The shadow...

Photography has some funny aspects to it. Although you seldom know the people in them (unless it's your holliday snapshots), you can't but wonder who are they? Where are they going?

I took this picture in Lisbon, in the very early hours in the morning. As you can imagine, this being one of the most bustling areas of Lisbon, there's nobody out and about at this hour. So, what is this person doing? Who is he, or she, what is he carrying?

Although we don't normally think of it, the point of view of the person taking the photograph (i.e. the photographer) is also relevant.

You can go either way, it could've been a studied and prepared shot or, as in this case, it could be a spur of the moment thing, and in which case it has a certain randomness we feel atracted to. Why this time, why this person, why this milisecond and not the next. You gotta love this unpredictable nature of photography. If there is a clock in the camera (and there is, you can see the shutter subdivisions) you can live inside this subdivision, you can literally stop time!

If there is enough light, then you can really stop the world and the people in it. It has an amazing power to deconstruct the real. Of course, there is nothing real about a shadow stopped in front of the coffee shop in Lisbon, but in this subdivision of time, you can believe it happened.

This was taken in Lisbon with a DSLR.

Man Carrying...

There is a well known section of Cairo, called Khan el Khalili, or simply "The Khan". By night is a bustling area, with loads of tourists and extraordinarily talented sales people that can speak any language you want.... I mean, anything!

This was taken in a day where I visited the Khan by day, for the very first time. I was surprised to find that it's an altogether different beast. There are still salesmen and tourists around, but not that much. It's also less dauting and less intimidating in the daytime. Of course, not as much fun as at night.

People work hard in the Khan. This man's here is the proof. Carrying a hefty load of merchandise to sell later.

I took this picture in Cairo, with a DSLR.

Lonely at dusk...

It's quite common to see sweethearts by the Nile. Egypt is a quite conservative country, so walks by the Nile is an acceptable behaviour.

What is less common is to see women by themselves. Specially at dusk and at night. This girl seems to be waiting for something. Who knows, maybe her fiancé.

I love this aspect of photographs. While they describe the physicality of the scene, it describes nothing real. It's nothing other than organized lying.

But at the same time, that's what draws us into the picture. What is she thinking? What are her dreams, her hopes? The fact that she acts as a cutout to the Nile gives her an almost ghost-like quality. Like she's not even really there...

This picture was taken in Cairo, with a DSLR.

Street Art...

I dislike graffitti as much as the next guy. However, I must admit that sometimes, it really gets to me.

If given enough quality, street art can be great. In this case, it was really making a non-descript wall in Cairo, seem a little more human. 

This was taken in Cairo, with a DSLR

Nina...

This is the first time I've posted personal pictures. I don't find that bad though, 'cause you'll most likely won't ever get to meet Carlota Joaquina (that's her full name, by the way). We call her Nina, for short.

This picture, I believe, encompasses everything I love about cats. They are a misundertood bunch, for the most part.

Cats are very much like patiente and trees, very deep roots, but sweet fruits. If you get to know them and really appreciate them, you'll find there's nothing quite like it...

You don't get to see it, but Nina is just paying attention to something my wife is doing, and giving her its full attention. You can't get this sort of focus from humans!

This picture was taken with a DSLR at my house.  

Protection....

Much as the images of saints in Europe, in Egypt people use similar things (but no images though), in order to ask for protection.

We indeed live in a dangerous world and we need all the help we can get! This object is hanging from the rear view mirror and in the background you got the horrendous Cairo traffic. You gotta' have protection for that!!

This picture was taken with a DSLR, in Cairo.

Mosque at dusk...

By now it's no secret that I love photographing in the dusk. I have the firm belief that you can't go wrong with this approach.

I think I really captured the mood of a late afternoon in Cairo with this shot. Granted, the mosque is not fully exposed, but the contrast with that amazing sky would make any silhouette work.

This shot was taken in Cairo, at dusk with a DSLR. (Against my better judgement, this shot was taken from the car! Anything can work! ;-) )

Konafa...

Ramadan is almost up in Egypt and other muslim countries. This is a time for celebration and in Cairo, Konafa is a treat not to be missed.

It's some form of sugary thread, stuffed with nuts, such as pistachios. It's greatness only surpassed by Om Ali, another desert not to be missed and my personal favourite.

I love photographing food, as food makes for a good model.

It's patient, it will sustain almost any kind of abuse and light seems to like it as well. It has texture, it has personality, it stands still for unlimited amounts of time... as I said: perfect.

This photo was taken using a digital SLR.

Suits...

I like the idea of taking simple pictures. I believe it adds to the strength of the message, if there are just two or three elements in a picture.

This picture is one of those cases, even though I'm not sure what it means, it still delivers a message.

Is it "legal" to assign a message to a picture, after the fact? Maybe. In this case, I think that it portrais the wait. These suits are waiting in the store, for a pick-up by a customer that may even not happen, ever. 

The way they seem to stack up at the left hand side means that the last person that went through them scanned for left to right, maybe.

This was taken at a clothes shop (ya think?) with a digital SLR.