Photos

This shot was done in an old area of Rio de Janeiro called Santa Teresa called after the local “Convento de Santa Teresa”. I like this place very much since it has a nice smell from the past with its steep streets, its old colourful houses and the quiet and joyful atmosphere everywhere. I believe this area of Rio de Janeiro is really different from what we know; probably a kind of Lisboa atmosphere I like very much. I was told it was not so safe since it was located between to nearby favelas a little higher on the hills but I must say that I found it as the most peaceful area of Rio. In fact, it looks like this place has its fanatics and those of fear it.

My feeling is that Brazil can be a dangerous place but like any other 15 million city in the world. Still local medias have a taste for exaggerating or darkening the facts like some US networks. For instance, there is an incredible show called “Cidade Alerta” where I could see in less than 20 minutes several heavy weapon exchanges between a police squad and the drug gangs in favelas, a policeman killed in his car downtown, and so on…

Rio de Janeiro is quite a modern city with great means of transportation (and dangerous like the buses from the various companies which are always competing to collect clients from a same spot….). The metro for instance is of the most modern I ever saw. But that area of Rio beloved by artists and dreamers if I may say succeeded in preserving its tramway called “O bondinho”. It’s very charming to see it doing his way on the white aqueduct above the “Lapa” area where the night activity is the most intense with an incredible concentration of bars and discos with samba, forro music with accordions up to top of the Santa Teresa hills.

Here, I took the picture in Santa Teresa itself on the “Praça de Magalhaes”, a small place where shops and local street vendors are gathering at night to sell traditional snacks, cakes or fresh beers. There is always an amazing concentration of laughing people around that “Bondinho” which passes by every 30 minutes from 7am up to 10pm. It stops at almost every corner because a guy forgot his car on its way so most passengers have to track the guy or help to push the car. An incredible atmosphere.

No cropping. Levels adjusted, saturation increased and USM applied.