Praia de Mira, Portugal - Setembro de 1977 (The Minolta Years)

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Exactamente dez anos depois de eu ter tirado estas fotografias, o Dr. Adolfo Correia da Rocha escreveu:

Praia de Mira, 22 de Setembro de 1987 – Portugal não parece o mesmo. Em meia dúzia de anos, perdeu o carácter. Quem familiarmente lhe conhecia as feições que o singularizavam, fica espantado quando o percorre. Tudo mudou. As casas, as ruas, os trajes, os hábitos. Da praia de Mira que trazia na memória, e onde, num cenário mágico e a comungar com almas que o mereciam, vivi algumas das horas mais autênticas da minha vida de poeta, restam o mar, sempre revolto, e a capela, de madeira ainda, com os castiços palheiros de antanho. E é neles que consolo os olhos desiludidos. O velho oceano, na sua imutável e fascinante inquietação, e o templozinho de tábuas, na sua incorrupta e amorável rusticidade, dão não sei que razão calada ao meu espírito desencantado dum progresso que não sabe melhorar sem desfigurar.

Miguel Torga, Diário XV

Sim, o mar e a capela talvez ainda lá estejam, mas esse povo, onde anda ele?

Povo amado, que tão mal te tratam!

Peço desculpa pela qualidade técnica variável das imagens, mas talvez se deva perdoar a diapositivos que já resistiram a três décadas e meia de vida atribulada...

Quem me dera ter eu próprio resistido com tanto aprumo!

Para despedida - e por piada, como se costuma dizer - uma fotografia de moi durante a realização destas imagens, olhar perdido algures nos confins do azul, o coração invadido de esperança no futuro deste país...

 

Ficha técnica:

Câmaras - Minolta XM + Minolta 303b

Objectivas - Minolta Rokkor

Filmes - Kodak Kodachrome + Kodak Ektachrome

Lugar - Praia de Mira

Data - Setembro de 1977

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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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O Astronauta

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“O Astronauta” – Vinicius de Moraes / Baden Powell


Quando me pergunto
Se você existe mesmo, amor
Entro logo em órbita
No espaço de mim mesmo, amor


Será que por acaso
A flor sabe que é flor
E a estrela Vénus
Sabe ao menos
Porque brilha mais bonita, amor


O astronauta ao menos
Viu que a terra é toda azul, amor
Isso é bom saber
Porque é bom morar no azul, amor


Mas você, sei lá
Você é uma mulher
Sim, você é linda
Porque é

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Gente Humilde

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Lisboa, Alfama, 1987
(Hasselblad 500 EL/M+Carl Zeiss Distagon)

"Gente Humilde" - Garoto / Vinicius de Moraes / Chico Buarque


Tem certos dias em que eu penso em minha gente
E sinto assim todo o meu peito se apertar
Porque parece que acontece de repente
Como um desejo de eu viver sem me notar

Igual a como quando eu passo no subúrbio
Eu muito bem, vindo de trem, de algum lugar
E aí me dá uma inveja dessa gente
Que vai em frente, sem nem ter com que contar

São casas simples, com cadeiras na calçada
E na fachada escrito em cima que é um lar
Pela varanda, flores tristes e baldias
Como a alegria que não tem onde encostar

E aí me dá uma tristeza no meu peito
Feito um despeito de eu não ter como lutar
E eu que não creio, peço a Deus por minha gente
É gente humilde, que vontade de chorar


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A Day at the Races (Part 2) - Autódromo do Estoril (20th of November 2011)

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Jorge using the Canon EF 500mm

(courtesy of Canon Professional Services/Colorfoto)

Some days ago, you could see some photographs I made during the treino fotográfico organized by Colorfoto and Canon Professional Services, so I won’t repeat myself here, explaining how it all came to take place.

Please, just use your mouse, should you wish to know more and you missed the first post.

The workshop actually consisted of two days, so this second post on the theme shows the photographs I shot on Sunday.

Please, allow me just to remember that the treino fotográfico took place under the supervision of the very kind gentleman Paulo Maria, an experienced sports photographer.

Once again, thank you Paulo, thank you Colorfoto and Canon.

I also wish to thank the staff at Autódromo do Estoril and the racing teams, everybody was very kind and supportive.

Last but not least, a special grateful word to my sun Jorge who brought me along…

The racing cars were only the Leitmotiv…

I don’t really much care about racing cars, I am more the type of guy who gets a faster heartbeat staring at Land Rovers and Pinzgauers, everything that can climb over rocks, or dive in some deep mud… The type of workhorse vehicles that can take me to that far away places, out of reach from the ordinary Sunday drivers.

Nevertheless, photographing racing cars (with a digital camera) can quickly become a passionate addiction and you must control yourself to stop shooting.

As you might guess looking at the photographs, I got a kick out of telling a story about the human action at it, all the anxiety and stress, all the concentration and awareness, all the sadness of losing and all the joy of winning.

Just like in real life…

Some of the fellow-photographers who made the day very enjoyable

Some thoughts and opinions about the Canon gear I have used on the event:

The 500mm that you see Jorge using above is for sure a great lens! Jorge got absolutely wonderful shots with it!

 If I would earn my money shooting sports or birds, I would definitely consider such a beast.

As I don’t, I prefer to stick to my (much smaller and lighter)  EF 400mm / 5.6 L (or whatever Canon calls it, I am lazy to check it up, this long terminology kind of nerves me!).

Since I got recently a frozen shoulder and some trouble in my left hand, this beast of a lens (I mean the 500mm) just is too heavy and cumbersome for my taste. I know that you need to get used to it, but I feel much more confortable with the smaller lens.

(Please, keep in mind that on the 30D body, as I have used it, the 400 becomes equivalent to a 640mm lens! I was actally getting “nearer” than Jorge with his 5D and the 500mm… I have used the 400mm exclusively hand held, no tripod or monopod! - no Image Stablizer on this lens, thanks!)

You can see the lens in question (I mean the 400mm) on an older post, should you have interest on taking a look. If you look further on, you will also find several photographs that every now and then I posted, made using that piece of glass.  

I also had the chance to try the 70-200 / 2.8 L in the Autódromo, the newer version of the lens, with Image Stablizer. In case you have noticed my former comment, you will understand that I am no big fan of IS… The noise and feeling of it working just drives me nuts, I rather prefer to hold one of my cats in the arm!

So, I prefer to stick to my older version, without IS, thank you again! (of course, you may claim that I can shoot with IS off. You are right, but I have the feeling that if we made a side by side test on optical quality and definition, the older lens would win… Somebody with more experience than me out there with a different opinion? Maybe Canon?)

The rest of the stuff was plain bread and butter:

I have used Jorge’s EF 50mm / 1.4, a lens that I can’t say it is bad for sure, but I also won’t claim that it is “GREAT”.  I know that lots of knowledgeable people love it, but I am maybe spoiled by Leitz / Leica and Zeiss…

I say jaein (ja + nein as the germans like to say)…

About my old 17-35 / 2.8 L:

Canon still has to make it better, if they want to convince me with their wide-angles, but then again maybe I am spoiled by the Summicrons, Elmarits, Distagons, Super-Angulons and Grandagons…

(lots of funny names, right!)

As I have said before, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose…

All in all, I absolutely was a winner by taking part on the event!

I hope that you enjoy the photographs.

Technical data for both days:

Camera - Canon 30D

Lenses - Canon EF 17-35mm/2.8 L + EF 50mm/1.4 + 70-200mm/2.8 IS L (not used on the 20th) + 400mm/5.6 L

Dates - 19th + 20th of November 2011 (these images, second day only)

Location - Autódromo do Estoril, Portugal

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Meu tempo é quando

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Tomar, Abril de 2011

Leica M4 + Summicron 35mm

"Poética" - Vinicius de Moraes


De manhã escureço
De dia tardo
De tarde anoiteço
De noite ardo.


A oeste a morte
Contra quem vivo
Do sul cativo
O este é meu norte.

Outros que contem
Passo por passo;
Eu morro ontem


Nasço amanhã
Ando onde há espaço;
- Meu tempo é quando.


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Boom! Boom! Out Goes the Light!

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I washed the dishes and warmed the palm of my hand with a cup of coffee, the cats are fed and I am ready to share some little things with you:

We play our power games, we step on each others feet,
And, all of a sudden…
Boom! Boom! Out goes the light!

Ah, just small nobodies…

I wish I had a photograph of dolphins - I used to see the toninhas on the beach in Maxixe, Mozambique, many years ago. I was too young, I had no camera, but after all, we are all god's children, right?

To cheer it up, a song by the great Fred Neil, a song that often makes me break into tears:

"The Dolphins" - Fred Neil (1966)

This old world may never change

The way it's been,

And all the ways of war

Can't change it back again.

I've been searching

For the dolphins in the sea,

And sometimes I wonder

Do you ever think of me?

I'm not the one to tell this world

How to get along,

I only know the peace will come

When all hate is gone.

I've been searching

For the dolphins in the sea...

You know sometimes I think about

Saturday's child,

And all about the time

When we were running wild.

I've been searching

For the dolphins in the sea...

This old world may never change,

This world may never change,

This world may never change...

(Please, allow me to dedicate this song to a lady who actually swims with the dolphins in Hawaii - Hi Pamela, would you please say hello to the dolphins for me?)

And because sometimes I am so addicted to Fred Neil songs and his deep voice, here comes the next one:

"Everybody's Talkin'" - Fred Neil (1966)

Everybody's talkin' at me,

I don't hear a word they're sayin',

Only the echoes of my mind.

People stop and stare,

I can't see the faces,

Only the shadows of their eyes.

I'm goin' where the sun keeps shinin'

Through the pouring rain,

Going where the weather suits my clothes,

Bankin' off on the northest wind,

Sailing on a summer breeze,

Skippin' over the ocean like a stone.

Everybody's talkin' at me,

Can't hear a word they're saying

Only the echoes of my mind.

I won't let you leave my love behind...

Fred Neil is dead and gone, but I know we will meet one fine day, that's for sure!

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This old world may never change
The way it's been
And all the ways of war
Can't change it back again

I've been searchin'
For the dolphins in the sea
And sometimes I wonder
Do you ever think of me

I'm not the one to tell this world
How to get along
I only know the peace