Regardless not planning to shoot large format on film, I tend to watch LOTS of it, it’s some of the best photography related content on YouTube.

It has been a strange few days, with the Meta owned services slowly moving closer to become X. Another blunt reminder that we must move away from these centralized services, that depend on the whim of their owner, into something more open, more decentralized, more transparent and where the user owns its data. This is very uncomfortable and somehow painful, but means transitioning from X, Facebook, WhatsApp to Mastodon, BlueSky, Signal, etc.

While I’m still the “old social media”, and kind of active, I’ve been much more present in this more decentralized and privacy conscious side of the internet, and that’s a trend to continue in this weird near future. Except on Signal, because it’s complicated to move people away from WhatsApp, but there’s still hope to change that this year!

In my mind, and because I’m often out and about during this season, the new year only formally kicks off when I return home. So let’s get this going!

Waking up to rain pouring just above my head. I’ve had worst Sunday mornings.

Raindrops are clinging to a window, with a blurred view of a landscape in the background.

A regressar de Trás-Os-Montes, mas confuso com uma bola de luz no céu que não sei bem o que é…

A bright sunset view is seen from inside a car, with road and sky visible through the windshield.

Here we go again! Driving for a good chunk of Christmas day, just to reach the many winter solstice traditions happening in this upper right corner of the country. And starting strong with probably one of the best: Ousilhão.

A person dressed in a dark, detailed costume with horns and holding a stick ascends stairs at night, while another person looks on from inside a lit room.

Quick thoughts on Darktable’s new camera specific styles: gives a really nice starting point for processing, and for me that’s awesome, as I don’t like to spend a lot of time on it. Even better, you can change those styles.

Antes da consoada.

People are climbing ladders to prune and tend to the branches of a leafless vine against a clear blue sky.

Not the winter meal you’d be thinking of, but hey, blessed are the modern freezers.

A grilled sardine is served with potatoes, leafy greens, and tomato slices on a white plate.

The very, very last rays of light of winter solstice. To a new cycle ahead of us.

A bare tree and the shadow of a person holding up a phone are cast against a weathered wall beside a closed door.

Firmware update for X-T5 released, with fixes on the AF issues. Just in time of going to photograph the Winter Solstice stuff. Fingers crossed…

Sábado fui até à Palavra de Viajante ouvir a Tânia Muxima falar do Upper Mustang, onde tenho uma enorme vontade de ir. Claro que não é a Tânia na foto, mas este ar do Bernardo Conde de quem vai conquistar o mundo pedia um disparo! Mas as fotos dela vão estar lá nas próximas semanas, e valem a pena!

A person stands in front of a screen projecting QR codes and images, casting a shadow, with a laptop in the foreground.

Sunday is shopping day.

A display case shows various cheeses and meats with price tags, with people reflected on glass.

Me after hearing Tom Heaton saying “The tripod is the photographer’s best friend” on his latest video.

A puppet with wide eyes and a surprised expression is looking sideways.

“I have all the gear I need!”

Said no photographer ever…

A aproveitar as horas calmas para ver as fotos.

Two people are standing under a display of framed photographs in an art gallery with a tiled floor.Framed photographs are hanging in a well-lit gallery space with visible flooring and ceiling tiles.Framed photographs are suspended from the ceiling in a grid-like arrangement within an exhibition space.

Está oficialmente aberto o Exodus Aveiro Fest, com o tradicional bife com alho do Zico!

Geoguessr is going to remove the free tier next year. Nothing against it, but not likely to subscribe, because for me being able to only do 3 quizzes a day actually was a feature.

Exposição Pop-up da Narrativa no espaço abandonado da antiga Manutenção Militar. Durante anos andei pelas ruas em volta, todo o meu ensino secundário foi feito por ali, mas aquela mistura estranha de zona industrial e rural sempre fez com que houvessem áreas grandes com muros não deixavam ver para dentro. A Manutenção Militar era um desses espaços. E que piada tem explorar e descobrir um espaço assim pela primeira vez, anos depois!

A long, industrial corridor with metal gates, peeling paint, and a lone person in the distance is illuminated by natural light streaming through barred windows.Two people are observing a piece of art in a dimly lit, industrial-style room with a worn appearance.A large, empty industrial room features a prominent artwork of a face with an unclear identity on the far wall.

That time of year where the soft end of day light gently enters over my shoulder.

A dimly lit room features a desk lamp, a computer monitor, and a wooden table surface.

Another COP conference held in a country wanting to greenwash its oil industry, hosted by its Ministry of Environment, who happened to lead the main oil company for decades… And people still wonder why climate change seems to be on a dead end…

I know that you’ll find me, there. After the fall…

Echoes in my head of yesterday’s show of Chelsea Wolfe, already back home…

A quiet street scene at dusk features illuminated streetlights, a car with headlights on, and a silhouette of a person walking.

Coisas que se ouvem num daqueles cafés sombrios, que são cada vez mais raros na Baixa do Porto, logo pela manhã:

  • “Então ainda não foi atendido?!", a senhora reformada a achar que se tinham esquecido de mim.
  • “5 pães e um favaios”.

É assim tão complicado para a CP meter os números dos comboios no exterior do Intercidades?…

I knew I shouldn’t try GeoGessr…