Ruins – the Casle and the Convent

The small caste of Torres Vedras, not far from Lisbon, was well worth the visit. On the top of a hill, with a nice view to the town and surronding  área. It was built in the XII century, replacing a primitive muslim fortress. The buildings inside the castle do not exist anymore, and the walls were subjected to several destructions and reconstructions – including the damages caused by the  great 1755 eartquake . A great part of the walls are still well preserved

The Penafirme Convent was built in the XVI century, not far from the sea. It was destroyed by the 1755 earthquake and the ensuing tsunami. The surviving monks were displaced inland, to a new convent that still exists. The ruins of the old convent are abandoned, half covered by sand. Some arches and windows still exist, as well as the thick walls.

The Autumn light

The Autumn light in Lisbon is wonderful, after 4:00 PM the tangential light of the setting sun makes all the details of the buildings and walls more evident. The contrast with the shadows is amazing and the increasing air humidity allow us a more sharp vision of the lines and surfaces around us. The sun is still bright, and it is a good time to relax by the river.

Nicosia, Cyprus

From a short visit to Nicosia, Cyprus, under a 38.C sun. Photos were made in the Greek side of the city (Republic of Cyprus) and in the Turkish side (self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Norther Cyprus). The border control is very strict, photos of the control posts are forbidden in both sides : armed policemen, fences and barbed wire mark the division between both sides. It is, I think, the last divided capital in Europe …

 Büyük Han, a former caravanserai built in the XVI century, in the Turkish side of Nicosia. It was recently restored and now has some shops and restaurants inside

Three more studio photos

Another composition with the glass eye and table-tennis balls

 Zantedeschia aethiopica mirabilis .

Grows spontaneously in some dark places (such as the consciences of mass murderers, genocide perpetrators, tyrants, dictators…). It is an invasive species.

Bonjour Mr René M

The unexpected find of a bowler hat in flea-market. The hat was in a very good condition and was sent to the factory to be cleaned and to have the lining replaced. A small size hat ,nevertheless a good subject for a photo. I still have to try some different backgrounds – and a body with a better structure.

Low tide

The flat South banks banks of the Tagus, close to the sea, show the amazing effects of the Atlantic tides. Last Saturday morning I had a chance to make some photos by the river, in Seixal Bay. A very peaceful morning with bright sky and the flat river bed usually covered by water. The poet Kate McGovern wrote that

“… Low tide reveals the soul of the sea-

Its secrets, its treasures

its sorrows…”

Ruins – the Radioactive Hotel

This Hotel & Spa was built at the beginning of the last century. The strongly radioactive local spring waters were believed to have healing powers and. they were used as a drink, in immersion baths and in colon irrigations (there were reports of patients having repeated enemas up to a total of 35 liters of radioactive water ).

After WW II the dangers of radioactivity became widely known , the Hotel lost his clients and ceased the “therapeutic” activities. The owners went bankrupt, the premises were sold , several entrepreneurs bought and sold the building , furniture, plumbing and tiles were stolen, until it reached the  present state of ruin and decay

As expected, rumors of the place being haunted, sightings of strange lights at night and reports of noises and voices are now a part of the local beliefs. However, it is usual to find there some visitors and the place looks peacefully quiet.

I went there to make some photos. The radioactivity, if it exists at the surface, was not strong enough to fog my negatives…

A view of the Hotel

Getting closer

One wall still remains

Some remains of the floor

And a door

A fireplace is still there

This Hotel & Spa was built with expensive materials and was aimed at wealthy gests from Portugal and from nearby Spain. It is very sad to see its present state.

Unanswered questions or “The girl with Closed Eyes”

A Beautiful photograph must never answer every question, or you’ll never come back to it. The question must always remain unanswered.

                                                                                     Rodney Smith  2009

The question remains: why is she closing her eyes  ? Deep thougts ? Sadness ? Enjoying the warm sunlight on her face ? Or did the camera caught an unintentional closing of her eyelids ?

Some other questions could be asked, concerning other people : Is the guy wearing a basebal cap with her ?  Why is the man standing on the pier looking backwards ?

A winter morning walk along the river, with a new camera that was kindly given to me at Christmas. On the left bank, in the shade, the restaurants are still empty.

The old stones on the ground show the humidity left over from the night

A seagull on top of a crane watches who passes by

The same small boats moored next to the pier, float on the dark water

At the end, a bench to rest and admire the city, in the sun, across the river.

During the tour, I made a cell-phone photo of a heart painted on the cement ground by an unknown street artist. People step aside to avoid stepping on it…

Let’s have a Good New Year.

It also depends on each one of us

Friday 13th

Friday 13th, is, for some, an ominous day, when bad things are supposed to happen.

Not for me.

   Last Friday December 13th I went to the movies:  a film about czech Photographer Libuše Jarcovjáková  .( http://www.jarcovjakova.com/ ) A sucession of her black and white photos capturing scenes from her life in Prague in the sixties – mostly night-life scenes, of marginal minority groups. Lots of pictures also from Japan and West Berlin – fefore and after the fall of the Wall. Not my kind of photography, but anyway a well constructed documentary  about her life and work.

Another exhibition of images, now  from a portuguese photojournalist Carlos Lopes, who documented scenes from  the political activity in the days after the April revolution.  Late afternoon I was sitting outside with a glass of wine in dowtown Lisbon. Crowds of people shopping for Christmas, street musicians playing  and a general feeling of joy.

At 6:00 PM at Santa Clara Market an interesting exhibition from the “12 X 12 group”. This is an association of former and current Arts students. Their small-format works (watercolour paintings,engravings, drawings) was presented inside plastic CD boxes and sold at low prices.

Later, at the same venue, a drawing session with a live model

  Not a bad day for a Friday 13th…

By the Tagus again.

Now from a morning walk along the North Bank. I was carrying the small Soviet-made camera Smena-8 and took advantage of the intermitent sunlight.

Some people standing, walking, running and cycling

A few steps West, a meditating person sittin on an old pier – and a couple walking slowly on the rocks as if looking for something.

A cheap plastic camera can make decent images !!!