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

http://jorgesarmento.pt/casal_pastor.html

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

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

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