While me and Emanuele were deciding whether to go up North and photograph Braga’s Semana Santa I receive a message from him: “Why don’t we go to the Capeia?“. The Capeia he was mentioning is the Capeia Arraiana (link in Portuguese only), and until one year ago I had no idea what it was, I even had no idea there was bullfight tradition in that part of Portugal, an area in the North of the country and far away from the Tejo basin and Alentejo where bullfighting is ever present. After seeing his photos from the trip in the previous Summer with our friend Mitchell Kanashkevich I kept that very high in my list, and I guess Emanuele knew that when he sent me this challenge. And by looking at the calendar we quickly realized all the photography we wanted to do in Braga would be over by Holy Friday, which meant that, with a badly slept night, we could leave the end of the Semana Santa behind and drive south to catch the planned events for the weekend.

The Capeia is a very specific kind of bullfight that takes place in the villages of a small region in the upper Côa valley, close to the border of Spain. It begins with several horsemen (and a significant audience) gathering in the morning at one of the pastures around the village where the Capeia will take place, after a light snack theencerro starts: the bulls are surrounded and led to the arena, in what is one of the most eye-catching moments of the day, where they arrive in full speed, blazing through those who found the best spot to watch them pass by. At the arena, a small crowd is gathered, and for such a remote part of the country the diversity of languages is curious, with the legions of Spanish that enjoy a great bullfight (wherever that is) or the immigrants in France that return with the single purpose of attending it.

With the “procession’s” arrival, and just before lunch, the bulls are quickly trialed (Boi da prova), to test their temper and bravery in order to choose the best ones for the afternoon’s main event. Later, in the main event there’s one centerpiece: the forcão, a massive wooden frame build with tree logs, handled by twenty or more men, with carefully given roles within the structure: some support the weight, others handle it towards the bull, and there’s always someone giving directions. This goes on until sunset, several times during the event; outside the boundaries there’s are all the common elements of a sporting event: the beer, the fast food trailers or the ice-cream stand, but inside it’s eye to eye with the bull.

FUJIFILM X-E2 (55mm, f/9, 1/750 sec, ISO200)
The road leading to pastures where bulls roam freely, the start of the encerro

FUJIFILM X-E2 (18mm, f/4.5, 1/800 sec, ISO200)
The horsemen, and audience, gather for a morning meal at the pastures where the bulls roam, before the start of the Encerro

FUJIFILM X-E2 (27.7mm, f/7.1, 1/400 sec, ISO200)
The horsemen, and audience, gather for a morning meal at the pastures where the bulls roam, before the start of the Encerro

FUJIFILM X-E2 (44.4mm, f/10, 1/350 sec, ISO200)
The horsemen, and audience, gather for a morning meal at the pastures where the bulls roam, before the start of the Encerro

FUJIFILM X-E2 (50.5mm, f/5.6, 1/340 sec, ISO200)
The horsemen, and audience, gather for a morning meal at the pastures where the bulls roam, before the start of the Encerro

FUJIFILM X-E2 (18mm, f/6.4, 1/420 sec, ISO200)
The arena and the crowd waiting for the arrival of the horsemen with the bulls for the Capeia Arraiana

FUJIFILM X-E2 (18mm, f/7.1, 1/350 sec, ISO200)
The arena and the crowd waiting for the arrival of the horsemen with the bulls for the Capeia Arraiana

FUJIFILM X-E2 (18mm, f/5.6, 1/350 sec, ISO200)
Horsemen leading the bulls to the improvised arena at the village’s main square

NIKON D800 (200mm, f/6.3, 1/1000 sec, ISO200)
Horsemen leading the bulls to the main arena

FUJIFILM X-E2 (18mm, f/6.4, 1/750 sec, ISO200)
The arrival and gathering of the bulls to the arena

FUJIFILM X-E2 (39mm, f/7.1, 1/200 sec, ISO200)
Trialing the bulls after they arrive to the arena

NIKON D800 (200mm, f/32, 1/50 sec, ISO200)
Trialing the bulls after they arrive to the arena

FUJIFILM X-E2 (18mm, f/5.6, 1/850 sec, ISO200)
Trialing the bulls after they arrive to the arena

FUJIFILM X-E2 (21.4mm, f/5.6, 1/1400 sec, ISO200)
Preparations of the forcão, the bug wooden frame, for the afternoon bullfight

NIKON D800 (70mm, f/4, 1/3200 sec, ISO800)
Forcão, the big wooden fram used in Capeia Arraiana

FUJIFILM X-E2 (18mm, f/5, 1/1700 sec, ISO200)
Crowd watching the bullfights

NIKON D800 (200mm, f/6.3, 1/3200 sec, ISO800)
Young men “measuring” the bull’s strength and bravery

NIKON D800 (50mm, f/4.5, 1/8000 sec, ISO280)
Bullfight using a forcão, the wooden frame handled by a group of men

NIKON D800 (180mm, f/8, 1/3200 sec, ISO800)
Bullfight using a forcão, the wooden frame handled by a group of men

NIKON D800 (50mm, f/8, 1/2500 sec, ISO800)
Crowd watching the bullfights

Browse the full set of photos from the Capeia Arraiana in my gallery

Capeia Arraiana, the Bullfight of the Border Lands is a post by João Almeida on Light Travelers.

Posted at André Vicente Gonçalves Photography

I always had a curiosity about windows, like the structure of the houses, they change from region to region, so I compiled the thousands of photographs that I had by cities or regions and Windows of the World was born, it’s a big evolution from the earliest windows that were only a hole in the wall.

You can help me growing the project by ordering fine art prints of the project

Venice

The Alps

Burano

Trento

The Alps

Evora

Porto

Guimaraes

Albufeira

Lisbon

Sesimbra

Ericeira

Work in Progress, I’ll be adding more cities.

Windows of the World is a post by Andre Vicente Goncalves on Light Travelers.

Posted at João Almeida Photography

The cult of the dead is something very present in Catholicism, just take a close look to the huge amount of shrines and relics of saints found in many churches of the world, and certainly is something southern Europeans are quite fond of, only surpassed by the scale it reached when missionaries took the Christian faith to the New World. So there’s no surprise Holy Week and Easter celebrations have such importance in these countries.

Unlike the joyful mood of Easter Sunday, which is all about glory, light and resurrection, the rest of the Holy Week is much more about sorrow and gloom. Probably because of my natural sympathy towards dark and goth themes this specific part of the Christian faith always had a huge appeal in me, despite leaving religion behind many, many years ago.

Historically Braga is be the religious heart of Portugal, the city of priests and archbishops, so the Holy Week celebrations are dealt with much more intensity and devotion than most the country, the whole city takes part, the whole city attends, the whole city turns purple (the mourning color). What drawn my attention were the iconic and highly scenic night processions that take place on the nights until Good Friday, namely the Ecce Homo, with its highly photogenic (for the good and for the not so good) “farricocos”, the masked penitents with black robes carrying metal baskets with burning cones, walking bare-feet through the city; but also the Burial of the Lord, the simpler but much more solemn and gloomy procession that takes place in the night of Good Friday, which is nothing more than a silent funeral march.
With all this in mind this year I set my eyes to Braga, with its intense Easter celebrations that I never had the chance to attend, and my good friend Emanuele Siracusa came along (if you haven’t seen now it’s a good time to check is work), we went there to go after that profound side of Easter, and because we weren’t that interested in the brighter side of Easter we didn’t wait for Sunday, left before the festivities ended to go after our next project.

NIKON D800 (50mm, f/4.5, 1/1600 sec, ISO200)
Terceiros church, in Braga’s center, with full bloom flowers in the trees nearby

FUJIFILM X-E2 (50.5mm, f/4, 1/60 sec, ISO320)
Window of Braga’s Cathedral and the purple Easter decorations

FUJIFILM X-E2 (18mm, f/2.2, 1/100 sec, ISO4000)
Woman praying before the start of the Death of the Lord mass.

FUJIFILM X-E2 (30.2mm, f/4.5, 1/27 sec, ISO800)
Young boy attending Maundy Thursday’s Foot Washing mass with his parents

FUJIFILM X-E2 (18mm, f/2, 1/60 sec, ISO6400)
Women waiting for communion during Couple watching Death of the Lord mass

FUJIFILM X-E2 (18mm, f/2.8, 1/28 sec, ISO6400)
Couple watching the Teoforica procession during Death of the Lord mass

Preparing for the beginning of the Teoforica procession
FUJIFILM X-E2 (18mm, f/2.8, 1/40 sec, ISO6400)

FUJIFILM X-E2 (18mm, f/2, 1/52 sec, ISO6400)
Kissing the cross during Death of the Lord mass

FUJIFILM X-E2 (18mm, f/3.2, 1/28 sec, ISO6400)
Women praying after the Teoforica procession, that ends the Death of the Lord mass

FUJIFILM X-E2 (18mm, f/2.8, 1/60 sec, ISO640)
Woman leaving a coin in the donation box at the Coimbras chapel, only open during Semana Santa

FUJIFILM X-E2 (18mm, f/3.6, 1/150 sec, ISO200)
School kids playing drums in the center of Braga, they’re dressed as Farricoco, the iconic figure of the Ecce Homo procession later that the day

FUJIFILM X-E2 (18mm, f/2, 1/60 sec, ISO250)
Farricocos, the masked penitents of Ecce Homo procession, at the beginning of Ecce Homo procession

FUJIFILM X-E2 (27mm, f/3.2, 1/34 sec, ISO6400)
Start of the Death of the Lord procession, leaving from Braga’s Cathedral

FUJIFILM X-E2 (18mm, f/3.6, 1/40 sec, ISO1600)
The funebre Burial of the Lord procession passing by the streets of Braga

FUJIFILM X-E2 (18mm, f/3.2, 1/40 sec, ISO1250)
The funebre Burial of the Lord procession passing by the streets of Braga

NIKON D800 (105mm, f/2, 1/125 sec, ISO320)
Farricocos, the masked penitents of Ecce Homo procession, with the fogaréus: the metal burning baskets

FUJIFILM X-E2 (28.9mm, f/4, 1/100 sec, ISO5000)
Procession getting closer the narrow streets nearby Misericordia church

FUJIFILM X-E2 (50.5mm, f/4, 1/100 sec, ISO5000)
People watching procession outside a religious merchandise shop

FUJIFILM X-E2 (18mm, f/2.8, 1/100 sec, ISO2500)
Ecce Homo Procession returning to Misericordia church

CLICK HERE TO BROWSE ALL THE SEMANA SANTA PHOTOS

Holy Week, the days before Resurrection is a post by João Almeida on Light Travelers.

No mesmo fim-de-semana em que termina a nossa exposição da Índia há já algo de novo e muito interessante para assistir: no ano passado o João Maia e a Cláudia Batalha foram ao Japão e decidiram partilhar a perspectiva deles da cultura japonesa de uma maneira ligeiramente diferente ao que estamos habituados aqui nos Light Travelers: através de uma série de instantâneos do Instagram, que estarão expostos na livraria Palavra de Viajante. E se aparecerem no dia da inauguração poderão ter direito a um brinde surpresa!

Junte-se ao João e à Cláudia de 17 de Janeiro ate 14 de Fevereiro na livraria Palavra de Viajante.

In the same weekend where our India exhibit ends there’s something new and very interesting for all of you to see: last year João Maia and Cláudia Batalha went to Japan and decided to share their view of Japanese culture in a slightly different form you might be used to here at Light Travelers: through a series of Instagram snapshots, that can be seen at Palavra de Viajante bookstore. And if you show up on opening day you might earn a surprise gift.

Join João and Claudia from January 17 to February 14 at Palavra de Viajante bookstore.

Exposição: #japan is a post by LightTravelers Team on Light Travelers.

Este final de ano está a ser agitado para nós, com as Jornadas do Viajante ainda a decorrer, além de viagens e tudo o resto com que conseguimos preencher o tempo. Mas como não gostamos de estar parados temos algo mais na manga.

Num curto espaço de tempos três de nós estiveram na Índia, numa viagem que marcou a todos e de diferentes maneiras. Desafiados pelo Luís Ferreira juntámo-nos todos para combinar a visão de cada um dos quatro sob a forma de uma exposição, desde o Rajastão, ao Taj Mahal passando pelo Holi. Muitas das coisas que tornam a Índia fascinante! 

Junte-se a nós na Mercadores de Memórias em Azeitão, de 6 de Dezembro até 27 de Dezembro. 

This end of year is being quite hectic for us, with the Jornadas do Viajante still going on, besides trips and all the things we managed to spend our time. But because we don’t like to remain quiet for long we have one more thing prepared in our sleeves.

In a short period of time three of us have been in India, in a trip that changed all of us and in different ways. Challenged by Luís Ferreira we joined forces to combine the vision of each one of the four of us under an exhibit, from Rajasthan, to the Taj Mahal and not forgetting the Holi festival. Many of the things that make India so exciting.

Join us at Mercadores de Memórias at Azeitão, from December 6th to December 27th.

Exposição: 4 Olhares Sobre a Índia is a post by LightTravelers Team on Light Travelers.

Natural de Sintra, onde reside, António Nascimento é fotógrafo freelancer desde 1996. Tendo iniciado o seu percurso académico no Ar.Co, onde frequentou os cursos de Fotografia, foi mais tarde bolseiro da Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian o que lhe proporcionou a frequência da afamada e cosmopolita Rietveld Academie, em Amsterdão.

Esteve representado em várias exposições colectivas e colaborou com várias revistas nacionais, como a Blue Travel e Blue Living, a Volta ao Mundo e a Visão Lifestyle. Colaborou ainda, como fotógrafo, em vários livros, com especial ênfase para livros de culinária.

António Nascimento está hoje indiscutivelmente ligado à fotografia gastronómica, com participação em todos os livros de receitas da conhecida Bimby desde 2007. E já são dezoito.

Junte-se a nós na Livraria Palavra de Viajante, no dia 29 de Novembro, pelas 17:00.

António Nascimento, a freelance photographer since 1996, was born and still lives in Sintra. He started his academic life in Ar.Co, where he graduated from the photography courses. Later on, he was granted a scholarship by Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, which enabled him to attend the famous and cosmopolitan Rietveld Academie, in Amsterdam.

He was represented in several collective expositions and has collaborated with many Portuguese magazines, such as Blue Travel, Blue Living, Volta ao Mundo and Visão Freestyle. As a photographer, he has also cooperated in numerous books, especially cook books.

His name is nowadays unarguably connected to food photography, and he has photographed for all the recipe books for the well known Bimby since 2007. So far, that makes eighteen.

Please join us at Palavra de Viajante bookstore, on the 29^th of November, at 17:00.

Palestra: António Nascimento is a post by LightTravelers Team on Light Travelers.

Emanuele Siracusa confessa ter uma curiosidade insaciável e uma paixão genuína por viagens e exploração. Por isso, tem vivido e trabalhado um pouco por todo o mundo, mas presentemente divide o seu tempo entre Portugal, Itália e o Sudoeste asiático.

Este nativo da Sicília sente-se inspirado por ambientes diferentes e multiculturais, procurando criar imagens dramáticas e relevantes, que transmitam a sensação do local, das situações e das emoções dos personagens representados.

Publicado em vários jornais e revistas, está também representado nas agências Getty Images e National Geographic Creative.

A sua participação nas Jornadas do Viajante 2014 centra-se na grandiosa maratona gastronómica que realizou com Nelson Carvalheiro para o projecto “Portuguese Travel CookBook”, uma autêntica volta a Portugal em mais de 250 pratos diferentes.

Junte-se a nós na Livraria Palavra de Viajante no dia 22 de Novembro a partir das 17:00

Emanuele Siracusa admits having an insatiable curiosity and a genuine passion for travel and exploration. That is why he has lived and worked all over the world, although he presently shares his time between Portugal, Italy and Southeast Asia.

This Sicilian born thrives in multicultural and diverse environments, seeking to create dramatic and engaging images, that convey a sense of place and mood, as well as faithfully portraying the people that are his subjects.

He has been published in several papers and magazines, and is also represented in Getty Images and National Geographic Creative.

In his participation in Jornadas do Viajante 2014, he will be showing the result of a glorious gastronomic marathon, that he has done with Nelson Carvalheiro for the “Portuguese Travel CookBook”, a complete tour of Portugal, in which they tasted more than 250 different dishes.

Join us at Palavra de Viajante bookstore on November 22th at 17:00

Palestra: ” Portuguese Travel CookBook” is a post by LightTravelers Team on Light Travelers.

Viajar e Comer, por Nuno Antunes

Travelling and Eating, by Nuno Antunes

Quem o conhece sabe que é irrequieto, sempre em movimento ou, como ele próprio se descreve, quase hiperactivo. É talvez dessa inquietude que nasceu a paixão que o motiva, e que ele transportou para a fotografia, sua profissão de sempre. A essa paixão juntou a sensibilidade e a criatividade, alimentadas pelo seu mestre, Luís Filipe Oliveira, no decurso da sua aprendizagem junto deste.

Muito envolvido na fotografia de natureza, arte e património, ou não fosse um eterno maravilhado pela sua querida Sintra e por Magoito, Nuno Antunes tem ainda uma inclinação natural para o retrato e o contacto humano.

No decurso da sua vida profissional, Nuno Antunes viajou, fotografou sem descanso e observou atentamente a luz, a cor, o movimento. Não é portanto de estranhar que a Revelamos, o seu projecto profissional, se gabe de possuir um banco de imagens que supera as 150.000.

Emotivo, veemente e comunicativo, Nuno Antunes participa nesta edição das Jornadas do Viajante com “Viajar e Comer!” uma apresentação que nos levará a um destino tropical e colorido, a que os Portugueses têm uma ligação especial: o Brasil.

Junte-se a nós na Livraria Palavra de Viajante no dia 6 de Dezembro a partir das 17:00

His friends know him to be energetic, always on the move. From this restlessness arises the passion that drives him and which he has converted into photography, his lifelong occupation. To passion he has added sensitivity and creativity, forged during his apprentice with his mentor, Luis Filipe Oliveira.

Deeply involved in Nature, Art and Cultural Heritage photography, because he is always in awe of his beloved Sintra and Magoito, he still manages to have a natural inclination for portrait and human contact.

During his career, Nuno Antunes has travelled and photographed ceaselessly, carefully perceiving light, colour, and movement. No wonder then, that Revelamos, his professional project, boasts an image bank that exceeds 150.000 photos.

Always expressive, enthusiastic and outgoing, Nuno Antunes comes to this edition of Jornadas do Viajante with “Viajar e Comer!”, a presentation that will lead us to a colourful, tropical destination, to which Portuguese people have a special connection: Brazil.

Join us at Palavra de Viajante bookstore on December 6th at 17:00

Palestra: “Viajar e Comer!” is a post by LightTravelers Team on Light Travelers.

Mercados a Oriente, by João Almeida, João Maia e Ruben Vicente

Markets to the Orient, by João Almeida, João Maia and Ruben Vicente

Não é segredo que nós adoramos a Ásia, tendo feito várias viagens a diferentes destinos nos últimos anos, e em todas elas há um tema em comum: os mercados. Numa pequena grande viagem três dos membros da equipa Light Travelers vão levar-nos a três perspectivas diferentes de mercados que mostram a diversidade da Asia: os mercados rurais do interior de Myanmar, os mercados de rua da Índia e os icónicos mercados de peixe do Japão.

Junte-se a nós na Livraria Palavra de Viajante no dia 15 de Novembro a partir das 17:00

It’s no secret that we love Asia, having done several trips to different destinations in the latest years, and in all of them there’s one thing in common: markets. In a little big travel three of the Light Travelers team members will take you to three different perspective that show the diversity of Asia: the rural markets of Myanmar, the street markets of India and the iconic fish markets of Japan.

Join us at Palavra de Viajante bookstore on November 15th at 17:00

Palestra: “Mercados a Oriente” is a post by LightTravelers Team on Light Travelers.

Tejo, The Long Way Back Home is a post by João Almeida on Light Travelers.