On the cockpit.

Today, I had the pleasure of flying in the Rolls Royce of the Helicopters the EH-101 "Merlin" from the Portuguese Air Force. The helicopter is very comfortable and very stable. I went with some ministers from Europe that are present at the EU Informal Meeting of Agriculture Ministers, during the Portuguese EU presidency in Oporto, northern of Portugal. We fly for about 50 minutes from Oporto to Régua, flying over an amazing scenery the Douro river.
This photo is from the cockpit, the pilot was seated on the right and the co-pilot, a young woman was on the left.

©Miguel A. Lopes

Mr. Jean Claude Trichet

During 14 and 15 of September in Oporto takes place the Informal Meeting of Minister of Economic and Financial Affairs (ECOFIN), with the presence of some of the powerful man of Europe. One of them is the President of the European Central Bank, Mr. Jean Claude Trichet, and today in the press conference I made some photos of him.

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

Hercules C-130 Transportation Squad

Just a few photos from the Hercules C-130 Transportation Squad "Os Bisontes" that celebrate this weekend their thirtieth year of activity.

©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

Traffic Jam? No stress!!!

Are you in a traffic Jam and Stressed? Well if you are there are two things that will light your mood. The iPod and a camera. Today going to the job, and I was already late, there was some constructions going on in the highway and the traffic was completely Jammed. I was already listening my music, but because I wasn't moving I grab my camera and toke some photos. A nice thing to see is the other people faces and moods and try to photograph them, I like to imagine where are those people going, what are they thinking, if they are thinking in a excuse to give to they're boss, if are they in stress, etc etc.
Two more things, don't forget to keep your attention to the road and try not to stress about the fact that you're trapped in the traffic because that won't help the cars move faster and is not good to your health so just enjoy the moment!!!

©Miguel A. Lopes

Special Police

Living in the era of terrorism, every security is not enough.
During this days in the City of Viana do Castelo in the north of Portugal where the Informal Meeting of Foreign Affairs is happening with the presence of all the Ministers from the European Union, the Portuguese Special Police, heavy armed, kept the complex safe from the attempt of any terrorist attack, with snipers in every corner of the Municipal Library and in some surrounding buildings.

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

A wonderfull photographic moment

It started today the Informal Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs in the Portuguese city of Viana do Castelo, hosted by our Minister Luis Amado. In the morning when we first came and was waiting for all the E.U. ministers we journalists ask him to come near us and after insisting a bit he finally came but when we was walking to us he just made this funny expression captured by me and I'm sure by other photographers.

©Miguel A. Lopes

Photographic Fever.

Ten years ago I worked in a hotel, back in those times not many people had cell phones and even less people had pocket cameras, except for all the tourists coming from Asia that in those days we looked at them thinking "What are those strangers taking photos of? and, Why are they always taking photos?"
Ten years later and now everyone as got cell phones some times more than one and digital pocket cameras ready to make snap shoots.
This week when I was taking photos to ministers of environment in a very touristic place I recall those times when I saw a group of Asiatic tourists also visiting this place and every single one of them were caring cameras and taking photos.

©Miguel A. Lopes
©Miguel A. Lopes

My third soccer game but now as prime photographer!

Last Sunday my photo editor gave my the trust and send me to work as one of two photographers to a big soccer game in the Portuguese major league. The game was between the team Sporting against Beleneses. I used two Canon cameras again, the EOS 1D Mark II N with the lens 300L 2.8, and the Canon 20D with the lens 24-70L 2.8. I positioned myself in one corner and my colleague stayed in the opposite corner. In the first half I had the team Belenenses attacking in my direction. During the halftime break I start editing the photos on my laptop and I start sending the photos to my editor in the Agency. During the second period Sporting team was attacking in my direction and I had to be photographing the game, editing photos on photoshop with captions and keep sending photos to the Agency. Its a tough job but very exciting too. It's also very rewarding to see my photos published the next day in the newspapers, in this game I had a small photo in the front page of two different newspapers and today I had one big photograph of the players fighting for the ball in another newspaper.
This are some of the photos of the game and also the moment when Belenenses Coach Jorge Jesus was speaking with is player Gabriel.
Oh by the way Sporting won by 1-0.

©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

Less Light

Less light more detail.

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

Returning of Portuguese Troops from Afghanistan

After six months serving in Afghanistan, last Friday 34 Portuguese Soldiers return home safe. In the airport terminal the families were impatiently waiting for them. It was a very touching moment to photograph as the emotions were on top and I almost could feel what the families and soldiers were feeling.
Every day we hear bad news on the TV, and for the families it must be hard to think on the beloved ones working on war zones, so seeing them after six months was a very relief and special moment.

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