la bella italia, day one

I thought I'd share with you the pictures and the writing from the trips I've taken in the past few years. Travel photography is one of my favorite areas; I have the time of my life trying to capture moments, small details of the places that usually go unnoticed by the regular postcard photography. Besides, they give me a window back to those times, take me to those places again. I spent most of my week processing the photos from the trip I'm about to share, and I swear I could almost smell the Nutella crepes that they sold a couple of streets from our hotel room. 

So, here is my take on Italy. The trip will be split in a couple of blogposts — too many memories to share, too many photos. The texts will look kind of... diary-like, because I took them off the notebook I brought with me. But I hope you like each and every one of them. Don't forget to let me know what you think, share your experiences with me! This world, this tiny little universe I'm creating here, is nothing without your input. Talk to me!

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The plane left early in the morning, way too early. We're sleepy, the both of us, and the plane trip (which is never too pleasant) was shaky. I know I'm over my fear of planes, I know I was actually craving this trip, but I still get butterflies in my stomach every time I enter the darn thing. Oh well. 

The sights are gorgeous. We're preparing for cold, for snowstorms and freezing fingers and falling on my butt in front of monuments (I need to start counting the amount of times this happens), but I have the feeling it's not going to be that cold. The land is very green under us, the sun is peeking out. We might have sun after all. 

Rome! We're just crossing town on our way to the train to Florence, but still. It's like home. 

There are only a handful of places I'd move to in a heartbeat, and Rome is very close to the top of the list. It's unbelievably beautiful, and it's curious that I get there exactly six years after I left. To the day. 

The air feels exactly the same as it did when I was there with my friends; the color, the light yellow mornings and the smell of coffee and old books and wet stone. I remember loving this feeling when I was with them; that everywhere I looked, there was art. It's incredibly inspiring, when every small corner, every nook and cranny is spilling talent, showing off the hands of the men (and women, albeit few) who worked them so very long ago. 

I missed it. I missed Rome with everything I have, and I'm only realizing it now. It feels like home. 

Trains are my favorite means of transportation. I love the calm, the paradox of the noise against the quietness that forms inside my head. I love feeling cradled by it, like when I was little and I'd hurt myself and my grandmother would sway me from side to side. It's incredibly comforting.  

    [view from our hotel window]

After a full day of traveling, we're finally in Florence. The hotel looked decrepit from the outside, but it's new and stylish and gorgeous on the inside. It was a wonderful choice. And the view. This view. I can't believe I'm here. I can't believe I'm finally in Florence. 

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Thank you for reading, have a wonderful Friday!

girls' night out!

last week I went on a well deserved girls' night out with two of my favorite girls in the world. we went to our usual vegetarian restaurant and had an absolute blast, as we always do.

these times with R and M are one of the things that keep me going. they are just so unbelievably supportive, so kind and so funny that they always light up my soul; I think we're all like that with each other. the fact that we have the band helps — it requires more confidence, more strength in our friendship, it makes us bigger and brighter. like with most of my best friends (and I have a few) it's almost like having a sibling that's not of your own blood, but of your own heart. I know. I'm a sap. but when it comes to counting my blessings, they're definitely in one of the top places.

(the bottom one was taken by mariana)

I hope you like these! let me know what you think? there's more to come this week!

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Don't forget that I'm currently scheduling my photo shoots for this Fall/Winter! E-mail me at luminousphotographer@gmail.com for more information!

Não se esqueçam que estou agora a aceitar marcações para o Outono/Inverno! Enviem-me um e-mail para luminousphotographer@gmail.com para mais informações!

gabs and the glasses

This is nothing but a random post, showing off a little family fun with my new prop glasses. And myself, pretending to be a model from the 90's. And just family stuff. But I think you'll like it anyway.

Take a look?

days of fun

okay. this is kind of a counterpoint to wednesday's post, since it's all about a summer day so full and joyful that I absolutely had to share it with you.

my mother is lucky enough to live in a condo with a pool for the residents, and  we had some friends over on sunday — a good enough excuse for me to take pictures! there's not much to say about these, just that it was an absolutely lovely day with even lovelier people.

my mother asked me to take her a couple of portraits, so that she could update her facebook profile picture. I took a few; the ones in black and white were candids, when she was releasing her hair from the bun; the other two are posed, but I love them so much. do I have the prettiest mom in the world, or what?

it was basically impossible to get Gabs out of the water; she kept going in, swimming, so I don't have a lot of pictures of her outside. and up here are the obligatory feet photo. oh, I am so very hipster sometimes. *roll eyes*

my mom and one of her best friends, Carla. she's so lovely, and has the two cutest kids ever. 

C and her husband, plus me and mom. I look incredibly awkward, but oh well. I don't pose well for other people. 

E and Gabs, just out of the pool.

mom's garden treats. I love that statue. every time I go to mom's I end up taking pictures of it. 

mom and her two girls. 

expect a couple more posts this weekend — I've been shooting like a maniac this week and I can't wait to post everything I have. I hope you like these; let me know what you think in the comments!

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Don't forget that I'm currently scheduling my photo shoots for this Fall/Winter! E-mail me atluminousphotographer@gmail.com for more information!

Não se esqueçam que estou agora a aceitar marcações para o Outono/Inverno! Enviem-me um e-mail paraluminousphotographer@gmail.com para mais informações!

days of nothingness

The Summer can be dull.

During Winter, I normally have this picture perfect idea of Summer. Splashing in some paradise-like beach, eating ice cream and wearing shorts and colorful shirts, going for bike rides, suddenly becoming a thousand times prettier than I actually am. It's my ice cream commercial idea of a season that almost always ends with staying home, watching series and taking self-portraits, running errands and baking my ass off. 

Yeah, that kind of ruins the expectations. 

Why am I telling you all this, you ask? Because yesterday I found myself having one of those paifully boring Summer days. There was nothing to do. I told myself I wouldn't take new work in August, so I could rest, so I didn't have photos to process; my friends are away, the vast majority of them. Even my significant other is away on vacation, so I had absolutely nothing to do and no one to talk to. What did I do?

I decided to paint my hair with soft pastels. I'm not even kidding. 

The adventure started with an hour and a half of search. I could not, for my own sake, find my box of soft pastels. I searched the entire house for it, and in the meantime I found an old pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses (I loved them!), a box of mini business cards (from moo!), an old pencil case with a bunch of goodies and the best part: my calligraphy kit. 

Over the years, I've been collecting tips and antique pens. I got this kit when I was 18 and I absolutely adore it; I have another small box filled with the ones you see apart. They are so lovely. 

After I found my pastels, I sat on my bed and started to paint the tips of my hair with several colors. I used aqua, soft pink, yellow and light green, all the while making a mess out of my bed, my shirt and my hair.

It didn't turn out quite as fabulous as I'd hoped; my hair is too dark for it to be truly noticeable and I have absolutely no talent for dealing with my own hair. I did have a blast, though. I felt a little bit badass, I have to admit.

See? Not fabulous. But not horrible, either!

The shot below is from a few days ago, an equally boring afternoon; I had fun throwing a cookie into a glass of milk. And then I had a little less fun moping the kitchen floor.

I hope you're all having a wonderful week!

Don't forget that I'm currently scheduling my photo shoots for this Fall/Winter! E-mail me at luminousphotographer@gmail.com for more information!

Não se esqueçam que estou agora a aceitar marcações para o Outono/Inverno! Enviem-me um e-mail para luminousphotographer@gmail.com para mais informações!