Looking back to 2013 with my pictures, sadly a year where most of them are still waiting for me to work on them, another good reason for writing  this post: a review of my work of last year and a teaser for the upcoming posts on the blog and photos on my gallery.

This was a year of built around postponed trips and trips that have been postponed for years; like India, probably the Mecca of travel photography, the destination every traveler should go at least once in a lifetime. I also had all my things planned and booked for Mozambique: flights booked and visa in my passport, I have a huge fascination for Asia but I was always curious to see if I was the same with Africa. In the end I had to cancel the flight and postpone my debut at Sub-Saharan Africa, replacing it by a last minute, more convenient but also fascinating place right in the middle of the Atlantic.

The rest of my “photographic year” was all about closer trips (yes, Morocco is a closer trip), photo walks and long running projects, but also with my ebook Mingalaba and the activity with my friends at Light Travelers, specially our lectures where we brought a fine group of photographers from different backgrounds to talk about travel photography.

Weekend breaks, short day trips

The trips I fit in my day job, trying to make my best with public holidays, weekends or even the longer Summer days where I leave on a Sunday morning and return later in the same day. The good thing of living in a small country but with many nice things nearby.

 

 

 

 

 

Morocco, moving between the sea and the mountains

I had this on my mind for some time: go back to Morocco, to a region I only saw briefly on my first visit: the Atlas Mountains, I passed by Tizi n’Tichka on my way to Marrakesh and I knew back some day. This time I dragged Ruben with me, and was able to spend some time on the High Atlas, so am I satisfied? Not really, I still want to go back to Morocco, specially Southern Morocco, beyond the Atlas and into the Sahara.

 

 

 

 

São Miguel, the first of many trips to Azores

As my Mozambique trip failed I replaced a destination I avoided for years by another one: Azores, the breathtaking islands in mid Atlantic, one of those places that are close enough to go whenever I want but end up never going there. Instead of hopping from island to island (it’s nine of them) I decided to go slow and spent almost two weeks at São Miguel, the largest and with many of the iconic views of the archipelago, the others will follow in the near future.

 

 

 

 

India, from Rajasthan to Varanasi

This year’s big trip, me and João roamed through Rajasthan, before I headed on my own to Varanasi, a city that has been very in my bucket list for long. I was afraid India would let me down, I was afraid I wasn’t good enough for India. Neither has happened, the country got me in a way that I would gladly go back tomorrow if I could.

 

 

 

 

Lisbon, my hometown

My most photographed subject, because it’s close and convenient but also because I can’t get tired of this city. The more I travel the more I like my own country and specially my hometown, I love when the streets get full of color in the warm nights of June or even in the rainy, darker days of November.

 

 

 

 

And how about 2014?

2014 have new places for me, but also an opportunity to go back to some of my favorites: going back to Iceland is constantly on my mind, and probably this year it will finally happen. And Africa isn’t forgotten yet, if not Mozambique maybe I a closer and less visited destination. But 2014 will also be a year where I’ll look closer, a year where I’ll might go back to Azores and where I’ll spend more time working in projects closer to home.