Not much of News....But still working....

Well its summer and there is not much things happening in Lisbon and I'm not having that much assignments, normally doing just one service a day and nothing really hot as news, only the temperatures in Lisbon. This gives me time to go back to my archive and organize it and look again to old photos.
One of the folders of photos I've been organizing and editing is the one with photos from New York. I went there last December to attend a four days Photography Workshop of Raw Workflow by D65.
I stayed for two weeks and during that time I always carried my camera with me doing thousands of photographs.
In New York streets there is so much diversity of people and cultures, you can find people from all over the world, and I don't mean tourists but people that live there and consider them selfs "locals". I personally think it it one of the most amazing cities in terms of stories and moods. The streets of New York have a unique atmosphere that I tried to capture and transmit in my photographs.
Because I think that these little moments I capture with my camera are history, and of course will never repeat again, I prefer the black and white format.
Here are just a few photos from this period in New York.

©Miguel A. Lopes
©Miguel A. Lopes
©Miguel A. Lopes
©Miguel A. Lopes
©Miguel A. Lopes
©Miguel A. Lopes
©Miguel A. Lopes
©Miguel A. Lopes
©Miguel A. Lopes

Crater Lake

Last summer I visit Crater Lake in Oregon USA, it was the first day of summer and it was a beautiful sunny day with no wind. Crater Lake is the main feature of Crater Lake National Park and famous for its deep blue color and water clarity. In the photo you can see a couple enjoying this amazing view.

©Miguel A, Lopes

Atlantic Ocean

Another photo of the series of my personal collection of "New Ways of see Landscapes". In this one you can see a man fishing on the Atlantic Ocean in the west coast of Portugal, it is near the town Peniche and is a really amazing place to visit.

©Miguel A. Lopes

New ways of see Lanscapes

When we think of landscapes we normally imagine those beautiful photos on the postcards or amazing places that we already visit during our life.
In this process we tend to forget that man has stamped his mark upon it and that no matter how virgin is the place in front of our eyes we are or were there and that in that place there is man interaction, whether by direct action like urbanization, deforestation, leisure parks, electrical lines, roads, etc or by consequences of indirect actions like global warming that are gradually changing this landscapes. I personally like to see beautiful photos like those in postcards with amazingly beautiful places but I find them a bit boring.
I am now searching on my archives for photos where I capture a landscape or a cityscape with human interaction on that particular moment. I try on this photographs to express this symbioses where I want to put together the landscape or cityscape and the people who are enjoying it or that are part of it.
This will by a long term project where I will by publishing old photos and new ones.
The first one you can see a man and The Statue of Liberty, one of most touristic places in New York, it was taken in December 2006 in a beautiful but cold day when I went to do the touristic ferry boat trip around Manhattan.
Enjoy it.

©Miguel A. Lopes

Gypsy Portraits

I made this portraits when me and a colleague went to do a reportage with Nomadic Gypsy's. I already publish here some other photos I made there but I went back to see again all the photographs I made that day and now I publish this portraits of the gypsy kids. During the period I was there this kids were always wanting me to photograph them and it was getting hard to do my job because they were always around me. So at one point I call all of them and put them one by one in front of the camera. Suddenly they became shy, it was like the camera was stilling something from them and in a way they became fragile and vulnerable.

©Miguel A. Lopes
©Miguel A. Lopes
©Miguel A. Lopes
©Miguel A. Lopes
©Miguel A. Lopes
©Miguel A. Lopes
©Miguel A. Lopes
©Miguel A. Lopes
©Miguel A. Lopes
©Miguel A. Lopes

Portraits and other photos of this week

My friend Edgar in his fireman cloths
©Miguel A. Lopes
Cardozo, the new striker from Benfica giving a autograph to a fan
©Miguel A. Lopes
Vitor Constancio, Governor of Portugal Bank
©Miguel A. Lopes
Carmona Rodrigues the former Mayor from Lisbon
©Miguel A. Lopes
The piano player Sequeira e Costa
©Miguel A. Lopes
One Hundred Years old Mr. Wenceslau
©Miguel A. Lopes

Red Carpet

Last week Luz Stadium in Lisbon was the host for the Ceremony of the Official Declaration of the New 7 Wonders of the World. I was working there covering this event. Before the show started I went to do some photos to the VIP's on the Red Carpet and among other VIP's I had the pleasure to photograph the great and beautiful Hollywood actress Hilary Swank. This to say that she's on my top five most beautiful women in the world. A funny moment happened wh she came in to the Red Carpet, there was a very small step but she didn't saw it and that was enough to brake her right shoe. In the first photo she is telling the photographers to wait and you can see that her right shoe broken.
In the second one she is already with black shoes that some woman borrow her so she could walk back to the Red Carpet.
I also photograph the beautiful Bollywood actress Bipasha Basu with the actor Ben Kingsley.
And in the last photo is the Spanish dancer Joaquin Cortez

©Miguel A. Lopes
©Miguel A. Lopes
©Miguel A. Lopes
©Miguel A. Lopes

Reuters Photographers Blog

This Photograph is not mine nor was taken by me but I found it in the News Agency Reuters Photographers Blog. This Blog is really nice, THERE you can find out about what makes a great picture as the Reuters photo editors and photographers blog about the most eye-catching images from the hundreds reviewed every day from colleagues and the wider public.
The first Text and Photos today (11 July 2007) is posted by Finbarr O'Reilly about his coverage in Afghanistan of the Canadian military operations against Taliban forces. Finbarr O'Reilly is a Reuters photographer based in West Africa. Originally from Canada and last year winner of the First Prize of World Press Photo Contest.

Public Protest

Yesterday was the hottest day this year with temperatures rising up to almost 40 degrees Celsius. Even so around ten thousand people came to Guimaraes a city in the north of Portugal to participate in a public protest against the Portuguese government and his policies in terms of work rights. The demonstrators choose this city and day because of the Informal Meeting of Employment and Social Affairs happening here during yesterday and today where Delegates from all European Countries came to discuss the future coordination of policies for employment and social protection.
Below are some photos but you can check HERE the slideshow with photos and sounds of the protest.

©Miguel A. Lopes
©Miguel A. Lopes
©Miguel A. Lopes
©Miguel A. Lopes
©Miguel A. Lopes
©Miguel A. Lopes
©Miguel A. Lopes
©Miguel A. Lopes
©Miguel A. Lopes
©Miguel A. Lopes
©Miguel A. Lopes
©Miguel A. Lopes
©Miguel A. Lopes
©Miguel A. Lopes

Super Bock Super Rock

This is the only photo I made of The Super Bock Super Rock Music Festival last week. I had to go make some photos to this Festival where Metallica were the main Band. I wanted to make some photos not only to the bands but also to the people and mood inside but as I was walking in the Festival a woman from the organization came to me and said that I had to put my camera on a box or I had to leave the festival, I ask the woman why, and she said that those were the rules. I know that normally we only can take photos to the bands on the first songs, but in other festivals we can walk around and do photos not to the bands but to the crowds and the other things in the festival. I ask to see what kind of box it was and she showed me one big box with at least 20 photo bags inside, and they all look alike, and a bunch of cameras like mine, all packed on top of each other without any security or organization. Because my material is very expensive and I find this situation unacceptable in terms of professionalism, I decided not to put my cameras there.
So I had to leave the concert and that woman made sure I really leave it.
I called my photo editor from the agency and told him this situation, and we agreed with my decision.
I went home to leave my cameras and photo gear and went again just to see Metallica, it was a great concert but all the organization of the festival really "sucked".
Next time I will just take a pocket camera, hide my press credential and do as all the crowd do, make photos during all the concert without any problem.

© Miguel A. Lopes