DOF magazine #5

photography publication

issue #5

2

issue #5

online photography publication

editor / luis monteiro

contact/ [email protected]

website/ www.dofzine.com

printed version/ www.dofzine.magcloud.com

cover/ adrift, sónia arrepia

backcover/ untitled, luis monteiro

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4 / featured photographer sónia arrepia14 / featured photographer inês querido26 / portfolio feira de s. martinho 38 / portfolio a trip to porto49 / final thoughts places...

/ contents

/ featured photographer

sónia arrepiasingularities in simplicity

4elemental, sónia arrepia

I have a great respect for people that find themselves in what they do, people that are brave and adventurous enough to challenge their own path and the established settings.

It was in this cross section of her life that I met Sónia, when out of the blue her future touched the right buttons and a new door opened in front of her, one that she crossed without hesitation.

I remember our conversations, when she would describe how she saw all this details and how she wanted to express that, and it was clear to me that Sónia always had an eye for photography, even if a latent one.

She studied agronomy engineering and coming from a none other than a complete blank background in arts, she found in her curiosity the strength to pursue what was not in front of her and through Tiago‘s passion for beauty, a world of possibilities beyond her imagination.

Sónia has a spirited and resolute attitude, the kind that is not seen but felt...

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6free will, sónia arrepia

‘‘ “I live in one of the most touristic areas of Portugal, the Algarve. Nevertheless when at the peak of the summer and through the inherent confusion (entropy) of such place I still find myself discovering so special moments. It‘s almost like if one can give more attention to displaced realities, focusing other senses more than the vision itself, more attention to an alternative timeline than the natural flow of events.

Always with my camera I capture moments that I fifind close to me, with which I identify myself. ‘‘

7 uno, sónia arrepia

singularities in simplicityby Sónia Arrepia

8parallel worlds, sónia arrepia

10confidences, sónia arrepia

11 complicity, sónia arrepia

‘‘ “The presented work is composed by 16 images in black and white taken during the summer of 2009, in the Algarve, Portugal. Resulting from moments of keen abstraction these images are fifilled with an intense atmosphere that changes at it’‘s own pace.

The black and white style contributes to the process of fifiltering the reality and in conjunction with selective focusing, it uncovers new dimensions and meanings.

It‘s a personal vision that derives from small moments of abstraction where I discover new ways of seeing and feeling this place. I decompose the reality around me in these little moments that break the time line and transport me to other more subtle perceptions.

Looking for singularities in simplicity. ‘‘

Sónia Arrepiawww.soniaarrepia.com

12projections, sónia arrepia

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/ featured photographer

Inês is a new arrival in my world of acquainted photographers. We met through the always surprising Amsterdam crew network of friends.

She came to Amsterdam for an internship at NOOR photo agency, one that I followed with great interest as I didn‘’t knew the work abouts of such intriguing face of photography, the documentary one.

Since her graduation from photography and graphic design in Lisbon, Inês has worked and exhibited in London and New York. A past that I found very rich and interesting and got me to look at her work from a different perspective, trying to find in it the subtle influences and references to this background.

I guess that documentary photography is very much an interpretation of the events and the characters by the photographer himself, a story being told through frames that capture eventful moments and most often unknown scenes.Photography is in it’‘s core, an artistic expression, it cannot assume itself as an observant and it is in fact, significantly part of the moment through the photographer’s authenticity.

It was only when I got to know Inês a little better that I confirmed what I suspected, that her work is so much hers that you cannot perceive it by a glimpse of her past or some lines from her c.v., one can only get a full scope of it once you understand her intentions.

I see that she has a very human approach to photography, I noticed that quality in her latest work here in Amsterdam, about Ruigoord. There, as well as in this series you see that she portraits a way of living, an attitude and a sentiment, one that would most times pass by, without us giving it too much thought.

She photographs them to tell their story, to let us know...

inês queridoa praça

15 untitled, inês querido

16untitled, inês querido

‘‘ For centuries, local farmers have been selling their products at the daily market of Caldas da Rainha. Traditional markets, ancient form of exchange, used to play a very important role as main source of consumable goods until the proliferation of other businesses of the kind. It is still common to find them in rural areas, but over the years many things have changed: motor vehicles displaced the horses and mules from their duties, traditional scales were stored in favor of digital ones, but the most significant transformation occurred in the client’s habits, who let themselves surrender to the comfort of supermarkets and the beauty of foreign fruit with identical proportions and shining surfaces. ‘‘

a praçaby Inês Querido

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‘‘ Even though most people recognize it‘s value as part of our cultural heritage, ‘‘a praça‘‘” is slowly disappearing. The business has seen better days but for most of the stallholders it’s not all about profit. ‘‘“A praça”‘‘ is a meeting point for communities of farmers who live in remote villages scattered through the countryside. To fight solitude and meet old friends they keep returning everyday in spite of the physical difficulties that advanced age brings. For some of them the daily routine of arriving before 6 o‘clock in the morning, unloading the merchandise, arranging the stall, setting up the sun-shade and waiting a few hours for the first costumers to arrive, has been part of their lives since they were 7 or 8 years-old. With younger generations adopting different lifestyles there is no one to continue the practice and traditional markets are becoming a shadow of what they used to be. ‘‘

‘‘ I grew up going to the “praça” every weekend with my mother. There I would find my grandparents selling the fruit they produce, something they still do from time to time during the harvesting season. After years living abroad I became interested on how, by allowing us to return to the places we came from, photographs can prevent us from forgetting who we are. Determined to create an alternative for memories that will inevitably become less and less detailed, I went back to my hometown and started shooting “‘‘A Praça‘‘”, a project that is still in development. ‘‘

Inês Queridowww.inesquerido.com

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/ portfolio

feira de s. martinhoby tiago rosado

26untitled, tiago rosado

‘‘ There is a quite close and intimate relation between the people and the amusements, either from the motions or the colors and shapes. Although the lights and sounds scream out loud for excitement, people seem to be absorbed in their own experience, they isolate themselves either in small groups or moving about alone with their thoughts.The food stands are gathering events full of smells and tastes of other times.

The light of the fair is provided by the amusements themselves, creating a panoply of flickering colors and isolated excitement as each one tries to speak louder than the other. ‘‘

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29 untitled, tiago rosado

‘‘ Fairs are nomads, they move around week after week visiting all different parts of the country, and because of that, they developed their own culture, their roots are the people that make it all happen.

You can hear the loud speakers competing between themselves throwing humorous lines at the neighbour. The kids, when not working in the amusements, wander around the fair looking at people scooping them out. ‘‘

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‘‘ The majority of visitors of these fairs are from a lower social class that come here in search of an ephemeral excitement. Although you can spot some “‘‘high class‘‘” buying the dolce & cabanna, pradda‘s or even the chanell‘s, a side fake brand market that amazingly still eludes inspection.

The youngsters are naturally more attracted to the games and amusements. Here you can spot groups of teenagers trying to stand out in a kind of virility contest. Honestly, I‘ve never really understood what‘s so manly in riding in such hipper-colorful, toy shaped amusements. ‘‘


‘‘ I believe that this is a dying event, one that will disappear when a more rigorous legislation eventually comes out and forces them to stop.

This photos portrait the enchantment that these fairs, with their amusements, foods, lights and sounds have on the people that visit them. Fairs are essentially an escape from the ephemeral daily life, from the dullness of a life without stimulus. While the kids like to ride more on the colourful merry-go-round, the grown-ups tend to prefer the one’s that leave their stomach glued to their back.

All is momentary, fugacious and quick. ‘‘

Tiago Rosadowww.tiagorosado.tumblr.com

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/ portfolio

a trip to portoby luis monteiro

38untitled, luis monteiro

When I was studying in Vila Nova de Famalicão, one of my favourite weekend rituals was going to Porto and spend the day wandering through the streets.

I used to wake up very early and in those Saturday‘s with the special feeling of already knowing what that day would be about. I‘’d have my breakfast while checking the train timetable and after throw a couple of things in my bag. A notebook, some pencils and of course the always faithful Nikon FE.

The train ride would take about 45 min and gave me plenty of time to plan my day, sketch some notes, put down a couple of ideas and load my camera with an often used B&W film. I felt as if I was on a mission, one of discovery and adventure through an ancient city, set out to find lost details in old facades, abandoned objects and forgotten places. We enter a tunnel and I know we are about to arrive.

I take a deep breath as I step out of the train and enter the rushing flow of people as they leave the train station, there are loud sounds everywhere, smells like oil and grease, people are in a hurry... I look up to admire the tiles, I always look up...

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41 untitled, luis monteiro

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Porto is alive with a fiery heart, it‘’s an untamed mustang that does not settle easily, does not let you ride it unless it wants you to. I admire this city for it‘’s people, their spirit and audacity, for standing out whenever someone puts them down.

They are effusive and very passionate about their city, especially about their city. You can hear it as you walk the streets, when you enter the markets and the old shops, someone shouts across the street, I walk it up and down...

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Behind all the roar lay’s a quiet old city, a panoply of bandage facades with hanging sun blinds, tilted verandas and patched tile work here and there. Through a maze of narrow streets and steep stairs I reach the ribeira docks. I like the view from down there, it adds perspective.

I continue my trip eating a francezinha, making my way to the comic bookstore, taking pictures whenever I let myself stop long enough to capture something with my camera.

I return home feeling fulfilled, honored to have been a guest in this remarkable city. I have a couple of photos in my camera, a new comic book and I‘’m sure I won‘’t be needing any dinner tonight, but the real treasure sits deep in my mind, in all the moments of my trip to Porto.

Luis Monteirowww.luismonteiro.eu

untitled, luis monteiro

issue #5

online photography publication

thanks to all the contributing photographers.

4-13 / sónia arrepia www.soniaarrepia.com/14-25 / inês querido www.inesquerido.com/26-37 / tiago rosado www.tiagorosado.tumblr.com/38-47 / luis monteiro www.luismonteiro.eu/

/ contributors

all images published in DOF magazine are sole property of the contributing photographers. no image may be copied or reproduced without the express permission of it‘s owner.

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49

places...by luis monteiro

Maybe it’‘s home sick or maybe it’‘s just coincidence, but this issue goes all the way home to Portugal.It’‘s a perspective of these special places that are or were part of our lives, we know that people, we walked those streets, the smells are sounds are forever embedded in our senses.

These are familiar visual stimulus that shake the roots of our memories, that connect us to our origins. That is why I asked the photographers to write something about the photos that were featured in this issue. Because they need to be contextualized, associated to the first person experience and not my interpretation.

...

Now, sitting back and looking at it, I really like how this issue turned out. It took me a while to compose it and I must confess that it wasn‘’t because of lack of time, I was a bit overwhelmed by the task of writing about friends. I was daunted about not doing it right... I hope I did.

/ final thoughts

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photography publication

issue #5

DOF magazine #5

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