Halloween Party in Passing Clouds, London 2009
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May 29, 2009
This pictures belong to the last edition of Primavera Sound Summer Festival 2008, where I worked as a photographer. Barcelona is one of the best places to celebrate a music festival as it has a great weather and a busy cultural life. Lots of people from all over Europe go to Barcelona every year to see the best live concerts.
I am going back this new edition 2009 but more interested in shooting some portraits of the audience.
Portishead #01
Portishead #02
Portishead #03
Bishop Allen
Bon Iver
It's Not Not
Ellen Allien
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Midnight Juggernauts
Enrique Morente
Pissed Jeans
Rufus Wainwright
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May 25, 2009
#01
Barnacles come from the Atlantic, like most of the Galician products. Favourable geographical and climatic conditions make Galicia at the top of the list in gastronomy. Seafood in Galicia is considered to be a sacred religion and goose barnacles are extremely demanding due to its sublime flavour.
Shellfish collectors are considerate and respectable workers as they risk their lives to collect barnacles. Traditionally these collectors are women, specially in the riviera, collecting clams, razor-shells and mussels. However, due to the nature of the job and the difficult conditions, barnacle collectors are mostly men.
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Barnacle collector in Cabo Silleiro.
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Barnacle collectors readyfor work. The neopren suits protect them from the rocks and the low temperature of the water.
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Depending on the tides and the wind they choose the best area.
#05
Goose barnacles grow in the down part of the rocks. They are only visible during low tide, when the water recedes.
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In the south part of Galicia is usual to find women in the rocks, not like in the north, where the coastline is composed by cliffs.
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One kg. of goose barnacles can cost 150 € in the fish market, depending on the season and the size of the crustacean.
#010
The best barnacles are usually found in the least accesible areas, where not all of the collectors dare to go. In spite of the bad weather, most of them go into the water whenever they are allowed.
#011
In Galicia seven days of fishing are followed by another seven days of restriction.
#012
As well as this restriction, the collectors must observe a 5 kg. catch per day. This helps to preserve the environment.
#013
After the working day, barnacle collectors go to the fish market to prepare the shellfish. Before the auction everything has to be weighed to check that no one exceed 5 kg. net.
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Baiona is one of the associations that combines men and women with more than 140 members. In Galicia there are more than twenty associations of barnacle collectors. The fishing industry is one of the biggest in this region.
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Before the auction, the collectors prepare the barnacles and separate the big from the small ones.
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The price varies between 150€ per kg. to 35€ per kg., depending on as much as the buyer is willing to pay.
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Barnacle collectors stand back during the auction. The only person who can enter and check the barnacles is the buyer.
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When the buyer makes a bid, the auction starts and he approaches the barnacles to test the quality. Then he decides how many kg. he is going to pay for that amount.
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The association of barnacle collectors follow the auction. Products like barnacles are hard to sell due to the present economic crisis.
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Meanwhile the buyers check the quality of the catch and decide how much to take.
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After the collection and the auction, the seafood is distributed from all the fish markets in Galicia to the rest of the country and even further to Asia.
In the last months, the bad weather and the closed season has increased the concern of the collectors, whose salaries depend on the sales. There is no longer the demand as there was due to the economic crisis; and the distrubutors buy less product because they can’t find customers.
Meanwhile, the barnacle collectors continue going to the rocks. Everyday they risk their life for a handful of goose barnacles.
#023
May 22, 2009
Last year 2008 in May I was working in Dakar. This expedition comes to my mind from time to time because I had a great experience there. I used to work for Spanish Medical Foundations who develop cooperating programmes and surgery workshops in different countries around the world. We were invited to Hôpital Le Dantec to do a workshop in ENT surgery with Senegalese surgeons. The team of doctors saw more than 200 people with ear, nose and throat deficiencies.
Some of the patients just needed hearing aids but other ones needed to be operated. This sequence shows one of the patients who were examined during this days. The audiologist tested Djibi Diallo and he got very excited he got when he started to hear again, after more than 20 years of silence.
Natalia shows Djibi how to use the hearing aid
Djibi tries the hearing aid
Natalia makes some sounds to test if the hearing aid works
Djibi can't believe he is hearing again!
One year later, I still remember that moment of excitement in that small room of the Hospital. I’m sure that Djibi didn’t forget it too. It’s amazing to be witness of such an important moment as this one. Like Djibi, other 150 people in Senegal recovered their hearing thanks to the hearing aids that these doctors brought to Senegal.
May 20, 2009
There is a place called Vigo that never stops surprising me. Big industrial city in Galicia with one of the biggests ports in Europe. Like all other fishing ports in the world, the activity mainly happens during the night. From dawn to dusk many fishing boats arrive at the port with their captures. Vigo’s Port is an interesting place to visit as you never know what you will find there.
In Easter break I was around and decided to spend a night in the Port, were I found one of the most incredible images: a man who was extracting shark brains in a warehouse and storing them in jars. He told me that the brain of a shark is used for producing facial creams. I was puzzled by this comment.
pepe e o tabeirao
It is known that sharks have great properties for different products, but… facial creams? I doubted it and decided to do a research on the internet. I’ve found a lot of information about sharks and all you can make use of them. You can eat the flesh, you can use the skin, you can even use their teeth for neclaces and decoration. I’ve read that in some countries of Asia they eat the brain and they also use the fins to cook shark fin soup, considered one of the best dishes in Eastern countries. From the liver and from the fin you can obtain vitamin A; from the liver you can extract “squalene” as well (substance used for cosmetics and medicines). But I didn’t find anything refered to the use of the brain for facial creams, though.
I will continue my research until I find out the sense of this weird comment from Pepe. I will publish any update!
May 13, 2009
This pictures belong to Buen Amigo el Santo Summer Collection 2009, Spanish-Argentinian handmade clothes produced in India. The shooting was in Hyde Park, one of those unbelievable sunny days in London.
Silvie #01
Silvie #02
Silvie #03
Silvie #04
More pictures:
May 13, 2009
Portrait assignment #03
Posted by martamoreiras under Music, Nightworkers, PortraitsLeave a Comment
After starting out in the city of Melbourne, garage-rockers The Kits have now relocated to London. I’ve had the opportunity to see them live in London after their australian tour and shot this pictures in different clubs of the city.
The Kits live in Madame Jo Jo's Club, London
The Kits
The Kits live in Borderline Club, London
April 27, 2009
When we had to shoot our portrait assignment I started to think about who I could shoot and why. Suddenly I thought in the Spanish Ambassador. I wanted to find out how easy would be to contact him and have an appointment with him. I always liked to test how easy is to reach to some people and for this assignment I had the perfect excuse to do it.
Mr. Carles Casajuana Palet, The Spanish Ambassador in London
I guess that you always have to have a good excuse to ask for an appointment with someone as busy as an Ambassador. I sent him and an email requesting permission to shoot some portraits of him in the Embassy and surprisingly I received a reply in less than 5 days from her secretary. She kindly invited me to visit the Spanish Embassy and meet the Ambassador. After a few phone calls we arranged a meeting and this is how I met the Spanish Ambassador in London. It is not so difficult, you just have to try!
April 26, 2009
Person at work assignment
Posted by martamoreiras under Nightworkers, Portraits, Reportage, StoriesLeave a Comment
The Flight Assistant. This sequence belongs to my project about night workers.
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April 25, 2009
Emmanuele is studying Animation. He comes from Italy and hopes to become a good animator, that’s why he moved to London, because he knows that the best Schools and the best Companies are based in London.
emmanuele #1
emmanuele #2
emmanuele #3
