Friday 26 April 2013


Traditional olive harvesting in Trás-os-Montes


Images that transport us to other time.
The olive harvest has changed dramatically over the past two decades. Machines began to replace people and began changing work modes.

The way thet this tradition was alive was passing it from generation to generation, parents taught their children year after year. Today this cycle stopped, the olive harvest is mechanized and this knowledge falls invariably in oblivion.

With this documentary the author intends to keep a faithful retracto one way of doing things forgotten, lost in time.

This documentary shows how for centuries the olive is picked up from the buckling to the traditional clean, is a trip to the past, a trip to a time still alive in the memories of many.


see +
http://socialdocumentary.net/photographer/jorgesarmento
http://www.jorgesarmento.com



A day with a couple of shepherds.


September 2012 - Tras os Montes - Portugal

This was the initial idea for this series.
We started early, by 6 am. In the stable Dona Fatima and Mr. Olimpio concerned with the lambs that have to suckle from the goats before going out.

Then it is a count the herd. Some goats are sick, this is when the decision is made to leave the weakest or takes them.

Around 8 am we are ready and begin. The route is not always the same, it is not right and is done very quietly at a natural pace. It seems that in silence all agree with the direction to follow.

During the summer and autumn we towards the Tua river a few kilometers. We pause to goats eat, some of Mr Olímpio brad :).

Near the river we rested in the shade. The flocks and rest well. It is a moment of pause for everyone, including the dogs.

We started the return journey back at 3pm.

This time the Mr Olímpio was my company, we talk about life, football and other topics. As we speak I realize that being a pastor is to be used to the silence of nature and animals. The habit of this silence is noted, Dona Fatima will always ahead in her silence...
I realize it's a habit, a way of being, note that Mr. Olímpio speaks with goats and dogs. Just one whistles and the dogs run towards him. The goats have names, Rosinha, Branquinha, Esmoucada, among others. When I call, they ignore me completely. When Mr. Olímpio calls them, they immediately come to him.

It is a serene life of constant dedication to the animals.

With this series I realized and learned several things, but what caught my attention was the relationship of the shepherd with the animals, connection, respect and care.

It was a day not to forget. Sometimes visit them. It is always a pleasure to return the smile and the simplicity with which I receive remind me that genuine people like this couple are rare.
I appreciate the opportunity they gave me both, it was a connection that was and will keep forever.
One of these days i will make this series again in color mood.

see +
http://socialdocumentary.net/photographer/jorgesarmento
http://jorgesarmento.com

Sunday 30 September 2012


September 2012 – Portugal (Tras os Montes ) Making bread on centenary hoven


This series was made in a community oven with more than 200 years old. Although in poor condition, the oven is used from time to time for special ocasions.

I grew up in this environment, involved by it and now I see it all disappear. I intend to create a turning point, freeze those moments in time to be able to show and explain them in other time.

On the process of making bread is a deep knowledge and a tradition passed down from generation to generation. In Mourão no one makes bread. This knowledge and tradition are lost in time: they are past, hopefully never forgotten.



See +


http://socialdocumentary.net/photographer/jorgesarmento
http://jorgesarmento.com

Thursday 30 August 2012


Traditional plowing


I went to Mourão and find João at 7 pm. I asked him where he was going.
- Look're plowing afternoon. The land're f ***dry, leaving lumps of 50 KG.
I will now take  Lazão (his horse) and will plow the land! But now everything is f*** dry again.

ME - I'm going with you then.

This series was made in photographic unfavorable circumstances . The light was low and unstable.
I tried to capture all the stages from which we get the horse, until leaving the slough.

I had to continuously adjust the machine settings to compensate for the decrease of  daylight.
The last one I put it on the blog to tell the story ends. It was taken without a tripod, now completely night. With a very high ISO had to still use too low speeds without a tripod advisable nothing much less moving subjects. The photograph becomes stronger with contextualized meaning.

Plowing, seek, take Lazão, smoking a cigarette and talking time spent running. Our eyes became accustomed to the darkness that is not interrupted after 9 pm hours watering the garden. We reached home by 9:30 pm, a quiet night, clear with temperatures in July.

"Sometimes when I walk around this lands and realize it's 11 pm, i see everything on it like daylight" (João)


See +


http://socialdocumentary.net/photographer/jorgesarmento
http://jorgesarmento.com

Wednesday 18 July 2012


Uros: the people of Lake Titicaca


After a long journey from Cusco to Juliaca, my goal was to get to Puno and then go to Uros.

Reaching the end of the day the Titicaca was lucky thing. I never saw that light anywhere. The color of the lake, the low clouds, you could almost touch. That's when this series begins, trying to capture the frame that appeared on the turn a corner.

Only the next day I headed to Uros. Several boats leave early to visit the villages in raid mode. I say this because in visiting Uros serves as a living museum that attempts to preserve the flotation villages and livelihoods and attract some tourism.

I realized that the "inhabitants" lived 80% of tourism, I did not found that the genuineness seen in other places near. On a rudimentary restaurant you can eat a trout or chilled citrus ceviche so typical of this region.

I opted for a black and white photograph to be nostalgic for the historical burden it entails, the nostalgia that traditional. P & B gives us is strong, with sharp lines, smooth shades, and always carries us to an ancient time.

These photographs were taken without tripod mode journalism: "moving pictures".
I hope it shows different ways of life



See +


http://socialdocumentary.net/photographer/jorgesarmento
http://jorgesarmento.com

Monday 25 June 2012


Trawl fishing

Pure pleasure ...

I got up early, I wanted to catch the first light and make a full report of all phases of this method of fishing, from the moment that cast a net into the sea to fish be loaded for sale.

In the first photo the light was poor, taking pictures without light and moving subjects are not ideal conditions.

The strings were collected with a calm and slowness impressive. When the first network was collected, the morning light was at its best, the reflections and contrasts began to have color and depth.

It was a pleasure to photograph this abundance of content, movement, color and life.
A special thanks to the entire community, taking part in this collection and allow its disclosure.


See +


http://socialdocumentary.net/photographer/jorgesarmento
http://jorgesarmento.com

Wednesday 30 May 2012


DOUROVALLEY


This series was done for 3 days at 13 º RAID TT Douro Superior (2012). 3 days were shooting one of the most beautiful in the world!

Days were (too) sunny clear sky not god for photography. There were photographs taken without tripod or planned in advance. The goal was to photograph the raid, but this Douro leaves no one indifferent.

I will soon publish another series of these three days. I appreciate the patience of the driver of the car broom, some photographs always need a little more time. Thank you to those who wait :).

There is much to say about the Douro and its people. In this series I chose landscape images and a taste of some flowers.


See + 


http://socialdocumentary.net/photographer/jorgesarmento
http://jorgesarmento.com