Seeing with New Eyes
As a photographer, if you can not find novelty in the places you know well, you are probably finished and need another hobby or profession. Some thoughts around the tour I prepared for my Scott Kelby Worldwide Photowalk 2017, which I will lead October 7.
“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeing new sights, but in looking with new eyes” is a quote attributed to the French author Marcel Proust, which in fact is a simplification of the original note written by the author (which you my care to “google after”. Still, the wisdom is similar, and this variation serves my purpose, because I truly believe that if you can not find interesting photographic subjects everywhere you go, then you really need to rethink your photography.
With this in mind, I am taking people to a place I’ve visited a few times, to always find there reasons to stay for a couple of hours, and to return now and then. Light changes everything, and light is a photographer’s pencil. Add to that the fact that Nature itself also contributes to change and that humans also play a part in the whole change and you’ve all the reasons you want to return to this place, and many other places close to home. This is not something I preach, it is something I do, as those who know me… know well.
So, this year I published the following text at my Scott Kelby Worldwide Photowalk page, on the official site for the event:
Another year, another Scott Kelby Worldwide Photowalk. As usual for me, this is a challenge, to create something different from the “city walk” and the “touristic spot” most walks use. For each new edition, I’ve taken people to photograph wildlife or explore sandy dunes, I’ve challenged people to see the “dark” alleys of the flashy monuments, or discover the hidden quarters close to famous palaces. I am always trying to find a different point of view.
This is my 9th edition as a leader of a Scott Kelby Worldwide Photowalk, and I want to celebrate it, again, in a different way: taking you back in time, to circa 1860. The destination is the Quinta Nova da Assunção, a family manor house with nineteenth-century architecture, and its gardens, a space filled with an array of intense polychrome tiles, reflecting the influences of the era, and its owner’s passion for the exotic, a rich merchant by the name of João Maria da Silva Rego.
The mansion and gardens are situated in Belas, today part of Sintra’s municipality, but a village that until 1855 was head of its own municipality, with its own town hall. Although our visit will keep us busy exploring the gardens surrounding the mansion, those interested can take a short walk to the heart of Belas, for some unique photographs and maybe a traditional “bica” — small coffee — with a local pastry, “fofo”, a very fluffy cake, which is a secret recipe from Belas.
Built in 1860 by João Maria da Silva Rego, the Quinta Nova da Assunção, in the heart of Belas, is a beautiful example of nineteenth-century architecture in Portugal and the area, where numerous exotic “influences” are evident both inside the manor — unfortunately closed — and outside. Pavilions, tanks and lakes, a whole space filled with frogs, insects and birds, complete the interesting elements to photograph.
Because we are traveling in time, I would advise you to bring your tripod, so we can play with time. Time, in fact, will be of essence here, and I intend to use the walk to share with you some of the techniques I’ve used to capture time. If we’ve time, that is!
Meeting in Belas, at the entrance to the gardens, at 10 AM on Saturday, October 7. There is usually enough space for parking — an essential aspect, if you’re driving to Belas — close to the main entrance to the gardens, but if you want an alternative parking spot, get in touch and I will email you instructions to use the second entrance to the gardens, where there is lots of space for parking.
The photo walk is open to anyone interested in a different experience, so, even if you’re visiting Portugal, feel free to join in. Do get in touch if you are not familiar with the area and need help to get to Belas.
If you’re interested, follow the link to register for the walk
In 2013, after Quinta Nova da Assunção opened to the public, I lead a photo tour there, and created one eBook with images from the participants, which you can browse following the link to The Garden of Eden. This will confirm the potential of the place and the different visions people can have of the same subjects.
One final note: I entitled the walk Belas : A walk back in time, when time is of essence for two very special reasons. First, we are traveling in time to two centuries ago, and second, I want to challenge people to view photographic capture under a different perspective, one where time is of essence, as we will be playing, for some photos — with the flow of time. There will be time for photographing everything else, from tiles to flowers, insects, architecture, but we will devote some time to condense the flow of time in a single frame as suggested by one image from the poster, doing so in broad daylight. I believe this will make the whole experience more interesting for those always searching for a new way to “see the same landscapes”.
