Street photography in Brazil, Rio de Janeiro...

These are images of a one day shoot in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I went to accompany Clara to a baptism, and squeezed a day to drive around, walk and shoot. It was an unusual day for Rio, rainy and with a dark and sort of mysterious light. I was actually happy to be able to witness the city under a very different type of mood. I chose to shoot rather dark black and white images to convey the feeling in the streets that day.


Brazil (South America), Rio de Janeiro, Street - Images by Martin Herrera

You can fin more images in my documentary and travel photography archive.

Fishermen in Cabo Polonio, Uruguay

It’s 6.00am in Cabo Polonio, Rocha, a small beach town in the Atlantic coast of Uruguay. I witness 3 men performing their daily routine. No easy task I have to say.The first lights of dawn are breaking through the doubtful skies, which at times looks hesitant, like wanting to go back to sleep. The wind is blowing hard, harassing the sea into sets of spike white crests.

As I approach them in the vast beach, they actively perform the task of precariously sliding the two tons boat through the sand and into the defying ocean. My presence does not seem to alter in any noticeable way their daily routine, neither the intensity of the task at hand. Two of them, one in each side of the ‘Machipe’ manage the ship as it slides over two metal tubes rolling over a set of flat woods used as rails. The third one controls the pace at which the process evolves by lifting or dropping the anchor into the sand.

The only witness of his role the long line carved in the sand by the heavy weight of the anchor. Getting ‘Machipe’ into the sand is only the beginning of what will for sure be a long day of work.

Martin Herrera Soler | www.MartinHSphoto.com



http://galleries.martinhsphoto.com/c/martinhsphoto/gallery/Fishermen-in-Cabo-Polonio-Uruguay/G0000NcEp7ZYwVPU

While my 'eyes' are still fresh...

This time I don't have a picture to go along with this story, I wish I did. So technically, I guess the 'eyes' portion of the title it's not accurate. In any case, here is the story...

So we are having lunch with my mom and Clara, when we get a call from the security company that monitors our home. It turns out that the alarm was triggered in zone 6 (that's the kitchen - consider this insider information). We have given a key from the outside door, so when ever the alarm sounds, they can come in and monitor the situation.

Something was different today. Supposedly the key was not working. Over increased annoyance from our side, given repeated inconclusive dialogues, I decided to take the car and come over to personally inspect the situation.

After a few minutes I was home, and there was the little truck with the two front doors and the back door fully open, in what at first seemed like an action film display. In the background the home alarm sound blasting full force to complete the whole action setup.

They had finally managed to get in. So after we went in again, together, he proceeded to clarify the situation, and the inability to open the door at first. It turns out that the security station wagon had been hit in a recent car accident a few days ago, and in the process it had rolled over. The keys from all the houses in the area had all fallen from their mounted arrangement in the wall in the back part of the truck, thus getting all mixed-up.

I guess no one had thought about assigning some sort of code to the key so they would not get mixed-up in this extreme situation like a car rolled over accident.

I absolute awe, I asked how were they planning to sort out this mess. The security guard, as if my question barely made any sense explained to me... 'Oh, it's not that bad. As we get new calls from new houses, with some trial and error we end-up figuring out which key belongs to which house...'.

I figured I had to share this. It gives you a insight into the culture of this country. Until the next time...

Maldonado - Ruta 12.

As the warm weather comes south, I've been taking more trips around Uruguay. This last time, I drove along many minor routes that I had never traveled before. Ruta 12, heads-up North from Punta Ballenas (very close to Punta del Este) and gets to Minas. About 13 kms north of Ruta 9, there is this magical place called Pueblo Eden. No more than 40 people, that right forty, live in this beautiful place. I'll be going some more soon, so you can expect more images. In the meantime I leave you with some images from right outside the town at sunset. Perhaps I have not mentioned this before, but Uruguay has some of the most amazing skies I have ever seen.



Ruta 12, Maldonado, right outside Pueblo Eden.

Hard life...

Mammoth mountain it's open, and to me, that marks the start of the winter. The moment in time, when I start to look at the weather forecast and snow reports with consistent devotion. Yet, this year, and I am beginning to wonder if I will even use my season pass. I know, this sounds almost like blasphemy. But I am down south now, and the idea of simply heading north for a couple of weeks feel at time a bit out of place. We'll see how the year develops...

In the meantime, summer is here in Uruguay. The flies, the overwhelming heat are a true testament to it. KC sleeps even longer naps during the day, only to resurrect when the sun starts fading in the west (which happens quite late these days) and the temperature becomes more forgiving.



KC lying in the sun in Punta del Este.