In the midst of darkness, light persists...

[ The sky is the limit ]

2011-12-20T02:38:00.002Z

[ Fly away II ]

2011-12-16T19:04:00.000Z

[ Hanging around ]

2011-07-06T17:44:00.000+01:00

Então, e porquê andar sempre com a câmara atrás de nós? Simplesmente porque há momentos que não podem ser perdidos...

So, why do you always have to walk around with your camera? Simply because some moments just can't be lost...

[ Fly away ]

2011-07-06T03:10:00.000+01:00

Podia ser assim simples: um balão, uma brisa persistente e uma viagem para um lugar longínquo... Mais um extraordinário graffiti em Miguel Bombarda, Porto.

It could be this simple: a balloon, a persistent breeze and a journey to somewhere far away... Another extraordinary graffiti in Miguel Bombarda, Porto.

[ Golden Heart IV ]

2011-07-04T00:42:00.000+01:00

É uma vez mais de louvar a forma como Miguel Bombarda se reinventa dia após dia. Tivemos o [ Golden Heart II ], depois o [ Golden Heart III ], estreamos agora o IV já com curiosidade em saber onde nos levará a imaginação deste artista, ainda mais, considerando os longos minutos que levam a escrever estas linhas, fruto de uma escassez da minha própria imaginação...

Não lhe poderei chamar bloqueio de escrita - ainda não ouço o cursor a piscar no ecrã como se de um relógio de pêndulo se tratasse - mas as incertezas que pairam no ar levam a que seja virtualmente impossível focar a mente apenas num lugar... mas todas as viagens começam da mesma forma: com o primeiro passo para fora da porta.

Amanhã é um novo dia, e quem sabe onde os nossos passos nos levarão?

One must commend the way in which Miguel Bombarda reinvents itself day after day. We've had [ Golden Heart II ], [ Golden Heart III ], we premier the IV and already curious to know where this artist's imagination will lead us, even more considering the long minutes that took to write these lines, fruit of a shortage in my own imagination...

I can't call it writers block - I'm not hearing the cursor blinking on the screen like if it was a pendulum clock - but all these uncertainties make it virtually impossible to focus the mind in only one place... but every journey begins the same way: with the first step out the door.

Tomorrow is a new day, and who knows where these steps will take us?

[ Optimism ]

2011-05-25T21:02:00.000+01:00

Em Portugal dorme-se tranquilamente. A 8.500km de distância, sozinhos e com um oceano a separá-los de tudo e todos os que conhecem, numa pequena capela algures nos arredores de Las Vegas, duas pessoas olham nos olhos uma da outra e dizem um brilhante e sorridente "sim", seguido de "by the power invested in me by the State of Nevada, I now pronounce you husband and wife".

E assim se conta a história. Um casamento é muito mais do que uma cerimónia onde se anuncia ao mundo numa festa gloriosa que duas pessoas estão juntas. Consegue ser muito mais do que isso quando é feito apenas e só porque duas pessoas sentem algo tão forte a uni-los que têm, simplesmente têm, de fazer algo em relação a isso.

Um simples SMS deu a notícia: "estamos de regresso, tesos, mas felizes". E nada mais importa do que a felicidade. Meus irmãos do coração, eu amo-vos com todas as minhas forças, e não vejo a hora de estarmos juntos para vos abraçar bem forte e dizer-vos olhos nos olhos o quanto estou feliz.

Mas a felicidade não ficou por aqui. Menos de 24h depois, um tipo diferente de mensagem, vindo de uma direcção totalmente diferente: "mamã às 19h54. Ema 3,3kg". Alegria das alegrias! Mais um abraço devido e mais um sorriso de orelha a orelha ao saber que estão bem, saudáveis e felizes.

Optimismo. Enquanto continuarmos a acreditar no Amor, vai correr tudo bem.

In Portugal people are sleeping quietly. 8.500km away, alone and with an ocean separating them from everything and everyone they know, in a small chapel somewhere around Las Vegas, two people look into each other's eyes and say a bright and smily "I do", followed by "by the power invested in me by the State of Nevada, I now pronounce you husband and wife".

And that's how the story is told. A marriage is much more than a ceremony announcing the world in a glorious party and two people are together. It can be much more than that when it's done for the sole reason that two people feel something so strong binding them that they have too, they just have to do something about it.

A simple SMS sent the word: "we're heading back, we're broke, but we're happy". And nothing else matters more than happiness. My brothers of the heart, I love you with all my strength, and I can't wait to be with you so that I can hold you tight and tell you face to face how happy I am.

But the happiness didn't end here. Less than 24h later, a different kind of message, coming from a completely different direction: "mommy at 19h54. Ema 3,3Kg". Joy of joys! Another hug to be delivered and another smile from ear to ear learning that they're both ok, healthy and happy.

Optimism. As long as we keep believing in Love, everything is going to be alright.

[ Earthquake ]

2011-05-21T12:14:00.000+01:00

Uma pequena nota prévia: esta foto foi tirada em Miguel Bombarda, no Porto, no dia 12 de Março, precisamente um dia depois do devastador terramoto e tsunami que atingiram o Japão. É na face da adversidade que se descobrem as mais fortes qualidades de um povo. Que nunca lhes falte a coragem e a determinação.

O terramoto que me leva à escrita hoje é interno. Por diversas vezes somos confrontados com situações que nos levam a repensar de forma profunda a nossa percepção do mundo e de quem nos rodeia, e estranhamente, os últimos meses têm sido mais ricos nesse tipo de experiências do que todo o resto da minha vida.

Princípios. Não são inatos, a menos dos que à sobrevivência dizem respeito, mas não é de sobrevivência que se trata quando falamos em honra, em palavra, em verdade. Se calhar sou demasiado matemático na minha forma de pensar. Se calhar penso demasiado. Se calhar dou demasiado valor à amizade. Se calhar dou demasiado de mim a quem me rodeia. Se calhar o mundo está certo, e eu estou errado. Se calhar sou mesmo eu que estou a conduzir no lado errado da auto-estrada... se calhar era mais fácil se a minha coluna vertebral fosse mais flexível. Se calhar era melhor não a ter.

Mas o facto é que a tenho, e não faz parte dos meus planos abdicar dela. Lamento se desiludo, mas o material de que sou feito não perde propriedades com a compressão, a tracção ou a flexão. O material de que sou feito não muda de estado quando aquecido nem fissura quando arrefecido. O material de que sou feito não é solúvel, não é miscível, e não muda de cor. Lamento se desiludo, mas estas são as minhas regras, e quem não as aprendeu ainda, vai conhecê-las em primeira mão quando menos esperar.

Alpinistas, ratazanas, furões, camaleões, lesmas, baratas, hienas, abutres, e outros que tais, prestem atenção: o terramoto passou, e as aulas estão a começar.

Just a quick note: this photo was taken in Miguel Bombarda, Porto, on March 12th, precisely one day after the devastating earthquake and tsunami hit Japan. It's in the face of adversity that the strongest qualities of a nation are discovered. May they never lack the courage and determination.

The earthquake that brings me to writing today is an internal one. Several times we're faced with situations that lead us to rethink our perception of the world and the ones that surround us in a profound way, and oddly, the last couple of months have been filled with these kind of experiences, more than the rest of my life.

Principles. You don't get them at birth, expect the survival ones, but we're not talking about survival when we think of honor, word, truth. Maybe I'm too mathematical in the way I think. Maybe I think too much. Maybe I value friendship too much. Maybe I give too much of myself to the ones that surround me. Maybe the world is right and I'm wrong. Maybe it's really me that's driving on the wrong side of the freeway... maybe it would be easier if my backbone was a bit more flexible. Maybe it would be better not to have one at all.

But the fact is that I have one, and I'm not planning to give it up. I'm sorry if I'm disappointing, but the material that I'm made of doesn't loose properties when it's compressed, tractioned or flexed. The material that I'm made of doesn't change state when it's heated, and it doesn't fissure when cooled. The material that I'm made of isn't soluble, it isn't mixable, and doesn't change color. I'm sorry if I'm disappointing, but those are my rules, and for those who haven't learned them yet, you're going to get them first hand when you least expect it.

Mountain climbers, rats, furets, chameleons, slugs, cockroaches, hyenas, vultures, and others alike, pay attention: the earthquake is over, and school's up.

[ Parlez plus fort ]

2011-05-08T01:06:00.000+01:00

Sempre defendi que o "falar mais forte" nunca substituirá a força daquilo que se fala, mas adorei este graffiti a um passo do Vieux Port em Marselha. Tirada ontem de tarde num dia de descontracção depois de dois intensos dias de meeting da American Vintage.

I've always defended that "speaking stronger" will never replace the strength of what you say, but I loved this graffiti a step away from the Vieux Port in Marseille. Taken yesterday on a relaxation day after two intense days in the American Vintage meeting.

[ Electrical Storm ]

2011-05-02T04:18:00.000+01:00

It's hot as hell, honey, in this room
Sure hope the weather will break soon
The air is heavy, heavy as a truck
Need the rain to wash away our bad luck

Hey-yeah, hey-eeyay

Well, If the sky can crack, there must be some way back
To love and only love

Electrical Storm... baby don't cry...

[ Matrioshka ]

2011-03-28T23:07:00.000+01:00

A Matrioshka é um popular brinquedo russo. O nome é extremamente comum nas zonas rurais, com origens que se confundem com o conceito de "mãe", e representa as famílias matriarcais numerosas.

Sempre disse que a nossa passagem pelo mundo é definida não pela nossa obra, mas pelo nosso legado, pela nossa descendência, e no meio de tanta paternidade imbecil que já tive oportunidade de testemunhar, há também histórias de pais verdadeiramente dignas de nota.

É com um sorriso nos lábios que ouvia o Pedro falar do Afonso. Nunca conheci o pequeno, mas as histórias de idas ao estádio do Dragão povoavam os minutos de descontracção antes de tratar com ele de burocracias bancárias. "O meu puto é um espectáculo!", contava ele com os olhos a brilhar de orgulho.

Evidente que estas burocracias são cada vez mais resolvidas com dois cliques, e sem dar por ela, passou quase um ano sem passar naquela dependência bancária, e hoje de tarde fiquei surpreendido por não ver o bem disposto Pedro na sua secretária, como de costume.

Como é que se impede um coração de partir quando se descobre que o Afonso de 4 anos, depois de 8 meses a lutar contra um cancro, já não está entre nós?

Hoje é impossível esboçar um sorriso.

The Matrioshka is a popular russian toy. The name is extremely common in rural areas, with origins that merge with the concept of "mother", and represents big matriarchal families.

I've always said that our journey in the world isn't defined by the things we do, but by our legacy, our offspring, and with so many moronic examples of parenthood I've had the chance to witness, there are also noteworthy parenthood stories.

Hearing Pedro talking about Afonso always brought a smile to my face. I never knew the little guy, but the stories of the trips to the Dragão stadium filled those relaxing minutes before taking care of bank bureaucracies with him. "My kid is great!", he used to tell with a proud glitter in his eyes.

Of course these bureaucracies are more and more solved with a couple of clicks, and without noticing, almost a year has gone by without going through that bank, and this afternoon I was surprised not to see the ever happy Pedro at his desk as usual.

How do you stop a heart from breaking when you find out that 4 year old Afonso, after 8 months battling cancer, is no longer among us?

Today, I can't even fake a smile.

[ Shame ]

2011-02-23T15:59:00.001Z

Conhecer muita gente tem vantagens. Ganha-se pela diversidade, pelas experiências e vivências diferentes, por toda uma série de factores. Conhecendo tantas pessoas, pensa-se sempre que estamos prevenidos contra alguns erros básicos de avaliação de carácter, mas a verdade é que estamos sempre a aprender.

Hoje aprendi uma lição. Não é uma lição nova, já a conhecia de antes, mas convém sempre relembrar. Há pessoas que atingem determinados patamares sociais e financeiros não pelo seu valor próprio, ou pelo valor que dão à sua palavra, mas sim pelos ombros que usam como degraus para subir.

Boa escalada, Srs. Alpinistas. Que o oxigénio seja raro, os mosquetões sejam frágeis, as cordas corrompidas, e que o chão que vos receba depois da queda seja duro o suficiente.

Tenho dito.

Knowing lot's of people has it's advantages. You win through the diversity, through the experiences and different lives, through a whole different set of things. Knowing so many people, you always think you're safe regarding some basic mistakes of character judgment, but the truth is, we're always learning.

I've learned a lesson today. It's not a new lesson, I knew it from before, but it's always useful to remember: some people reach a given social and financial level not by their own credit, or by the credit you can give to their word, but by the shoulders they use as steps to move up in live.

Happy climbing, dear Mountain Climbers. May the oxygen be scarce, may the grappling hooks be weak, may the ropes be corrupted, and may the floor you hit after your fall be hard enough.

Enough said.

[ Trinity ]

2011-02-14T00:01:00.001Z

O Inverno de 2006 não foi particularmente rigoroso. É por vezes incrível como nos conseguimos lembrar mais facilmente dos detalhes que nos rodeiam quando vivemos acontecimentos marcantes. Não me lembro particularmente de 2005, ou 2004, mas o Inverno de 2006 ficará para a memória...

Continuo a pensar em por que ninguém me leva a sério quando digo que nunca é tarde de mais para lutarmos pela nossa felicidade... Pode ser um cliché, mas é a minha vida. A certa altura apercebi-me de que não era feliz, e que essa falta de felicidade era algo com o qual não poderia continuar a viver. Um raciocínio longo, que durou cerca de dois segundos, e que as pessoas que me são mais próximas conhecem em detalhe.

Incrível como passamos anos sem conseguirmos inspirar fundo para depois, de repente, sentirmos que todo o mundo reage a cada passo que damos, que aquilo que pensávamos ser uma certeza, aquela mediocridade sentimental em que tantos de nós vivemos e da qual pensamos que nunca nos escaparíamos, passa a ser algo do passado, a tornar-se a cada dia mais esbatido.

Pensei durante algum tempo que aquele sentimento avassalador de um amor que nos arrebata, que faz com que as letras das canções façam sentido, aquele amor puro e idílico era apenas fruto de peças literárias inspiradoras e dos argumentos bem estruturados de filmes que aprendemos a encarar como algo inatingível, um sonho. E todos sabemos desde pequenos que os sonhos são algo a que aspiramos, e não algo que podemos tornar realidade.

Mais do que isso, fruto de um fado centenário, fruto de um espírito sofrido e profundamente português, existe também a convicção de que o grande sentimento do amor está de forma indelével ligado ao grande sentimento da dor. Aquele Amor conturbado e retorcido que faz doer, e que as mentes mais fracas pensam ser o único verdadeiro. Simples de explicar, porque quem confunde amor com dor, claramente nunca amou, ou se amou, nunca foi correspondido da mesma forma.

Aprendi com o decorrer do tempo que é mais fácil acenar com a cabeça e sorrir do que explicar ao mundo que o mundo está errado, mas hoje não. Hoje é dia do Amor.

Hoje não é dia de "cá se vai andando", ou de "enfim, cá estamos", ou de "é difícil, mas sobrevivemos", hoje é o dia em que em todo o lado se oferecem postais com corações, e se apregoa, mesmo com desconhecimento de causa, um Amor que gostaria que todos experimentassem, nem que por um segundo apenas. Hoje é o dia em que posso dizer a verdade, colocar aqui uma foto de um coração, e ser confortavelmente confundido com mais um dos loucos enamorados do dia S. Valentim.

Mesmo sem o saber, o meu sonho tornou-se realidade no dia em que os nossos lábios se tocaram pela primeira vez, meu amor, e esse é um dia que recordarei em detalhe até ao fim dos tempos. Com certeza que já experimentaram como o tempo passa de forma diferente conforme as circunstâncias. Um filme que detestamos que parece demorar quatro horas apesar de só se terem passado noventa minutos, ou um livro que adoramos e que lemos em dez horas seguidas, parecendo que só se passaram dois minutos.

As manhãs transformam-se em tardes, o sol põe-se, e só reparamos que são duas da manhã quando sentimos o toque do empregado no café no ombro a dizer "desculpem interromper, mas daqui a pouco tenho de ser eu a abrir...". Três dias separados parecem duas semanas, e de repente damos por nós a escolher estrategicamente o sítio onde nos posicionamos nas chegadas do aeroporto para nos conseguirmos ver duas décimas de segundo mais cedo.

A [ Trinity ] foi oferecida no dia 14 de Fevereiro de 2007. Três alianças entrelaçadas que significam o que deve ser a relação entre duas pessoas: Amor, Amizade, Fidelidade... O mais próximo que se consegue aproximar de quatro pilares que são nossos, e tão longe de tudo aquilo que a nossa relação significa.

Quatro anos depois, inúmeros desafios ultrapassados de mãos dadas, olhos nos olhos, e sei que o sentimento que nos une é cada vez mais poderoso. Sei que o que acontece quando os nossos olhares se cruzam, sei o que acontece quando a nossa pele se toca, sei que a única coisa que precisamos para estarmos bem é estarmos juntos.

A verdade é que, apesar da correria do dia a dia, das horas a trabalhar, e de tudo o mais de que a nossa vida é feita, tudo me parece fácil, isto porque toda a força que tenho, todo o brilho nos olhos e cada sorriso nos lábios se deve apenas e só ao facto de nos termos encontrado.

Eu amo-te. Feliz Dia de S. Valentim.

[ I Love ]

2011-02-06T16:27:00.000Z

As life goes on, I've been noticing some really huge differences in what I love or not. Taste and experience take their toll, and all of a sudden your standards are so high that you find yourself hard to please.

This is a phenomenon widely adressed by people like Scott Schuman, or Garance Doré, that I didn't seem to believe in at first, but now, working more and more with fashion and design, I find myself being hugely critic regarding lot's of aspects of my work and the people that surround me.

A cruse or a gift? That's something I'll have to figure out as I go along...

Speaking about things I love, this is a photo taken in Paris last January in the Who's Next trade show. It's the logo of a brand called I love - Leon, turned in a magnificent way into a neon light.

[ Vintage II ]

2011-02-01T21:19:00.000Z

Following my experiments on raw file processing, here's a little fun with a photo taken in Le Pub St. Germain in Paris, a week ago. Le Pub St. Germain is the most amazing place, a very hip restaurant open 24h a day, seven days a week. Three floors, round the clock DJ, and a constant full house. The indisputable proof that Paris never sleeps.

Artists are invited to exhibit and sell their pieces in this gorgeous location, and this is just another example of one of those artworks. A pencil drawing, embellished by the subtle grain and by the hand written number tag.

Another gorgeous thing about this place, is the way they play with the vintage light fixtures. A very soft warm light that's selectively placed and in perfect harmony with the candle lit tables, setting the mood for endless conversations, sprinkled with juicy long drinks, flavored by the fusion cuisine, and intimate, like the place itself...

[ Police ]

2011-01-20T00:52:00.000Z

Straight from Paris, here's a scene from todays walk. It's a stick-on graffiti that's growing more and more popular here, taken in the Bastille monument.

Small detail, I've finally fully converted to raw imagery, which is a bit more time consuming in the post-processing of the photos, but gives a whole new range of possibilities in intensity, color balance and contrast. This is one of my first try outs.

It's amazing how much I've missed this gorgeous city, and how much pleasure it gives me just to walk around and capture all the small details. There are no words to describe the mood difference between Paris and Porto. Some of the Christmas lightings are still up, and you can feel the joy and positive attitude everywhere you go - a refreshing change from the ever growing crisis and weird political climate from Portugal...

[ Inspiration ]

2011-01-10T20:29:00.000Z

I lost track of how many blogs and websites I follow, however, only a few selected ones fit my Safari welcome screen. The Startorialist is one of them. Check out the movie above to find out why.

[ Decisions ]

2011-01-05T02:22:00.000Z

I suppose it's better if I start this one off with a warning: this post isn't for the faint hearted.

"Verhalte dich ruhig" was a sentence written in the walls of the bathrooms in Auschwitz - Birkenau concentration camp in Poland. It was a photo I decided a long time ago to keep out of the [ I will never forget ] post I made exactly one year ago today. That decision was simple: the scar that visit left in me was still too fresh to deal with some of the things I saw.

In an effort from the nazi troops to break the bodies of their prisoners, they soon realized that some of them appeared to have no breaking point. Starved, beaten, raped, humiliated, deprived of their identities, of their possessions, of their families, with all imaginable things lost, some of them kept proud. So, they turned to propaganda in an effort to find a breaking point in their minds since they failed to find it in their bodies.

"Verhalte dich ruhig" - "keep calm" was a part of that propaganda. "be honest", "be polite", "be obedient", "do you duties", and many many other sentences like this one were written in the walls of the complexes, in front of the 1,5m wide wooden racks where seven prisoners slept, inside the holes in the ground they called bathrooms, inside the gas chambers.

"Maybe that would break them", "maybe the beatings weren't enough to make them realize that their situation was actually their fault", "if we can't break their bodies, we can break their minds", "everybody has some sort of breaking point"... They finally learned that even then some prisoners have decided that their souls, their courage, their very heart were things that no aggression, physical or psychological torment was able to break, so they turned to the only solution left for these people that didn't have breaking points: death.

This photo was taken only nine days before my life changed. After that, 430 days of challenges, questions, riddles, mind games, pressures, issues, problems, things to solve, things to figure out, things to learn, having keep happy, keep smiling, keep everybody else smiling, keep strong, keep calm, "verhalte dich ruhig"...

Now, after the first battle, a big decision has to be made. Should I lower my arms, accept and find some comfort in the words those fucking quitters whisper in my ears saying "it could be much worse", or should I pick myself up, dust myself off, lick my wounds and embrace another 430 days just like the ones I left behind?

Simple decision for most guys, except... I don't have a breaking point.

[ 12 wishes ]

2011-01-02T14:24:00.000Z

I look at new year wishes like I look at the lights of a chandelier. At first they're all bright and steady, and after a while some of them start flickering, some of them burn out, leaving only a few at the end of the year, sometimes hardly even enough to light the room, or in this case, your life, the way you intended it to.

I didn't make 12 wishes for 2010, I made three simple ones, and none of the lights were burned out on December 31st. Was it a good year? Well, it depends on the way you define 'good'.

I guess most people mix up a 'good' year with an 'easy' one, and that just doesn't work for me. Last year was probably the hardest year I ever lived through, but I survived. The challenges were enormous, but I survived. The sadness kept trying to creep in, but I still wake up with a smile on my face every single day. The worries surrounded me at all times, but I never lost a single moments sleep, so if I think carefully, it wasn't a bad year.

Although 2011 is still a big question mark to me, the direction is set, and I wont stop at anything. 2011 is going to be a year of great changes, another hard year, but, unlike 2010, it's not going to be a year of questions, it's going to be a year of answers.

I made 12 wishes for 2011, and I'm going to make sure the 12 of them come true.

[ Happy New Year ]

2010-12-31T18:14:00.000Z

[ Happy Holidays II ]

2010-12-24T11:57:00.000Z

Another year goes by, and as always, the search for the perfect Christmas Greeting begins. I've been thinking about it for about a month, and suddenly, while putting up our Christmas decorations at home, it all became clear.

This is our Christmas star, hanging proudly in our living room, and the light effect it gives out in the wall is so absolutely gorgeous, and pretty hard to be faithful to it when trying to capture it on camera.

I couldn't be prouder of the result. Here is the original photo:

And this is the way it turned out after some graphic composing:

Merry Christmas to all of you.

[ Happy Birthday Edit Mag ]

2010-11-30T02:15:00.001Z

I've talked about Edit Mag before. They throw the original Edit Hours events every now and then (by the way, the next one will be on December 2nd), an opportunity for the fans and staff to get together in a relaxed environment, talk for a bit, and above all, have great fun!

This post is actually way overdue, considering they celebrated their first birthday on September 30th! Well, I'm tired of saying how crazy these past few months have been, so I wont say it again, and I guess it's better late than never...

So, about the party: like the magazine itself it was superbly organized and original. Francisco really took advantage of the venue, placing the fashion show in the overhead windows...

... and of course, the beautiful people having a great time...

... the Hotel da Estrela at it's best, with the lighting fixtures giving it a cool abstract look...

... and above all, a huge funny night to remember.

Happy Birthday Edit Mag!

[ Pipe ]

2010-11-18T10:00:00.002Z

Can you believe the craftsmanship that went into this stencil? I really can't stop looking at it and enjoying all the small details, the depth, the texture, and amazing work of art.

Yes, graffiti can be an art form, I won't get tired of trying to demonstrate it!

[ Broken ]

2010-11-17T02:42:00.000Z

Amazingly, this was taken in the very heart of Porto. A gutted broken down old house.

Wind blows through it, shakes it, puts it to the test, and yet, it still stands. Rain pours down, soaking the plaster fitted walls, and yet, it still stands. The scorching noon sun burns through it, and yet, it still stands. People walk by, move to the opposite sidewalk, and say "this should be brought down", and yet, it still stands. Sometimes is looses pieces, it gives in just enough to become stable again, and keeps on standing...

Why? For what reason? Why doesn't it just give in to the overwhelming gravity that pulls it relentlessly to it's demise? Maybe because some things, just like some people don't know how to give up. It's not in their nature. It doesn't make a difference if it's a hard day or an easy one, if we're happy or if we're sad, if we feel like the sun is going to shine again, or if we feel like it's going to slip away in an never ending eclipse, it's just up to you and your strength.

Even in the darkest hour, you know that light will shine again. And the people that walk by and say it should be brought down, may they life long and strong, to witness your glorious victory in helpless despair.

[ Just breathe ]

2010-11-14T23:36:00.000Z

"Yes I understand that every life must end, aw huh,..
As we sit alone, I know someday we must go, aw huh,..
I’m a lucky man to count on both hands
The ones I love,..

Some folks just have one,
Others they got none, aw huh,..

Stay with me,..
Let’s just breathe.

Practiced are my sins,
Never gonna let me win, aw huh,..
Under everything, just another human being, aw huh,..
Yeh, I don’t wanna hurt, there’s so much in this world
To make me bleed.

Stay with me,..
You’re all I see.

Did I say that I need you?
Did I say that I want you?
Oh, if I didn’t now I’m a fool you see,..
No one knows this more than me.
As I come clean.

I wonder everyday
as I look upon your face, aw huh,..
Everything you gave
And nothing you would take, aw huh,..
Nothing you would take,..
Everything you gave.

Did I say that I need you?
Oh, Did I say that I want you?
Oh, if I didn’t now I’m a fool you see,..
No one know this more than me.
As I come clean.

Nothing you would take,..
everything you gave.
Hold me till I die,..
Meet you on the other side."

Video and lyrics by Pearl Jam

[ Three chairs ]

2010-11-10T11:00:00.004Z

"Please leave your message after the bip"

Yeap, that's it, this a pre-recording. By the time you read this, three chairs will be taken, and important decisions will be made. I suppose they wont be comfortable or classy like these ones (taken in the last OPorto Show), but hey, that's life.

It's a strangely calm felling this one... "today is that scary tomorrow that we were afraid of yesterday", someone once said, and I guess, that's the bottom line: life goes on. Like I said last friday, green light, white light, red light, I don't even care, I just care about the future - and that can be proven in so many different ways, for example, I distinctly remember a photo my parents took of me looking back over my shoulder with a funny face, when I wasn't even one year old. On the back of that photo it reads "so young, and you can already see he doesn't like looking back".

Bring it on.

[ Batman ]

2010-11-09T15:00:00.001Z

Back to the urban art, to take a look at some other pieces found in the Miguel Bombarda area.

This one, the funniest interpretation ever of a aging Batman with a "walker cane". Maybe that's it, maybe maybe our heroes are getting old, and no one cares, and no one steps up to take their place.

Maybe this general lack of believe is what caused the golden stencil in the bottom that bravely states "fuck it" - a state of mind that I deeply share in this last few days. A state of mind that is simply natural in me, considering that I've always believed that it's much better to make a bad decision than not to decide at all. If that is one of the features of a leader or of a martyr, I guess I'll only know it in the after life, but I do know that's who I am, so... "fuck it", and bring it on.

[ Vintage ]

2010-11-08T17:38:00.000Z

We can finally appreciate some gorgeous vintage details in otherwise clean looks. For some reason, I'm always in the lookout for contrasts, seeking something that is subtly out of place, even though it looks like it was made to be there.

This is the case, in the Quarto de Cima store in Porto. Gorgeous vintage lamp, used as a lighting fixture, on top of a dry wall. Beautiful.

[ Zurich ]

2010-11-06T16:00:00.001Z

This time our trip to Cannes took us through Switzerland, in an eye catching airport. Maybe not as cool as [ Barajas ], but still, quite a masterpiece, running smooth as a clock.

Wednesday, with a few hours to spare, I got to enjoy the architecture of the terminal, the details, and also get some quiet work done on the vast and comfortable waiting rooms.

Zurich already had a funny story with me, being stopped in the x-ray control about two year ago, on my way to Ljubljana, because of a metal pen clip, used to secure a pen to the back of a Moleskine notebook, but more like a life threatening object on the x-ray machine... It made such a success with the airport security, I almost lost my flight, passing from hand to hand with a smile and a "this is really very clever!". Another one of those traveller stories...

[ Green light ]

2010-11-05T18:34:00.000Z

Over a month since I've published something here. I confess it's been one of the craziest months ever, with a big decision postponed to November 10th, lots of small battles along the way, lots of unanswered questions, and lots of answered ones too...

Maybe everything will change in five days. Maybe everything will be the same. Maybe there's a green light ahead, maybe there's a red one, or a white one. Maybe, if you look carefully enough, what you think is just a misguided traffic light, can be something a lot more challenging and interesting.

Life really has it's twists and turns, but as someone once told me: "everything happens for a reason". Sometimes the reason takes a long time to show it's face, but it always happens, sooner or later... After a one year long question mark, I can't say I'm not eager to turn it into a period, but I can say that no matter what the outcome is, the day will still dawn afterwards, bread will be baked, newspapers will be printed, and life will go on.

Whether it's green, red or white, at least there will be light, and where there's light, no darkness can prevail.

Welcome back to Light Persists.

[ Golden Heart III ]

2010-09-23T19:34:00.000+01:00

Talking about urban art, I noticed the refreshment on the [ Golden Heart II ] I posted a while back.

I think it pretty much speaks for itself, the colors, the refinement, another beautiful example of how something different and original in our usually grey streets is most welcomed.

Just a few moments after, when I was walking back, a huge drum party taking place at the very same spot. Another one of the countless reasons why I love Porto with all my heart...

[ Twins ]

2010-09-22T09:52:00.000+01:00

The name "Twins" speaks for itself in the Porto night life. This place in the Cândido dos Reis street isn't so known as the original one, but already a success story. The decoration, the waiters, the mood, the music, everything was very well thought of and refreshingly different.

For us, a cool place to head just to decompressed from a hard day of preparing for something that finally didn't happen. Nice sushi, nice wine, and being a guest from a close friend made everything even more special.

[ We never land ]

2010-09-21T17:07:00.000+01:00

Urban art as been getting more of my eye.

It's a real pleasure to see so many interesting and quality demonstrations here in Porto. This one was taken last saturday in the Miguel Bombarda street. A fine crafted, vintage looking stencil of angels that seem to be recruiting: "We never land".

Maybe it's a fact, with all the souls they have to keep safe, that angels don't get the time to land... Well, considering the recent news, that's a fact I need to give thanks for.

Thanks for keeping an eye out for me, big winged guy. I really appreciate it.

[ Sadness II ]

2010-09-10T13:30:00.000+01:00

We knew this day would come, but we obviously weren't prepared...

The countless histories, the trips, the places visited, the fun, the friends, the handling, the safety, the pure pleasure, the reasons why it was bought, all of this will never be forgotten.

Much more than just a vehicle, the S-Max was the last banner of a way of life that has been gone for so long that I almost can't remember it, the last banner of the hope that some day everything is going to be alright.

Today is the day when the overwhelming sadness takes over my heart. Today is the day when the S-Max is no more.

[ No Line on the Horizon ]

2010-09-05T16:24:00.001+01:00

A apologize to the U2 for this, but this is really the perfect title for this photo. What appears to be a a normal sunset is simply the Sun playing hide and seek behind the incoming fog. A reminder that lots of times looks can be deceiving.

It's funny how some absolutely ordinary days can be so clearly remembered. This was a saturday and we were heading back from Spain. We arrived in Porto just in time to see this and made a quick stop for this shot before heading to the restaurant to meet a couple of friends, and what a long and amusing night that was.

[ Lace ]

2010-08-18T17:45:00.000+01:00

The writing of this post was interrupted by a phone call, and with it came some reflections about human nature. I promise I'll keep it brief and simple: one of the most extraordinary features of the human being is the incredible capability to perform something that's called an assumption.

Please, don't mistake it for a deduction, it's a completely different thing. Deduction is defined as the inference of particular instances by reference to general law or principle, while an assumption is a thing that is accepted as true or as certain to happen, without proof.

Well, I suppose that the definition is sufficient to understand what I'm talking about. So, here's a word of the wise: think twice before you speak, and above all, don't assume. An assumption is the easiest of all judgments, it depends on perception instead of facts, on opinions instead of study, like the difference between a looking at photo or at a painting.

Even the greatest Paris paintings don't compare to the real thing, and if you didn't know better, you might assume that this photo is from a nice piece of vintage lace, if I told you it was made of steel and glass, you might infer it was a building, if I told you it is in Paris, you might deduct it's the dome from the Galleries Lafayette in Boulevard Haussman.

[ Tower of dreams II ]

2010-08-11T17:05:00.000+01:00

Paris.

It's not that I don't respect those who don't love Paris, because I do. I swear I do! ... but don't ask me to understand the reasons, because I wont.

I mean, Paris has it's faults like every city in the world, for example, all the gorgeous monuments and architecture all around, the wonderful and original people you see everywhere on the street, on the subway, all the different cultures and identities... wait, those aren't faults.

Oh, I know! The traffic! The horrible traffic that I miss completely because of the outstanding Metro system... ops...

Who am I kidding?...

[ Tease ]

2010-08-06T16:25:00.000+01:00

Tease is a beautiful little place in Lisbon where I found the most delicious cupcakes in a gorgeous ambiance. The model of Tease is "keep calm and eat a cupcake", and I couldn't agree more...

The decoration is fabulous, the employees are friendly and nice, but above all, the quality of the pastry they produce.

Don't miss it in Lisbon in Rua do Norte, 31-33, close to the Largo de Camões.

[ I miss you ]

2010-07-29T17:56:00.002+01:00

I'm not a huge fan of stenciled graffiti's, but some of them work out pretty well. This one was taken in Paris last June and it illustrates perfectly how I feel about this gorgeous city: I miss you...

[ Sunlight III ]

2010-07-23T14:54:00.003+01:00

This afternoon really had a shaky start... Just yesterday we were reviving these memories with a couple of friends over dinner. A really funny story, especially for us that were just spectators of the events.

It also brought up this photo, another example of my passion about sunsets, taken last April 10th in the Bar do Guincho, close to Cascais.

[ Moonlight II ]

2010-07-21T15:52:00.001+01:00

It's not the first time I've written a bit about the Moon and it's legends.

So elusive during the day, last sunday was the first time a had the opportunity to take a photo of a day time Moon. I guess she's putting in some extra hours to keep an eye on me.

Thank's Moon, I appreciate it.

[ Red ]

2010-07-14T16:50:00.000+01:00

Porto never ceases to charm me with it's authentic details... These ones are harder and harder to find, especially since the Metro construction work began. Garden benches like this one, in the Av. Brasil, keep being replaced all over the city by continuous slabs of polished granite, easier to maintain, for sure, but completely void of personality.

The history behind these benches is huge. Countless people, countless kisses, countless jokes, countless encounters of Porto and foreign people took place here, enjoying the ocean view, in the middle of a park or in a garden somewhere.

[ Stairway ]

2010-07-14T13:32:00.001+01:00

This is a shot I've been searching for a long time. Finally found it, and the lighting conditions were the worst possible. It's an old building in the heart of Lisbon, re-habilitated into an office complex.

Hanging from the edge of the rail, struggling with balance, a high ISO and speed, I really wasn't sure of what was going to get out of this photo...

I admit I was surprised I got a couple of usable shots. This is the black & white version of it, with the noise giving it a nice vintage look. The color version I'm saving for myself, a huge candidate to become an actual print hanging in a special place at home.

My search for the perfect stairway will, however, continue.

[ Sunlight II ]

2010-07-12T15:01:00.001+01:00

Although I'm a Winter kind of guy - I love it when it's cold outside, when the rain is banging on the windows, and we're cuddling on the couch reading a book, watching a television show or just chilling - these sun filled days really get my spirit up!

The Douro river offers this kind of scenario in these Summer days: the bright Sun shining over the Arrábida bridge, the river peacefully flowing right in front of us. This was taken last June 20th in the Alfândega building during the Oporto Show, a design event that gathers the best portuguese designers and agents.

Today is the same kind of day: bright sun, blue sky, fresh breeze, a prefect combination to make this monday a bit easier... Who am I kidding? It would only be easier if I was out there enjoying the Sunlight in my face, and even then, it would still be monday.

[ Tattoo ]

2010-06-29T01:22:00.002+01:00

This was a decision I took three years ago when I met Sonia. Nothing made more sense. Finally, after all this time, the day came when love and happiness became a tattoo. Here it is, first hand.

[ Paris, people and places ]

2010-06-18T00:42:00.000+01:00

Someone asked me why in the world, of all places, should Paris be my favorite one. Just two simple reasons:

the people...

... and the places...

[ Art in the sky ]

2010-06-16T22:52:00.001+01:00

If you could paint a graffiti anywhere, where would you put it? Well, probably in the sky where everyone could see it...

In Paris, they're not making them in the sky, but they're pretty close...

[ Liberty ]

2010-06-15T23:11:00.001+01:00

Just to clear out any doubt about the "Made in France" tag in the big version in New York... Taken in the Jardin du Luxembourg, about one hundred meters away from our hotel.

[ Tower of dreams ]

2010-06-15T00:04:00.001+01:00

I can't even tell how many times I've been to Paris, but being a truly a-tipical tourist, I don't make a point to walk around every monument every time. This one was taken after today's dinner at the first floor of the Eiffel Tower. Here it is, right off the camera.

Tower of dreams, signifying the fact that this wonderful city is more than the gorgeous scenery - it's home. Everybody has a place in the world where they know they fit, and this is the one for me... Maybe it's just a dream, but what's life without dreams that we fight every day to become a reality?

[ Madame Godard ]

2010-06-13T23:36:00.001+01:00

While taking a look at FNAC in Norteshopping, Porto, I heard this amazing drum riff jamming from the FNAC Café. It was the perfect excuse to hang around for a while and listen to the 20 minute presentation Madame Godard made of their album Galapagos.

I really can't describe it well enough. Their from Viana do Castelo, they have the most original sound I've heard for a while, and an amazing live performance power. Their version of "Spanish bombs" by The Clash is extraordinary, the originals are ear catching, an overall quality and enthusiasm, and the pleasure of hearing the horn, the violin, the organ, but above all, a world class drummer by the name José Ribeiro.

Juvenal, the lead singer, assured me they'll be in iTunes asap, but in the meanwhile you can find them in FNAC at a nice green price. I was listening to them all the way from Porto to Paris yesterday, and I just can't stop! I'm really looking forward to the work this promising young band has ahead of them.

Better than looking at them is obviously hearing them, so here is "Love is Poker" video straight from their MySpace page, but you can also follow them in Facebook. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

"Love is Poker" Official Video from madame godard on Vimeo.

[ rue de Buci ]

2010-06-13T23:05:00.002+01:00

We stopped by Paul in rue de Buci for a refreshment and a cup of coffee before heading off to the hotel. A typical Sunday afternoon in Paris, with all the open places packed with people hanging out with their friends, enjoying the nice weather and the spare time to catch up on the conversations...

It's what I love most in Paris. In the middle of the crazy city, always moving, always busy, there's still time to take a coffee and hang out. And the details we see around us are theme for endless conversations. Just try it: stop in a terrace, ask for a coffee and take a look at the small details in the buildings around you...

... the items for sale in the local shops...

... at the sometimes crazy, sometimes working, but always absolutely authentic people walking around the street...

... but above all, enjoy your company, and enjoy Paris. Once you do it, you'll never forget this wonderful city.

[ Now you see it, now you don't ]

2010-06-13T13:39:00.003+01:00

Remember last tuesday's [ Love is the answer ] post? Well, this one was taken just yesterday in rue de Buci... I guess quality work on the street has that inherit risk to it... I'm just glad I took the first one, and love is still the answer!

[ Black Gold ]

2010-06-08T00:44:00.003+01:00

Talking about the search for the perfect graffiti, the previous post brought to my mind the photos I took last week in Lisbon. This is really unusual to see in Portugal, taking the opportunity and turning an abandoned building into a work of art.

They made the same intervention in two separate buildings, I'll show you the second one later. I thought that this one deserved a single post - the abuse of the planet by the corporate interests - making even more sense these days with the BP inefficiency to solve the problem it created. Just another reason for the world to finally break away from the Black Gold tyranny.

[ Love is the answer ]

2010-06-08T00:21:00.002+01:00

On the corner of rue de Buci and rue de Seine in Paris taken last May 6th, posted especially for Sofia that kept asking for the latest Paris photos.

Looking for the perfect graffiti, Einstein seems to have found the solution: 'Love is the answer'.

[ Edit Hours ]

2010-06-04T17:14:00.001+01:00

Here are some photos from last wednesday's Edit Hours, courtesy of Edit Mag, a cool new magazine with a very unique editorial placement.

It took place at the very heart of Lisbon, in the Café Bairro Alto. Francisco and Claudia from Edit were the graceful hosts - thanks a lot for having us there, and for the great fun we had. The place was packed, the DJ was inspired, and apparently, only cute people allowed.

My name isn't 'Mr. Jones', but I do admit I was 'staring at this yellow head girl'... and she was staring back... Love you Sonia.

[ Chill out ]

2010-05-28T00:29:00.001+01:00

Heading back from Lisbon I got the chance to chill out in Leiria. It's been so many years since I went there - since I was a kid camping nearby - that I was a bit curious to find out how it was.

It's always a cool surprise to see when people take care and thing about the people that live there when planning the development. Great walking space, city promoted cycling, revived buildings like this market place that was converted into a restaurant, cultural and chill out area, wi-fi hotspots all around the city centre, just a very cool place to hangout and chill out.

And if you have the chance, try out the gourmet bakery in the Rodrigues Lobo Square. You wont regret it.

[ Spotlight ]

2010-05-27T01:29:00.001+01:00

What a lovely evening this was.

Although we're not in our territory, we had the chance to show a bit of Lisbon around to a friend we just met this morning. Turns out that she's from Barcelona, a city we just love, she has the coolest blog: http://iminlooove.blogspot.com, and also a very refined sense of taste from what we could pick up from the little time we spent together. Well, here's a small thanks to Carla for a lovely evening, and we'll be sure to take you up on that invitation and drop by Barcelona the first chance we get!!

One of the places we went to after dinner was Chapitô, and we were just getting in the car when I saw this... Is it the Moon shining down, or the spotlight beaming up?...

[ Gotan ]

2010-05-09T16:13:00.001+01:00

Yesterday was the Gotan Project concert in the Coliseu do Porto, bringing back memories of the unforgettable first time I saw and heard Gotan "en amoureux". The theater is one of a kind, so is the show, and the company... well, don't even get me started...

This is, without a doubt, my favorite band of all times. The perfect mix between beat and melody put together in a visual show that really unusual to see. Paris, Buenos Aires, the feel of being in a night club listening and dancing the tango, all the sensuality of this classic music with a contemporary flavor...

I could go on and on trying to describe it, but the best thing is to see and listen to it. "Tango 3.0" is the name of the third original album, and a great offspring of "La Revancha del Tango" and "Lunatico".

[ Walk ]

2010-05-04T01:29:00.001+01:00

It's one thing to know the path, another thing is to walk the path. This was a pleasant one in the seaside at Porto, but not all of them are so easy.

The fact is that you really never know where the road will take you, you can only imagine what's around the bend, so it always pays to stop and look around once in a while, make the best of your journey and don't take anything for granted.

[ Mask ]

2010-04-27T19:12:00.001+01:00

Here's a question that's older than time: why do people wear masks? Why does 'yes' mean 'no', why does 'I'll try' mean 'I don't care'?

I really don't what the future holds, but the present is showing me so many weird things about human nature, I can't even begin to express... I keep picking up and saving the rocks that are bouncing off my head, but it's getting harder and harder... But one thing is for sure: the day when I'll be the one handing out the punches is so close, so very close that I can feel it. And what a day that will be...

Another beautiful graffiti in Porto.

[ Faithless ]

2010-04-19T01:50:00.001+01:00

"I'm hopeful but faithless... Where does religion fit in?", asked a good friend of mine recently. It really doesn't. You can only believe in yourself, in your judgement, in your perception of what happens around you, of what happens with you.

I am hopeful. I guess I will always be, no matter what. Faithless? Not really. I have faith in love.

This was taken in Krakow last October.

[ Indifference ]

2010-04-16T18:31:00.002+01:00

This has been one of the roughest weeks ever, and unfortunately, the first of many to come... But my spirits are high, and "under the bludgeonings of chance, my head is bloody, but unbowed", in fact, all I can think of is Indifference:

I will light the match this morning, so I won't be alone
Watch as she lies silent, for soon light will be gone
Oh I will stand arms outstretched, pretend I'm free to roam
Oh I will make my way, through, one more day in...hell

How much difference does it make
How much difference does it make...

I will hold the candle, till it burns up my arm
I'll keep takin' punches, until their will grows tired
Oh I will stare the sun down, until my eyes go blind
Hey I won't change direction, and I won't change my mind

how much difference does it make
how much difference does it make..
how much difference...

I'll swallow poison, until I grow immune
I will scream my lungs out till it fills this room

How much difference
How much difference
How much difference does it make
How much difference does it make...

Pearl Jam - Indifference

[ Light my way ]

2010-04-13T04:25:00.001+01:00

Just a little more of what Porto has to offer on the seaside. A true walk of light, and this photo is actually an exception, because usually you would see couples of lovers swept away by the romantic scenery, lost in long lasting kisses...

"I remember
When we could sleep on stones
Now we lie together
In whispers and moans
When I was all messed up
And I had opera in my head
Your love was a light bulb
Hanging over my bed

Baby, baby, baby...light my way"

U2 - Ultravioltet (Light my Way)

[ Wildlife ]

2010-04-12T02:18:00.002+01:00

The other day, I was talking about my special relationship with seagulls...

... well, maybe the seagulls aren't the only ones I have it with...

These were taken last monday during a walk near the seaside in beautiful Porto, a perfect place to relax and get your thoughts in order, especially in such a gorgeous sunny day.

[ Storm II ]

2010-04-06T03:09:00.002+01:00

Remember the [ Storm ] post? Some people find them exciting, some people find them frightening, but no one remains indifferent to an event like this.

This little girl screamed in excitement watching the wall of water rise several meters above her, while her grandfather, an obvious Porto sea wolf told her calmly "don't worry shorty, the sea wont harm you unless you turn your back to it...". That is true in so many ways.

“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.” M. Robinson

I just love the ending I'm working for.

[ Dungeon ]

2010-04-05T16:19:00.001+01:00

Somethings you can't find without taking an airplane somewhere... This was the coolest dungeon like restaurant I found in Krakow last October. Only typical food, great ambiance, and it's under one of the best hotels in the city.

Krakow has it's own sort of magic, like Prague, for example. It's the sort of city you could turn into a medieval one just by taking out the cars and replacing them with carriages. So much history, so much legacy, you can almost taste in the air.

[ Urban forest ]

2010-04-04T14:56:00.001+01:00

If you get to know me, you'll find out almost immediately I'm a urban person. I love the fuss, the city lights, the busy people going by, the energy that flows from that collective awareness... and I also love looking for the small details in a big city that remind to us that nature, new architecture and vintage buildings can be put side by side with art and work together perfectly...

Although Barcelona is the living breathing example of this perfect marriage between art, nature, architecture and gorgeous people, Lisbon isn't very far behind... depending on how you look at it.

Can you guess where in Lisbon 'Urban forest' was taken?

[ Fall ]

2010-04-03T19:49:00.001+01:00

I must admit I miss the light filled days, the warmth, feeling the sun's rays touching my skin, but Fall and Winter have always been my favorite seasons.

With the sun shining so bright outside, here's my tribute to them.

[ Hanging out ]

2010-04-02T17:29:00.001+01:00

Taken January 27th, in Praça de Camões, Lisbon.

From where I was standing, it seemed like the begging of a beautiful friendship between those two doves, enjoying the beautiful blue sky, and just hanging out...

[ Meditation ]

2010-03-31T18:27:00.001+01:00

Only seven updates this month... I'm truly embarrassed... The rainy days haven't stopped yet, and besides March was a month of great change, turmoil, work and meditation...

This photo was taken yesterday, in 'Meditation Street' here in Porto, just before rushing to Lisbon to meet a friend. I'm so glad some quality graffitis have been popping up here and there, and I'm so glad I took the time to take a look at it.

Life moves pretty fast, and if you don't stop to look around from time to time, you can miss it. Some of the meditation I've been doing is just about that: projects, taking opportunities, the past, the future, and above all, fighting for your happiness. The battle for happiness is a tiresome thing, something no one can do for you, something that you have to do every day!... But then again, the ultimate prize is yours and yours alone, and trust me, what a sweet prize it is...

[ Anatomy of a Sunset ]

2010-03-23T21:14:00.006Z

My fascination for sunsets and sunrises is not new, not even on my blog... I mean, the last post I did is over one week old, and it was a sunset! Right after I did that post, Monday 15th, I got out and went to meet a friend for a coup of coffee, parked my car and saw this:

I'm starting to grow a bit of a relationship with the seagulls... Their sense of timing is just perfect, and they always seem to drop in when I need them to, turning just another sunset into a special one... But this sunset was far from over. I lingered there for a while, enjoying the noises of the ocean clashing against the shore, the seagulls greeting me with their chant, and those minutes spent there breathing in the calm and quietness allowed me to witness this sunset turning into something unique...

This was the precise moment when the Sun caught the clouds on fire, just when it touched the ocean on the horizon... This photo made my day. And when I thought this sunset couldn't get any better, the sun disappeared into the ocean, and turned this sunset into something completely different...

... the contrast between the bright sun and dark ocean dimmed, the breeze soothed, and everything stood still for a while... everything except my seagull friends that kept giving me a hand with this set... 55 photos taken from 6h32pm to 6h49pm... 17 minutes of shooting that led to a week preparing the Anatomy of a Sunset, and the first Light Persists desktop background...

Chose your screen resolution and download your copy from the following links. I made them in 1,6 proportion (for most Mac users), and 1,33 proportion (for most PC users), but if you need a custom resolution, please contact me at lightpersists@gmail.com, and I will be more than happy to provide you with a cool non distorted version of this background. This mail address was created for you, and it's available on the top of the right side menu. Use it wisely, write at your own risk, and remember, I will reply...

1,6	1,33
800 x 500	800 x 600
1024 x 640	1024 x 768
1152 x 720	1152 x 864
1280 x 800	1280 x 960
1440 x 900	1440 x 1079
1600 x 1000	1600 x 1200

[ Staring at the sun ]

2010-03-15T13:43:00.001Z

Taking this photo last friday before heading off to shoot the fashion event at 66 Avenida Brasil, I could almost hear my mother saying "don't stare at the sun! it's bad for your eyes!!"...

Sorry mom, I rather go blind.

[ Demons ]

2010-03-11T19:30:00.001Z

Exactly one week ago I was talking about the way that night time was perfect for clear thinking while everyone else is busy battling their demons... but that doesn't mean I don't have demons of my own to fight.

Tonight was one of the darkest nights I remember. With the small number of hours I spend with them, when me and my demons decide it's time to settle some scores it tends to get ugly, and I admit that tonight they almost won... Something like these photos taken last May in Jamaica, only without the piña coladas with rum and missing "Three little birds" sounding in the background...

[ Golden Heart II ]

2010-03-09T20:10:00.002Z

Yesterday I was reading a post from a friends blog concerning graffitis where he mentions the "beautifully crafted grafitti (...) which used to populate the streets of Barcelona a few years ago (before the city hall apparently decided to wage war on them, pasteurizing the cityscape for tourists from tv-land)"... That is a war that luckily hasn't begun yet here in Porto, even though it is very hard to find gorgeous graffitis like the ones I found in Barcelona or Madrid back in the day...

This one I stumbled upon last Saturday while strolling on the busy and cosmopolite Miguel Bombarda street here in Porto. Could it be more perfect? Trusting the date, it's been untouched since April 2009. But then again, you really have to respect something as beautiful as this!... Relating to a previous post where I explained my profile picture, I can't help to grin when I see such a gorgeous illustration of how, even when immersed in darkness, a Golden Heart is always able to retain it's beauty, valor and power.

[ Future ]

2010-03-05T17:47:00.001Z

No one knows what the future holds, but some of us, a few selected ones, feel the present in a way that has never been seen. This blog has been about Light, that pure light that goes around our hearts, that warmth that comes from the Sun, that glow that comes from the Moon... but it has also been about darkness and the night, something I deeply respect...

History separates the skillful sailors from the unprepared ones, and the skillful ones look at a cloudy sky with the same respect they look at a bright blue one...

The skies are cloudy today, but over them, there's a bright sun, waiting to find a gap and break out, and a storm never grounded a seagull.

[ Insomnia ]

2010-03-04T06:22:00.003Z

Insomnia
noum
habitual sleeplessness; inability to sleep.

I never thought I was insomniac. In fact, I never had a problem sleeping in my live... but maybe that's because I only sleep three or four hours a night. "How do you do it?", "it's impossible, no one can", "you should rest, save your strength" I've heard it all... Many years ago, in a night much like the one I took these photos in (these were taken last August, while having a blast with some friends in Guimarães), a very good friend of mine stated that sleeping was the most unproductive thing a person could do, and it should be cut down to the very minimum... Of course, he also thought he was like a shark, smothering if standing still, a thought that I admit I share...

The fact is that, since my early 20's, sleeping as been considered overrated for me. Nighttime is the perfect time for clear thinking. Most people are sleeping and fighting their own demons in dream land, leaving the Moon lit air free of thoughts, allowing you to expand your horizons, and take yourself where your mind wants to lead you...

This dawn marks the end of one of those nights. Work is done, writing is done, music is heard, the mind stretches unbound and roams across the horizon, flies all over the globe and back again, checking if your loved one is sleeping peacefully wrapped around the wings of an angel, checking if the ones that are closest to your heart, your closest friends, have smooth sailing ahead of them in dream land, checking if all that matters to you is secure and protected, making decisions, figuring where you're going, being the master of your fate, the Captain of your soul...

All is done, everyone is safe, my mind is set, it's been a good day, it's time... to go to sleep.

[ Moonlight ]

2010-02-28T03:10:00.000Z

The Moon has kept me company since the early days, but it was only about 10 years ago I fell in love with her. Believed to be a goddess by the ancient, ruler of the tides, master of most living creatures reproductive cycles, our closest celestial body, and she lives off the sun to remind us that in the mist of darkness, light persists...

From twilight to dawn, my eye follows her beauty in the skies, looking for comfort and guidance in long nights spent driving, working, partying. After todays storm, I would have never imagined to be able to capture this. I was closing the blinds for the evening, and all of a sudden, I saw the reflexion come in through the window. I jumped outside and saw her, between racing clouds carried by the strong winds we're still having here... Then finally, there she is.

An old legend says that the Moon was once part of a glacier that was let go from a mountain on Earth after falling in love with the Sun... The Sun and Moon were happy dancing around in the skies, happy for having found their mates, until the day that the Moon got homesick from the mountain that had embraced her for so long. "You can't return, my love, your are now a part of the sky", the Sun said, and the Moon replied with tears "I shall try to return... Do not think I love the mountains any more than I love you, but this is something I must do...". "I understand, and I will not let you leave my heart", said the Sun, "every day you try to return to the mountains, I will follow. When you decide that you no longer wish to search for the mountains I will be behind you, waiting with my heart open for you. Whenever you feel you cannot continue, turn around and return to me."

From that day, the Moon has searched for the mountains of her youth, and the Sun followed... The Sun has never stopped following the Moon, and he never will, in a never ending proof of his love.

[ Where is my love? ]

2010-02-27T02:22:00.001Z

Maria Bethânia is a 63 year old brazilian singer, youngest sister of the mythical composer Caetano Veloso, and one of the most charismatic singers I've ever had the chance see perform... Her figure, her barefoot catlike pose, the heart that she puts in to her songs and poems sweep you away during any of her shows.

These ones were taken in a magical night in Lisbon, on March 5th 2009, and once again, straight off the camera...

Can't help to share the translated lyrics of one of my favorite songs from this magnificent artist. Only one who knows what true, deep and passionate love is, can write and sing something like this...

Since this night will end
And the sun will shine again
I am thinking about you...
Where is my love?
Is he awake like I am?
Is he calling out like I am?
Is he asking about me?
Where is my love?

If the night voice answers
Where am I, where are you
We are here inside us
Alone...
Where is my love?

If the night voice silences
A sun ray will take me
A sun ray will bring him
Where is my love?

[ Guardian angel ]

2010-02-25T04:13:00.001Z

Hey big guy.

You know I've sent you on a mission, there's someone you need to take care of night and day, and it's my wish that you keep it that way... You need to wrap her in your fluffy white wings when she's sleeping, keep bad dreams away from her, hold her hand when she's crossing the street, keep her warm even if it's snowing, fan her with the tip of your wings when it's hot...

You shouldn't have left her side, you never know when she's going to need you, and I really should be upset with you, but... thank you for taking the time to be on my side today.

Now go back to her before I really get pissed, ok?

[ Soul mates ]

2010-02-23T20:52:00.004Z

This weekend was an emotional one. It's so hard to live your live the way your heart tells you to, to stand up for what you believe in, to realize that your "head is bloody, but unbowed"... It's hard never to walk away from a fight, never turning your back, but it's just the way I am.

On my way back from Viana do Castelo, I stopped near the Castelo do Queijo, for a walk, to see the ocean clashing on to the rocks, to get a glimpse of the Moon peaking between the clouds, and then I saw this... These are the ruins of the old CLIP (Luso-Internacional College of Porto), half buried in the sand, beat down with graffiti's, but still standing, still proud, the light still shining upon it... The words sounded in my head "I thank whatever gods may be for my unconquerable soul", and more than that, I know my soul is not alone...

I had already described before what I feel about soul mates, but this one looks like it was tailor made for me and for "Light Persists":

"From every human being rises a light that reaches straight to heaven. And when two souls are destined to be together find each other, their streams of light flow together and a single brighter light goes forth from their united being..."

Unknown

[ Invictus ]

2010-02-21T17:04:00.003Z

"Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul."

William Ernest Henley

[ Supernova ]

2010-02-21T05:03:00.001Z

Some opportunities just can't be missed. This was taken in my car today, driving on the freeway... Don't worry, I stopped to take it, and I'm glad I did! Collecting sunsets and sunrises is something that I have been doing for a long time, and following my inspiration, these winter skies have been capturing my eye...

Supernova is the first thing that comes to my mind looking at this photo, a huge explosion of energy that you wish you could wield and do with it what you pleased... Some people believe that the power of the mind is unlimited. I just believe that if you put your mind to it, there is nothing you can't do... And today was one of those days!

[ Countryside ]

2010-02-17T20:24:00.000Z

I remember this evening perfectly.

Mid August, sitting in Cutelo, Viana do Castelo, barbeque, nice red wine, nice talk, and a clear warm summer evening. I got up to stretch my legs, and this was right in front of me, on the backyard where we were all having fun...

I love the flowers in the foreground, the light posts, the horizon lit with city lights... but above all, I love to remember the laughs that were going on the background! No matter what road you chose to follow, it's always easier when you have friends to light your way...

[ Happiness ]

2010-02-13T21:41:00.000Z

Paris, Place Vendôme, January 01st 2007, at 8pm.

The first day of that year was a rainy one. We didn't care... The New Year party got cancelled, and the police had to come to keep the mob from pulling the organizers' head off. We didn't care... The first minutes of this year were spent in traffic in the middle of the Trocadero Square, standing outside our car. We didn't care... Ended up eating a steak at 3am in an Hippopotamus restaurant somewhere. We didn't care... But then again, we don't have a single daylight photo from those vacations... We still don't care.

[ Godspeed ]

2010-02-12T12:14:00.002Z

Some might say that fashion is a superficial thing, that people shouldn't be judged by the way they look, but by their character. I truly believe that a persons character is the most important thing, much more than the looks, but fashion is for me a form of visually expressing your taste, it's the way you light up a room when you enter, the way that you show people what you love and who you are.

The world is darker today, with the passing of Lee McQueen.

I wont dare to post one of my photos, all of them pale compared to the brightness of this designer so, I leave you the post I wrote for the SG Representations blog, some photos of this artist and his work.

"No words can describe what we felt when we received the news of Lee McQueen's, founder and designer of Alexander McQueen brand.

We respect the family's wishes, mentioning only that, with only 40 years of age, Lee McQueen is unanimously considered a genius, a visionary in the fashion world, and personally, one of our favorite designers of all times...

Where ever you are, our thoughts and profound sadness are with you, and we know that the world is less colorful now that you have chosen to leave us. Your work remains, and it will be spoken of long after all of us are just a memory.

Wherever your trip is taking you, we just say: Godspeed Alexander McQueen."

[ Back to writing ]

2010-02-10T21:33:00.001Z

Took some time to get all my ideas sorted out, and it's really been too long, but finally, I got back to writing on my journal. Just ending volume #2, and can't wait to move on to the next one...

This journal is written much in the same way that we all live our lives. I never cross over a word that I write, even if I wrote it by mistake. And some times that mistake can take one or two pages to explain and correct. Life, like this journal, would be easier if we could cross over some parts, and highlight others, but then again, it wouldn't have the same taste... and even if it takes a whole volume, one thing is certain: in the mist of darkness, light persists...

[ Storm ]

2010-02-08T02:41:00.001Z

When I said on the previous post that this would be a day to remember, I guess I should have been more specific...

These photos were taken this morning, capturing a storm coming in and hitting the mouth of river Douro, with waves clashing against the mole and rising in an explosion of water. It's also amazing how quickly a storm can move from the ocean, through a city, and into your heart, turning a day that started with excitement, in one that ended in grief.

"You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed. You are responsible for your rose.", said Antoine Saint-Exupéry in The Little Prince, and it's funny that only yesterday I had remembered these very same words. These are words I live by, in friendship and in love. No one knows the future, but I do know that my future is what I make of it, and I may not know where I'm going, but I do know what I want.

[ Flying to the sun ]

2010-02-07T17:33:00.001Z

I got up today, looked out the window and realized this was going to be a day to remember... Got out and took so many photos, I don't even know where to start... Well, I do. This one feels just perfect to me.

In these days, that I'm wishing that teleportation had already been invented, having wings wouldn't be a bad thing either...

[ Tiger ]

2010-02-05T00:46:00.001Z

Meet Tiger. Even though [ Golden Heart ] makes much more sense today, this should probably be my profile picture...

Why Tiger? Well, I just learned that there is a chinese legend that says that when someone is born, a red string is tied by the gods on his foot, and the other end is tied on the foot of their soulmate. Along their lives, the string can tangle, or can stretch, but it will never break, and all you have to do is follow that string...

I describe it in a different way... I truly believe that the world is made of soul mates, perfect couples that were scattered across an imperfect world by a God that to me is a bit of a spoiled brat. And when one of these couples meets, when a Tiger meets a Princess, a miracle takes place, and all that's left is the wonderfull light that blinds us, guides us, and makes us one again...

Well this Tiger loves to linger in the sun, loves to write his thoughts on little black notebooks, loves to travel the world, loves design, loves fashion, loves gourmet meals, and above all, loves a Princess, and Princess, I just can't take my eyes off you...

[ Holding hands ]

2010-02-04T02:50:00.003Z

The road trip day to Lisbon last week, was filled with gorgeous heart filling sunlight. Even though I captured some nice photos from details and landmarks, my eye got caught by the people enjoying the cool sunny day.

Having a nice coup of coffee in the sun is a perfect way to start the day... or you could maybe take a break and read the newspaper on a garden bench... or taking some photos on a visit to a foreign city with your friends... but for me, it was the old couple holding hands that really brought a smile to my face, especially when he took the time waiting to cross the street to give her a cuddle. Love knows no boundaries, no ages, and holding hands always makes a difference...

[ Sunday sky ]

2010-02-02T13:15:00.000Z

Last sunday I was sitting at home, having some fun on the web, and absolutely by accident got to look out the window: I just love the drama of the Winter skies here in Porto, watching storm fronts go by, ready to break, while the gorgeous sun tries to break through... Watching the seagulls flying into dry land looking for some shelter... And watching it all fade away has, in the mist of darkness, light persists.

I already had the chance to explain my personal view about photography and digital enhancement that you can do on the images you capture. Call me lucky, or call me foolish, but these photos are right off the camera, exactly the way I saw it...

[ Friendship ]

2010-02-01T00:42:00.002Z

Meet Paulo, the author of the famous words "love and a hut is enough... if the hut is Chanel...".

Mahatma Gandhi once said “Whatever you do is insignificant, but it is very important that you do it!”. No one can walk the path you are about start, and even though it's really insignificant, this is my way of telling you that no matter what, I'm going to be here for you.

Godspeed my friend.

[ Peace ]

2010-01-26T14:03:00.001Z

Some years back I was flying from Barcelona back to Portugal and I met a guy in the airplane that was just fascinated by the journal I was carelessly writing during the flight. He was spanish, 64 years old and a top executive in a wood transformation plant.

We talked about traveling, about cities we had both seen and how to know them, and we shared the same view of it: "I just love sitting outside a coffee house, having a drink, and watching the shoes of the beautiful ladies going by..." he said with a smile, "... and luckily I don't suffer from museitys...". When I asked him, he let out a loud laugh and explained "You know, that disease that makes you spend all your time abroad looking at things that dead people did a long time ago!"...

I was getting to know a bit more of Krakow last October, walking through the jewish neighborhood, stopping in the garden benches and looking at so many different people, and then I saw a little jewish graveyard that was vandalized during the Second World War, and that was rebuilt like a giant jigsaw. All the noises from the people walking on the street just next to it became suddenly silent when I went inside, like the sounds wouldn't dare to go in there...

Most people don't like graveyards, but there's no better place to get your ideas in order, and Peace was what I found when I was leaning against the wall covered in broken head stones pieced back together, peace brought from the silence, the smells, the colors of Fall settling in, with the sun peaking between the clouds... The atmosphere was so intense I still get goose bumps just by thinking of it...

[ Walking to the sunset ]

2010-01-24T22:24:00.002Z

How to define one day?

Can we define it by the moment it started, with the blue sky spotted with scattered white cotton like clouds?... Or should we wait for the sunset, where the sun hides behind what remains of a storm cloud?... Our sunset is someone else's sunrise, so what is the limit?

Today was defined by many thoughts, by a slow start, by a road trip, by accomplishments, by lot's of thinking, by some great tunes on the stereo, by what I made of it... It was defined by the way I looked into the sun going west, and thinking about the light it would bring to the other side of the globe, and thinking about what might happen if I just walked to it...

Walking to the sunset is a hard decision to make, the hardest one ever... But hard decisions is what life is about... And it all becomes easier if it comes from you heart, if you let your courage guide you, and if you know that someone is behind you.

I can define this day: hard decisions, happy thoughts, and light persisting at the end of the tunnel...

[ Smoke on ]

2010-01-20T18:27:00.000Z

This is the first set of pictures taken last September 13th, at the Red Bull Air Race Show in Porto. Smoke on!

[ Sadness ]

2010-01-19T13:43:00.000Z

I miss Paris...

[ Ray of light ]

2010-01-17T17:46:00.000Z

Do you know those moments when you are struggling for inspiration, trying to write something, trying to get something done, trying to make a decision?

This photo is all about the persistence of light, even when the skies are clouded... And it's just there when you least expect, the Ray of light you were searching for!

[ Explosion of red ]

2010-01-14T13:01:00.001Z

You know does times when you are sitting somewhere, looking around, a bit distracted, and all of a sudden, your eyes stop in a small detail, something beautiful and unexpected? Maybe it's nothing, maybe it's just an illusion, but once in a while, you get to capture an Explosion of red.

Taken in June 27th 2009 in Viana do Castelo.

[ Sunlight ]

2010-01-11T12:13:00.001Z

One my most extensive sets of photos is the one about sunrises and nightfalls, photos I've been collecting for years, just for the pleasure of looking at the gradients of color that natural sunlight produces.

This one is a nightfall in the Montego Bay airport in Jamaica taken last June.

[ Light Persists ]

2010-01-06T21:55:00.001Z

   In the mist of darkness, light persists.
   In the mist of untruth, truth persists.
   In the mist of death, life persists.
   Mahatma Gandhi

After a rough start in the New Year, with all the emotional turmoil brought from remembering what I saw in Poland, it's time for a little break from the serious stuff, and to give an explanation I promised earlier.

The lighthouse photo was taken last July when we went for a drink with a friend in Leça da Palmeira, long before I even imagined the name for my blog. I came up with Light Persists last November 16th (yes, the date of my first post), while taking a break from organizing my laptop (and my life) spent gathering some quotations on the web that might help me make a bit more sense of life and recent events.

This quotation from the great Gandhi stroked me like a lightning, and what better name for a photo blog? Light Persists, as a photo, as an image, as a reminder that, even in the darkest of times, even in the worst possible storm, a lighthouse will appear.

This is the year when it all happens, when it all changes, when Light will truly Persist.

[ I will never forget ]

2010-01-05T03:09:00.002Z

"The one who does not remember history is bound to live through it again" George Santayana

While everyone is busy with new year resolutions, I had the great news that one of my photos was published in O Mundo da Fotografia Digital, December 2009 edition. It's called [ Halt! ], and it was taken in Auschwitz, last October, during a visit to Poland.

I was talking to my good friend Vlado afterwards, and discussing what a visit to the concentration camps might do for a person... I truly believe that everyone should visit them once in a lifetime so that you can understand what went on over there, how the gravest mistake mankind ever made took place, but I also must agree with Vlado: some images I really don't want to have in my mind.

The memorial to the victims of Auschwitz - Birkenau says "For ever let this place be a cry of despair and a warning to humanity, where the nazis murdered about one and a half million men, women, and children, mainly jews from various countries of Europe."

I wont state any of the statistics that can be found over the web about the atrocities committed, instead, I'll leave you with a set of pictures that I simply call [ I will never forget ]. In order, we have the rail track leading into Birkenau camp, which is about 6,0 km long and 4,5 km wide; one of the hall ways of one of the many (too many) buildings of Auschwitz (which is really small compared to Birkenau); Block 11, the block of death; and finally inside, two pictures from one the many corridors that are filled with the faces of the human beings that endured this dark episode of mankind...

This first set of pictures of the year is not intended to darken 2010, that will be a great year, I'm sure, but it was some of the reflections I made in this past days, together with the reviewing of The Pianist, that brought all of this back.

Vlado, you were right, but here it is: I will never forget...