors...

The colors of life!

All photographs made with Minolta cameras and lenses

Light meters by Minolta

Kodak Ektachrome film

“Have You Ever Been (to Electric Ladyland)”

Have you ever been to Electric Ladyland?
The magic carpet waits for you so don't you be late
Oh, (I wanna show you) the different emotions
(I wanna run to) the sounds and motions
Electric woman waits for you and me
So it's time we take a ride, we can cast all of your hang-ups over
the seaside
While we fly right over the love filled sea
Look up ahead, I see the loveland, soon you'll understand.

Make love, make love, make love, make love.

The angels will spread their wings, spread their wings
Good and evil lay side by side while electric love penetrates the sky
Lord, Lord I wanna show you
Hmm, hmmm, hmmm
Show you.

(Words and music by Jimi Hendrix)

From the album “Electric Ladyland” by THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE, 1968

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