Flor da Rosa, Crato - Carrilho da Graça (Wasted Project 2)

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When I came back to Portugal in 1990, after living in Germany for many years, the first architecture photographs I made, were assigned by the architect Manuel Tainha. I should photograph his just built Faculdade de Psicologia e de Ciências da Educação, Universidade de Lisboa.

It just so happened that the publisher, and also architect, Luiz Trigueiros from Editorial Blau, saw the images and liked them. He subsequently asked if I wanted to work for his magazine "Architécti" (by that time a really fine publication), and offered me two assignments: the above mentioned work by Tainha and the Piscina Municipal de Campo Maior, by João Luís Carrilho da Graça.

Photographing the works of these two master architects, I got started in Architecture Photography. Not a bad start, I could dare to say...

Around 2004, I thought about doing a White & Blue book on the recovery and conversion of the Flor da Rosa Monastery in Crato, Alentejo, into a Pousada, by Carrilho da Graça.

On my mind, it would be a fabulous companion book for my other publication about Santa Maria do Bouro, also a conversion of a Monastery into a Pousada, in Amares, by Eduardo Souto de Moura. Both are outstanding works, having their origins in historic buildings.

Well, I do love that!

The necessary steps were undertaken: I met João Luís who agreed to colaborate on the project, permissions and arrangements to photograph the building were granted, film was ordered, and so on and so on...

After many images were shot in 2005, the excellent designer Francisco Vaz da Silva, from Aveiro, made an interesting mock-up. Everything was looking good, and I thought that I could soon publish another book!

Then the wheel of fate started turning the other direction, things started going bizarre, and for many reasons I don't wish to detail, sometimes I don't even understand myself, the book never took form.

One more wasted project!

My loss, for sure!, nobody's gain, I guess...

Some fellow photographers claim that they don't like to talk about their equipment or methods. Some even say that they don't care about technical issues. How grateful they must be!

These fellows often excuse their relutance on talking about technic, with the explanation that only the image counts, and nothing else matters. While I might understand that point of view, with some of them I have to ask if they have technical knowledge at all...

I permit myself to be silly and disagree: yes, equipment and technic count!

I am not a magician and I don't have tricks upon my sleeves, I don't pull secret rabbits out of my hat!

I am a photo-freak with nothing to hide!

Are you perhaps eager to learn more about what kind of gear I used to make the above photographs? Look at the list below (I hope that I won't forget something important, I very often do!):

- Gandolfi Variant with 6x12 Horseman roll film back, and Linhof 6x7 Rapid Rollex (as the names imply, 6x12 and 6x7 formats); Schneider lenses.

- Horseman SW612 Pro (6x12 format, also doubles duty as 6x9 camera); Rodenstock lenses.

- Corfield WA67 (6x7 format) with fixed Schneider Super Angulon 47mm.

- Hasselblad 500 C/M (format 6x6); Carl Zeiss lenses.

- Film: Kodak Ektachrome 120.

- Light meter: Gossen Variosix F.

- Color meter: Gossen Color Master 3F.

- CC and LB Filters: Rodenstock.

- Tripods: Gitzo and Manfrotto.

- Lighting equipment: Hensel.

Got an idea?

Now a little joke, and food for thought, for imaginary clients: would you find it correct to pay me the same for this kind of service, as if I only took my Canon digi and a little tripod along?

No? Well, a lot of people do...

Oh, by the way, where was my digi-ding-a-dong-dings-bums?

P.S.: A very special thank you goes to my son Luís who assisted me on the photographic sessions and all the people involved, mainly the staff personnel at Flor da Rosa, who were always very kind and helpful.

Have fun!

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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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Era uma vez um país... (Linhares da Beira, Fevereiro de 1978)

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Já venho de outros tempos, em que a pequeneza dos lugares lhes conferia uma vivência diferente e distinta.

Chegava-se, nessa época, a Linhares da Beira por uma estrada, incógnita e irregular, de terra batida. Encontrava-se, talvez, mais por acaso do que por conhecimento.

A solidez vagamente inesperada das muralhas do castelo, realçava a humildade do casario.

Rapidamente nos víamos rodeados pelos rostos da catraiada.

Revejo agora estas caras, perdidas algures entre o boçal e o angélico, e questiono-me o que terá a vida feito destas crianças.

Homens e mulheres medrosos não serão certamente, que para vingar em paragens tão inóspitas era obrigatório ser de boa cepa...

Povo, que tão mal te tratam, onde te escondes?

Onde guardas as tuas forquilhas e estadulhos, onde deixas repousar os teus cajados e varapaus?

Oiço eu o entoar do clarim, ou será já e apenas a alucinação de ouvidos moucos?

Vislumbro eu uma luz de esperança, ou será somente o ardor da cegueira colectiva?

Pressinto eu o frémito da revolta nascente, ou será únicamente o ressonar da besta apática?

Do nosso intelecto escorre, agora, uma verborreia tão informe como inútil, baba fétida que as nossas bocas vomitam num balbuciar desconexo e inofensivo.

Que falta fazem a este país, vozes da estirpe de um Alves Redol, seres com a dimensão e integridade de espírito, e de actos!, de um Aquilino Ribeiro ou de um Miguel Torga!

Nas nossas veias e nos nossos testículos, flui um líquidozinho ridículo, pálido e anémico, sem vigor...

Minolta XM, Kodak Ektachrome, 1978

"Vampiros" - José Afonso

No céu cinzento sob o astro mudo

Batendo as asas pela noite calada

Vêm em bandos com pés de veludo

Chupar o sangue fresco da manada.

Se alguém se engana com seu ar sisudo

E lhes franqueia as portas à chegada

Eles comem tudo, eles comem tudo

Eles comem tudo e não deixam nada.

A toda a parte chegam os vampiros

Poisam nos prédios, poisam nas calçadas

Trazem no ventre despojos antigos

Mas nada os prende às vidas acabadas.

São os mordomos do universo todo

Senhores à força, mandadores sem lei

Enchem as tulhas, bebem vinho novo

Dançam a ronda no pinhal do rei.

Eles comem tudo, eles comem tudo

Eles comem tudo e não deixam nada.

No chão do medo tombam os vencidos

Ouvem-se os gritos na noite abafada

Jazem nos fossos vítimas dum credo

E não se esgota o sangue da manada.

Se alguém se engana com seu ar sisudo

E lhes franqueia as portas à chegada

Eles comem tudo, eles comem tudo

Eles comem tudo e não deixam nada.

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