2012 - And it's still clicking!

More then 2 years ago I left Venezuela and headed to Germany. Who could have imagined that I will have ended in Brazil, (at least for now). It’s been a wonderful ride and as I said on my last years post, full of ups and downs, but definitely worth living again if possible. 2012 was amazing, full of surprises, experiences, great friends; I mean not only great, lovely friends and people who I got to met and spend time with. I got a lot to thank to some of them for their help and time, but that’s not the scope of this blog… ☺ I even got to learn a few words in Rumanian, please dont ask which ones, since as always bad words are the first things to be learn in another language, maybe they will come handy someday. Even thou not much traveling as last year was done I did manage to visit some new places.

I ended moving to Brazil on February, and even thou Sao Paulo is chaotic, has insecurity problems, and etc, etc, etc, the good things overcome the bad ones, specially its people which I think has been one the great things it has to offer.

Can’t say much about how 2013 will be, but just hope things keep going as they are going!

This is a long post so thanks for looking and Happy New Year!

Started in Caracas Shooting film while i waited for my brazilian Visa!

And for the second time my work was published in a newspaper, this time a whole page dedicated to my picts!

Had to say goodbye to someone who I consider to be my second mom! She left home to Colombia and I to Germany, pretty sure we wont be seeing again….

Visa ready! went to pick up my belongings in Germany and decided to pass a few weeks before heading to Brazil in Berlin. More film shooting! On the way back to Germany the plane did a small stop at Italy, sadly its been my only stop in Italy, but managed to do a couple of pictures and have lunch with some great friends i met the year before on Berlin.

Back in Berlin!

More street photography, (my film fever continue):

Did some urbexing:

And finally made it to Teufelsberg, my previous intent, the year before was a failure, got caught by security guards this time it went better.

And after 2 years in which Germany was my home, full of great memories, and leaving behind some good friends, I moved to Sao Paulo. No more Currywurst for me, welcome Caipirinhas! It seem that my no destination journey wich had started more than 2 years ago, have finally reach a destination, (for now).

Made it right on time for Carnaval in Sao Paulo.

And my street portrait fever started as well. People in Brazil are great, lovely, easy to talk to, almost never received a no for a portrait.

And Sao Paulos city center became love at first sight, full of people, chaotic, incredible architecture, dirty, a street photographers paradise.

Did my first play shooting, even thou I only understood half of what they were saying.

Continue shooting more streets and people!

And even got to play the journalist role for a while…(fun but painful, got hit by a rubber bullet)

Went back to my usual style:

And was lucky enough to participate with the ONG Alegria de Rua in Sao Paulo.

And as the previous year got to shoot the Gay Parade!

With some great new friends I made in Sao Paulo did a bit of a traveling within Brazil!

Bahia

Considering Brazilian prices, I decided to sell most of my equipment and upgrade it, (what can I say I love toys…).

So after quite some years of my last visit to New York I decided to escape for a few days to the Big Apple and bring some new gadgets!

To make it back just in time to Brazil to go with the company I work for as volunteer documenting a social initiative for sustainability in Rio de Janeiro, my first time in Rio, and definitely an interesting way to get to know it.

Back in Sao Paulo another trip was done, this time to Paraty!

And in Sao Paulo my weekends walk became a necessity. At least once a week I will just walk with no specific route around the city shooting. Sometimes some great picts came back, sometimes no picts were taken.

And for the first time headed to the city center by night to shoot, great experience.

I was amazed at the diversity of the people in SP so for the last months been shooting mostly portraits of people in the street. Such a rich mixture of cultures, faces, smiles,…

Got to go with a lovely group of people to the Hospital Psiquiátrico Pinel in Sao Paulo, and share with the patients for a couple of hours. Thanks fir this great experience!

And after almost a year of not shooting standard portraits decided to give a try again, (one of my new years resolution is to center myself more into studio work and portraits).

More street shooting:

To finish passing Christmas eve in Buenos Aires, Argentina!

To wrap the year up in Sao Paulo!

Definitely not a boring year, wish I have done more things and maybe restrain for doing others, but the important lesson I have after it finish is that life is only one and its worth living it considering how much crap is going around the world.

Play the video to hear some samba from Rio!