2023: A year in review

This “year in review” is more of a reflection on how I see photography than a review of 2023, but I thought that this title would make sense today.

Yesterday a friend of mine told me that, when I'm taking photographs, I have the ability to blend in in a camouflaged and subtle way among people and capture the moments that happen without anyone noticing. And the truth is that I myself think that no one is watching me when I'm behind the camera. It's like that game we play with children where we cover our faces with our hands and say “Miguel isn't here…” and then we uncover our faces and suddenly the child can see us. This magic trick really helps me, because it's how I can put emotion and intensity into the photographs I'm taking (or at least I think I can...). It's being close to people, being part of the interaction in some way, feeling what people are feeling. And the truth is that everyone says that, when I have my eye on the camera, my facial expression varies depending on the mood of what I'm photographing. At wedding speeches I cry, on the dance floor I sing and dance, and the rest of the time I'm laughing. If I'm not laughing, it's because I'm hungry.

And now let’s look at a “small” selection of photos I took during the year. These are not just photographs of weddings, they are also photographs of theater, rallies, birthdays and commercials. Hope you like it! ✌🏻

Happy New Year!

Natálias

The play “Natálias” celebrates the centenary of Natália Correia, in a show that, among “smokes, glasses of champagne, declamations, songs, piano, meetings and disagreements”, brings together 23 women on stage, which celebrate the life and work of the poet and politician, taking as a starting point the book by Filipa Martins: “O Dever de Deslumbrar”, by Contraponto.

I went to photograph this piece at the invitation of my friend and actress, Lígia Churro, and it was an experience that I loved. I concluded that photographing a play is, essentially, capturing various types of emotions and expressions on steroids, and never being interrupted with an “oh, I never look good in photos, stop!” 😅