Feb 9th

All the fabulous, beautiful, charming, intelligent and talented people who were born on february 9th...

And, of course..

Me ✓

33 years in one gif

Seriously, though, I just hope 33 get better. My 32 were perfect in regard of my personal life. But professionally was close to chaos. Hope on 33 I can balance more. 

Inspirational Wednesday

I don’t know if it’s the carnival that is coming, but I’ve been so into masks photos. And I don’t even care that some of them remind me of horror movies. Haha. Here’s a selection of what I found creatively good these days...

(I am not an autor of these photos, click on every picture and you will see the original flickr content).

February

Point Lobos, CA - Portra 160

February is here. In a few (very few) days, I’ll be 33. And I:

- Still don’t have a clue about what to do with my life;
- Still pretty much hate this brazilian weather;
- Still underestimate my work;
- Still chose the most mentally weak players to root for;
- Still don’t feel safe in my own skin;
- Still can’t coordinate colors;
- Still dress like a crazy homeless person;
- Still listen to Etta James out loud on “those days”;
- Still feel safe when I’m in his arms;
- Still am broke;
- Still am glad january is over.

Last week I lost a really good friend. It was a stupid death. He had a giant headache from an insolation and people in the hospital gave him a medicine which he was allergic to. It was very, very sad. He was a couple months younger than me and had a beautiful 2yo daughter. 

RIP, my dear friend

California VI - Point Lobos

I talked about this place so much on other posts...

First of all, I have to say: no pictures in the world will make justice to the beauty of this place. It was probably one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen! It is located in the Highway One, in Monterey County. If you ever decided to travel through this beautiful road, please, don’t miss this State Reserve. And take all the hiking trails. You won’t regret.

Nikon F100
35mm f1.4G
Portra 160 (exp 2014)

It’s friday, I’m in love

I was watching Sideways yesterday and, oh god, how I miss California. Especially this place, Point Lobos, which has nothing to do with the movie, but it is now one of my favorite places on earth. I’m a bit skeptical, towards God and all that, but for once in my life I could feel there’s something bigger than you and me.

Fun fact: about 40 minutes after this picture, he proposed. :)

Ignorance is a bliss

I was talking to a friend the other day, we were remembering the times when I started to photograph “for real”. I was 20 at the time and decided to take the hobby to a profession. From then to now there was a lot of drama and money wasted. Since I first decided to take classes, and invest on good quality equipment to where I am now, it took me more than 10 years. Do you remember the “Fotolog” ol’ days? well, I had a page there and I remember posting almost daily. And I was so fascinated with this, I used to post photos (of a questionable quality) of my feet, of my books, of everything around and I thought I was so deep!! I thought I was this huge talent waiting to happen. It is so funny how we think of ourselves at a young age and years later we disappoint that young person so much. Of all the things I thought I would be by the age of 32 (almost 33), none happened. Of course, a lot of other great things happened, and I am happy and all that. But there’s this feeling that the more I study and the more I learn about photography, the more I think less of myself. My ignorance was the fuel that kept me on risking. Now I think I am too settled. Because I know I’m not an Annie Leibovitz or an Anton Corbijn. I know I’m not the next best thing and I find myself stuck in there. I have this struggle from time to time, but especially around my birthday. Does it happen to you too?

Update: Just when I pressed “publish”, I remembered this Nick Hornby book I have, “A long way down”. Have you guys read it? Well, there’s this quote I love, and it kinda sums up what I’ve been thinking.

“The trouble with my generation is that we all think we’re fucking geniuses. Making something isn’t good enough for us, and neither is selling something, or teaching something, or even just doing something; we have to be something. It’s our inalienable right, as citizens of the twenty-first century. If Christina Aguilera or Britney or some American Idol jerk can be something, then why can’t I? Where’s mine, huh? (...) But having talent is never enough to make us happy, is it? I mean, it should be, because a talent is a gift and you should thank God for it, but I didn’t. It just pissed me off because I wasn’t being paid for it, and it didn’t get me on the cover of Rolling Stone.”

California V - Muir Woods

I totally forgot to post about Muir Woods! It should have been posted before Yosemite, haha.

It happens, right?! Before late than never!

It is such a beautiful place. You’ll probably remember it from the new Planet of the Apes series. It is Ceasar’s home. But let me tell you, it didn’t remind me of the movie... One scene I remember clearly was James Franco’s character and the girlfriend having a picnic there. But there are MANY signs informing that is forbidden to eat anywhere in the park. Haha. I took a lot of food and a nice towel and all I did was eat an energy bar in the middle of the trail.

Anyway... I just wished we could have spent more time there. We were in a hurry to hit the road to Yosemite... The sun was setting at 5pm, and we didn’t wanna take the road in a complete darkness (which happened anyway). Even though, we had enough time to take one trail and enjoy what nature has to offer. :)

Funny story: I took this Velvia roll before the Wine Tour we did. By the time we were leaving the hotel I mistook this one, that was expired, thinking it was the other Velvia 100 that is not so expired. I only noticed what I did when I got back from the lab. Now I put a yellow mark in all very expired rolls, so I’ll never mistake them again. Haha, living and learning.

Nikon F100
35mm f1.4G
Fuji Velvia 100 (exp 2009)