quarta-feira, 29 de agosto de 2012

A HARD DAY'S NIGHT


    Never thought the life of a photographer would be so hard and wearing.
    Long before the day before the wedding I did a huge research on this type of photography, even though I had done this before.
    Nothing new have I learnt when it comes to shoot, everything that I needed to know was already given to me through experience: capture the heart and soul of the moment, just capture all the feelings.

   So there I was at 15:00 sitting in the wide highly decorated in gold hallway, waiting for someone to lead me. I was completely lost and every minute I was feeling smaller and smaller, realizing how important my job should be, and how professionally should I act. 40 minutes later a man (who was working there) lead me to all empty and prepared rooms so I could picture them before all the guests would come.
    Once all the people arrived, I had to be ready to photograph every single detail. A few minutes later I was called by the bride, to picture her getting out of the car. Once finished, I got back to the ceremonial room to capture her getting in, and to capture the main event.
    Hugs and kisses after, we went to the cocktail room where smiles were framed, and speeches were held. Then was the bride and groom's turn where places were picked and pictures were taken, and so it was glamorously done!
    When it came to speeches after dinner, more hugs and tears were captured, even when the cake was getting cutted and dances were getting twirled.
    A few minutes mixed with laughter later it was time to go home, and 9 continuous hours were over.

    It was hard and stressful, but the bride and groom made it easier as they were just the sweetest to me! I was a bit looked aside at first, but at the end when we get to look at the results, the feeling of self-accomplishment is definitely rewarding.
    I guess this is the lifestyle I chose to live from now on.

Beatriz Mariano © 2012

sexta-feira, 24 de agosto de 2012

AGFA ISOMAT-RAPID


Kurt Cobain

    Yesterday I got the most wonderful surprise from my boyfriend. 
    I've been reading and searching around about these magnificent vintage cameras from the 60's/70's that, through a chemical error, would result an accidental passionate photo style that we now call the art of lomography.
    When he stretched his hand to me and said I found this at home, I thought you'd might like it, I couldn't believe I was actually holding an original Agfa Isomat-Rapid from the 60's (bought in the 60's)!

    This 35mm fixed lens camera was given in 1873 to a company that was founded in Berlin in 1867. The AGFA, abbreviation for Aktien-Gesellschaft für Anilin-Fabrikation, became more popular hitting its peak in the 60's, conquering the world-wide population with its warm colors and vintage aspect, being produced for over 115 years.

    This example from Agfa (and many more) gave birth to a new movement called The 10 Golden Rules Of Lomography that is still infecting every Don't Think, Just Shoot generation:

#1 Take your camera everywhere you go.
#2 Use it anytime, day and night.
#3 Lomography is not an interference in your life, but part of it.
#4 Try the shot from the hip.
#5 Approach the objects of your Lomographic desire as close as possible.
#6 Don't think.
#7 Be fast
#8 You don't have to know beforehand what you captured on film.
#9 Afterwards either.
#10 Don't worry about any rules.

http://www.lomography.com/about/the-ten-golden-rules

Beatriz Mariano © 2012

quarta-feira, 22 de agosto de 2012

ALL-AMERICAN NIGHTMARE




    The old loved in glory of fifty stars red white and blue american flag is now becoming more popular and fashionable than even in the 60's. Let's go back to the time when this red white and blue pattern was adopted by the young hippie culture showing astonishment for the "cool country", admiring the cradle of rock n' roll, and the home and land of the free, where opportunities were anywhere to be found.
    Oh say, can't you see what this new youth culture from the XXIst century has done? Inspired by the vintage clothing from (again) the 60's, 70's, 80's and even 90's, teenagers got into their parents' trunk and found out a not-so-new style of trashy ripped jeans and large t-shirts with old dad-no-one-listens-to-that-anymore bands where red, white and blue represents the red from the lips, the white from the shirts and the blue from the ripped denim jeans we now found so cool and trendy.


Beatriz Mariano © 2012