Isn't it a Pity

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Nazaré, 1980

(Leica M4-2+Summicron 50mm)

“Isn’t it a Pity” – George Harrison

Isn’t it a pity

Isn’t it a shame

How we break each other’s hearts,

And cause each other pain

How we take each other’s love,

Without thinking anymore

Forgetting to give back

Isn’t it a pity

Some things take so long, but how do I explain?

When not too many people

Can see we are all the same

And because of all their tears,

Their eyes can’t hope to see

The beauty that surrounds them –

Oh isn’t it a pity

From the album “All Things Must Pass” (1970)

Bold As Love

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Lisboa, Março de 1980

(Leica M4-2+Summicron 50mm)

“Bold As Love” – Jimi Hendrix

Anger, he smiles, towering shiny metallic purple armour
Queen Jealousy, Envy, waits behind him
Her fiery green gown sneers at the grassy ground

Blue are the life-giving waters taken for granted,
They quietly understand
Once happy Turquoise armies lay opposite ready,
But wonder why the fight is on
But they're all bold as love, yeah, they're all bold as love
Yeah, they're all bold as love
Just ask the Axis

My Red is so confident that he flashes trophies of war
And ribbons of euphoria
Orange is young, full of daring, but very unsteady for the first go 'round
My Yellow in this case is not so mellow
In fact I'm trying to say it's frightened like me
And all these emotions of mine keep holding me
From giving my life to a rainbow like you
But I'm, yeah, I'm bold as love,
Yeah, yeah
Well, I'm bold, bold as love (hear me talking, girl)
I'm bold as love.
Just ask the Axis (he knows everything)

Yeah, yeah!

From the album:

“Axis: Bold As Love” – The Jimi Hendrix Experience (1967)

Jimi Hendrix: guitar and vocals

Noel Redding: bass and vocals

Mitch Mitchell: drums

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Eu Não Sei Quase Nada do Mar

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Nazaré, Portugal - Março de 1980

(Leica M4-2+Summicron 50mm)

“Eu Não Sei Quase Nada do Mar” – Ana Carolina e Jorge Vercilo

(Do álbum “Pirata” de Maria Bethânia - 2006)

Garimpeira da beleza
Te achei na beira de você me achar
Me agarra na cintura, me segura e jura que não vai soltar
E vem me bebendo toda, me deixando tonta de tanto prazer
Navegando nos meus seios, mar partindo ao meio
Não vou esquecer

Eu que não sei quase nada do mar
Descobri que não sei nada de mim

Clara, noite rara, nos levando além da arrebentação
Já não tenho medo de saber quem somos na escuridão

Me agarrei nos seus cabelos
Sua boca quente para não me afogar
Tua língua correnteza lambe minhas pernas
Como faz o mar
E vem me bebendo toda, me deixando tonta de tanto prazer
Navegando nos meus seios, mar partindo ao meio
Não vou esquecer

Eu que não sei quase nada do mar
Descobri que não sei nada de mim




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"Those Were the Days" - Schloss Lembeck, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany (November 1982)

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After reading two books by Irvine Welsh (“Ecstasy”, “Trainspotting”), I decided on one by Paul Auster (“Leviathan”).
By comparison, this last author reads a bit like “Reader’s Digest”.
It kind of misses something…

I always felt the same about my humanistic photography: it’s like ice cream with eierlikör on top, it’s like sex with a pillow.
Aiming at the higher-levels of some of my “heroes” (Josef Koudelka, Robert Frank, William Klein…), I am obliged to concede that my efforts seem to be in vain.

My images are a little too soft…

My photography lacks punch!

Wanting to widen my horizon, rucksack on my back, 2000 escudos in my pocket, I hit the road to Germany in the distant year of 1974.

I had met a german girl before, so the first town I lived in was Münster.
What a difference!

Coming from a small and forgotten little land that suffered 48 long years of dictatorship, my young naive eyes would just marvel at this open-minded world.

I felt lost and enlightened at the same time: I couldn’t really feel at home, and I didn’t want to leave and go back to the darkness where I was coming from, either.

The girl soon became my wife. She was coming from Gross Reken, a village not far from Münster, so I quickly became acquainted with Münsterland, a region that I kept admiring and enjoying through the years.

Belonging to Dorsten, Schloss Lembeck is only a short distance from Reken. When I was bothered from hanging around my parents-in-law, I often went for a visit to the Schlosspark (after that Veltins Pilsener would taste even better…).

Again and again I had a Leica with me.

Shot with Leica M4-2 + Elmarit-M 28mm

The images might be soft-spoken, but aren’t those trees beautiful?


Technical data:
Camera- Leica M4-2
Lens - Leitz Canada Elmarit-M 2.8/28mm
Film - Kodak Tri-x
Developer - Kodak D-76, diluted 1+1
Location - Schloss Lembeck, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
Date - November 1982


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Sketches of Spain - Guillena, Andalucía, España (May 15, 2010)

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At first I was possibly attracted by the quality of the light and the vividity of the women dresses, but I soon got hooked by the whole mood of this spanish marriage in the small town of Guillena, not far from Seville, in Andalucía.

By comparison, our marriages in Portugal look almost like funerals...

In Andalucía, the celebration is much more colorful and looks less formal, what I consider to be the heritage from gypsy blood and flamenco. Please correct me, if I am wrong...

In this small land of mine, we maybe don't have many reasons to dress joyful and feel glad, do we?

We are getting such a sad and dark land...

I was not invited and didn't know nobody around. In fact, I don't even remember to speak a word.

Strolling, I came upon this small church by chance. I got curious and slowly made my way towards the people, a smile here and a smile there, walking that strange line between public domain and privacy...

When I felt kind of accepted, I started mixing with the group and began to shoot a little closer and closer.

By my dirty blue jeans and casual clothing, it is hard to imagine that somebody would take me for a guest either...

I was a perfect watching stranger among a festive crowd!

That's what Leicas are good for...

All photographs:

Leica M4-2 + Summicron-M 2/35mm

Fomapan 200, developed in Kodak D-76 1+1

Scanned with Epson 4990 Photo

P.S.: I would like to remember Miles Davis and his great record "Sketches of Spain", arranged and conducted by Gil Evans, recorded in 1959 & 1960. The record opens with the magnificent piece by spanish composer Joaquín Rodrigo, "Concierto de Aranjuez", composed in 1939.

If you have the chance, don't miss to listen to it!

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Trujillo, Spain - August 25th, 2010

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Leica M4-2

Super Angulon 3.4/21mm

Summicron 2/50mm

Tele-Elmarit 2,8/90mm

Agfa APX100

Kodak Tri-X

Rodinal 1+50

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"Perfect Day" - Lou Reed

Just a perfect day

Drink sangria in the park,

And then later, when it gets dark,

We go home.

Just a perfect day,

Feed animals in the zoo

Then later, a movie too,

And then home.

Oh it's just a perfect day,

problems all left alone,

Weekenders on our own.

It's such fun.

Just a perfect day,

You made me forget myself.

I thought I was someone else,

Someone good.

Oh it's just a perfect day,

I'm glad I spent it with you.

Oh such a perfect day,

You just keep me hanging on,

You just keep me hanging on.

You're going to reap just what you sow,

You're going to reap just what you sow.

From the album "Transformer", 1972.

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Happy Birthday father!

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José Morais de Sousa, Coimbra - April 1980

If my father was alive today, 17th of June, he would be 88 years old.

My mother reveals that he often declared that he wanted to live until he was 84. He was lucky, that's how old he got!

He was an army officer but, on occasion, he also served in Guarda Nacional Republicana. That's where I have pictured him, in his office in Coimbra, with my Leica.

So please allow me to pay him this little tribute and say "Happy Birthday father".

Evelise Morais de Sousa, Coimbra, 6 of April 1980.

Yes, that's my mother on her 48th birthday, holding a bouquet of roses.

In reality, both photographs were presumably shot on the same day, as my parents lived inside the base (for some years I lived there too, by then I was on vacation from Germany).

Time goes by...

Both photographs were shot with my (at that time) almost-new Leica M4-2 and Summicron 50mm, on Kodak Tri-X film, developed in Kodak D-76 1+1.

You should be acquainted with that camera from former posts on this blog. As it so happens, she keeps on going strong after all these years. A good friend of mine!

Funny: she keeps on being my youngest Leica!

Wish we could all be forever young...

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Working Class Hero - 1st of May, 2010

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Rolleiflex SL 35 + Carl Zeiss Planar 1.4/50mm HFT

Fomapan 200, Kodak D-76 1+1

Lisbon, Portugal, April 2010

Leica M2 + Super Angulon 3.4/21mm

Fomapan 200, Rodinal 1+100 (stand development)

Montemor-o-Novo, Portugal, September 2009

Leica M4-2 + collapsible Summicron 2/50mm

Fomapan 200, Rodinal 1+50

Évora, Portugal, December 2009

Rolleiflex SL 35 + Carl Zeiss Planar 1.4/50mm HFT

Fomapan 200, Kodak D-76 1+1

Lisbon, Portugal, April 2010

Zorki 3-C + Jupiter 8 2/5cm

Fomapan 200, Rodinal 1+50

Praia da Amorosa, Portugal, August 2009

Zorki 3-C + Jupiter 8 2/5cm

Fomapan 200, Rodinal 1+100 (stand development)

Montemor-o-Novo, Portugal, September 2009

"Working Class Hero" - JOHN LENNON

As soon as you're born they make you feel small

By giving you no time instead of it all

Till the pain is so big you feel nothing at all

A working class hero is something to be.

They hurt you at home and they hit you at school

They hate you if you're clever and they despise a fool

Till you're so fucking crazy you can't follow their rules

A working class hero is something to be.

When they have tortured and scared you for twenty odd years

Then they expect you to pick a career

When you can't really function you're so full of fear

A working class hero is something to be.

Keep you doped with religion and sex and TV

And you think you're so clever and classless and free

But you're still fucking peasants as far as I can see

A working class hero is something to be.

There's room at the top they are telling you still

But first you must learn how to smile as you kill

If you want to be like the folks on the hill

A working class hero is something to be.

If you want to be a hero well just follow me.

(Words and music by John Lennon, 1970, from the album "Plastic Ono Band")

"Politician" - CREAM

Hey now baby, get in my big black car

I wanna just show you what my politics are.

I'm a political man and I practice what I preach

So don't deny me baby, not while you're in my reach.

I support the left, tho' I'm leanin', leanin' to the right

But I'm just not there when it's coming to a fight.

Hey now baby, get into my big black car

I wanna just show you what my politics are.

(Written by Jack Bruce and Pete Brown, 1969. From the record "Goodbye Cream")

It's so long ago and still so fucking true!

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