Uploads from Ana Luísa Pinto [Luminous Photography], tagged old, with geodata

the girl and the camera

nobody@flickr.com (Ana Luísa Pinto [Luminous Photography]) — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 10:02:14 -0700

Ana Luísa Pinto [Luminous Photography] posted a photo:

Story 26/52

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the girl with the camera

All she knows is how to look. How to lower her head and allow her eyes to get lost in the square of light, in the way things move, in the mirrored paths she can build with that object. She sees everything, perceives everything. She is powerful, when she's holding it, there's nothing in the world that can beat her.

That's how she feels, anyway. It might not be the same way the rest of the world sees her, it might not even be the way her loved ones see her. But that's how she feels when she's holding that camera. Invincible.

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I am so sorry I've been so absent! I've been traveling (Barcelona is lovely and my darling says hi!) and I had no time to dedicate to selfies, other than the typically touristic ones. I know, I know. It's silly. But I'm back on track and I bring you a brand new photo!

We have reached the middle of the path, my friends. This is week 26, only 26 more to go until I'm done. And I think it's time for a bit of a change.

I've been living in the shadow of my previous work. I've been trying and trying to get my photos to be as pleasing, for myself, as those from last year were, and I've been failing at that. One of the only times I felt I was on track was with the last '52 Stories' shot I posted — and with the lukewarm reception the photo had, well — it kind of tore me down. This isn't your fault, though. Us artists are temperamental, needy creatures. We may have a handful of popular images, but if you don't like the one we find more amazing, we throw ourselves into the drain. It's part of the deal and it's kind of pain I welcome — it means that I still care.

But these past two weeks have allowed me to think about this, to think hard about what I want to do. I photographed a lot. I kept those photos to myself and I'm only releasing a couple (the 52S of this week included) — but those are photos that I took in a sort of hail Mary way: I was looking at my old portraits and got suddenly tired of having to constantly work around a concept. Why can't I just take a picture the way I want to, the way I feel, these days? Why does everything have to be charged with meaning, with depth, with a sadness that I don't always feel but seem to force myself into, so I can create?

This is supposed to make me happy, not sad. Not aggravated when I have to post, not insecure. I mean. It will, that's for sure. But I can try to make an effort in the other direction, right?

It's not going to be easy. I will probably have a majority of pictures that will fail with the public. I will probably want to throw myself off a bridge every Friday, but if I do, it will be because I tried. It won't be because I'm in autopilot anymore.

So this picture is a bit of a result of that. This is my attempt at a vintage shot — not in an 'instagram' kind of way, but in a way that actually looks like it was taken in the 60's or 70's — grain and soft blur included. The story is my story, like an old version of myself. It does have meaning, but it's not overbearing with it. Thank goodness.

I'll probably need your help in the next few weeks. I'll need your support, too. And I want to say again that I'm unbelievably grateful for each and every one of you who follows this account and comments, likes, etc. You guys mean the world to me. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

On a different note, I'm doing a print giveaway on my on my facebook page! Don't forget to participate!

[the credit for the two textures used is on my profile page]

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I will keep asking: do not blog my photos without credit AND linking back; do not use weheartit.com to bookmark my photos and please please PLEASE don't instagram my work. Thanks to those of you who respect these requests.

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#88 — old sights

nobody@flickr.com (Ana Luísa Pinto [Luminous Photography]) — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 11:19:14 -0700

Ana Luísa Pinto [Luminous Photography] posted a photo:

88/365

I was looking for a pair of sunglasses I seem to have misplaced and I came across these babies. They were my first pair of glasses, ever! I got them when I was 14; mostly to read and watch television. I remember wearing them and loving it, feeling so nerdy and awesome. So I thought they deserved their own picture! What do you think?

(+2 in the comments)

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#21 — new old things

nobody@flickr.com (Ana Luísa Pinto [Luminous Photography]) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 11:22:13 -0800

Ana Luísa Pinto [Luminous Photography] posted a photo:

21/365

My grandmother found a box filled with things that belonged to her own mother and grandmother — things she'd tucked away years ago and never revisited. Of course, instead of letting her throw stuff out now, I asked her if I could keep some of the things as props. I'm especially excited about an embroided blouse (which was her Grandmother's, it has a monogram and everything, so it's more than a hundred years old) and a corset, which is something I'd been looking for since about a year ago. So I'm happy with the new props, which are lying under my head in this shot, and which I am folding in the outtakes.

[+5 in the comments]

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Week 18 — Marvelous

nobody@flickr.com (Ana Luísa Pinto [Luminous Photography]) — Fri, 06 May 2011 08:26:28 -0700

Ana Luísa Pinto [Luminous Photography] posted a photo:

Week 18/52

Oh well. I guess this was channeling every person who's ever done a levitation shot. Which means... everyone.

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I like female writers, when they're serious. I like Virginia Woolf, I like the Brontë sisters, I like 20th century writers, who transformed the way people see women, going from pretty-pieces-of-furniture-slash-sexual-toys to full on, thinking human beings. I am immensely grateful to all of them. But there's one who seems to get to me in a very particular way: Anaïs Nin. I read the compilation of her diaries ('Henry and June') for the first time when I was 15. It was life changing, as is everything at that age, but it's one of the books I keep in my nightstand. So when i read this quote of hers, earlier this week, I knew I had to work my photo of the week around it:

“I am an excitable person who only understands life lyrically, musically, in whom feelings are much stronger as reason. I am so thirsty for the marvelous that only the marvelous has power over me. Anything I can not transform into something marvelous, I let go. Reality doesn’t impress me.”

I'm constantly told, in my life, that I can't just do the things I like, that I have to do everything, because that's life and life is hard and yadda yadda. I know. I recognize and accept that kind of thinking, that kind of paradigm. But the truth is, if it doesn't make me smile in wonder, if it doesn't make my heart flutter with emotion, then I probably won't care much about what happens. And this is what the shot is about.

I spent most of my week writing, which gives me an immense sense of freedom, but also drains me. Writing takes so much more out of me than photography does. But the truth is, it makes me feel alive. Photography makes me feel alive through physical pain, through adrenaline, through putting myself in danger to get a cool shot; writing does that to me simply by pulling on my heart strings and allowing my fingers to run through the keyboard, through taking me by the hand and showing me that it could be like this and not like that. The muse was kind this week, and she lead me wisely through both fiction and photography.

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Week 13 — the invisible girl

nobody@flickr.com (Ana Luísa Pinto [Luminous Photography]) — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 08:22:48 -0700

Ana Luísa Pinto [Luminous Photography] posted a photo:

Week 13/52

Despite the fact that I took another 'photo of the week' yesterday, I couldn't help myself. I had to post my favourite shot out of the Sanatorium series, because I love it so darn much, and I thought it was better than anything else I might have taken this week. So here it is.

This is dark. The whole series is, but this photo and the two others that compose this moment within the series (which can be seen in the comments), are darker than anything else. I think it's because it coincides with the first time that afternoon that I felt like I was shooting completely alone. Luís and Diego were on the other side of the building with my teacher and I was finally on my own, in that terrifying place, and I finally allowed myself to breathe. Before that, I'd been shooting near them, but this time I was on my own. So I just took a moment and saw that light and put myself in the middle of it.

The weather is absolutely marvelous here; it's warm and sunny, so I'm just a couple of minutes away from moving this party to my rooftop, along with my guitar and a cold lemonade, and just enjoy an afternoon of fun and music. The mood right now is very different from that of the picture, so I hope you all have the most lovely weekend, and that your lives are filled with joy!

OH, and in case you want to see the rest of the series, it's here!

peek-a-boo

nobody@flickr.com (Ana Luísa Pinto [Luminous Photography]) — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 05:14:48 -0700

Ana Luísa Pinto [Luminous Photography] posted a photo:

Film — March 2011

This was my first time editing photos taken on film, on photoshop, and I loved it. I didn't do much, just a tiny bit of contrast, but it's fun and strange. Digital works so differently, but at the same time it's... similar. I don't know. I guess I'll have to think about it properly, when my head's not pounding with a headache. But for now, I really like this.

pictures and words

nobody@flickr.com (Ana Luísa Pinto [Luminous Photography]) — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 05:14:54 -0700

Ana Luísa Pinto [Luminous Photography] posted a photo:

Film — March 2011

These are a few of my favorite things!

Books and cameras. They're at the top of my 'tangible pleasures' list, and they make my life so infinitely better. So here's to them! In film!

the ballet shoes

nobody@flickr.com (Ana Luísa Pinto [Luminous Photography]) — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 06:13:48 -0800

Ana Luísa Pinto [Luminous Photography] posted a photo:

Series of two photos, meant to be seen as a diptych. The other side is here.

These photos were taken to fit into the 'still life' category for my portfolio. Since I didn't deliver it and I came across them today in my external drive, I decided to give them a twist. I processed them again, trying a couple of new things. I hope you like them as much as I do. :)

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She ran her fingers through the fabric, the tips following a trail until they reached the ribbons. She rolled one tip on her index finger, the other on the middle, and played with them while her mind travelled to a land far away, a land where she was twenty again, full of glory, filled with light. A land where she was, once again, prima ballerina.

day two hundred and nineteen

nobody@flickr.com (Ana Luísa Pinto [Luminous Photography]) — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 09:57:15 -0700

Ana Luísa Pinto [Luminous Photography] posted a photo:

My love for The Beatles is starting to border on a mild obsession. It's true. So when I went to FNAC yesterday, with Joana and Sofia, and saw that there was a vinyl section, I giggled like a fangirl. And I giggled even louder when I was taking the shot in the comments and realized that Abbey Road was right in front of my eyes. OH, I love it so much. It's so absolutely brilliant, isn't it?

(Thanks to Joana, for being my human tripod! :))

a ballerina's trade

nobody@flickr.com (Ana Luísa Pinto [Luminous Photography]) — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 11:37:58 -0700

Ana Luísa Pinto [Luminous Photography] posted a photo:

Week 21 — Outtake #4

This is the last outtake from the Week 21 series (at last! phew!). I'm so very glad you guys have enjoyed this series; it means a lot to me that so many of you commented and added my photo as favorite. :)

I'm posting this and making dinner at the same time — which is becoming usual for me, since I'm the one who makes dinner nearly every night now, and I'm not complaining — but it does mean that I don't have the time to say much right now. The thank you note was in order, and I hope you like this one as well.

Have a lovely day, y'all! :)

Week 11 — The Occasional Sleepover

nobody@flickr.com (Ana Luísa Pinto [Luminous Photography]) — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 08:29:06 -0700

Ana Luísa Pinto [Luminous Photography] posted a photo:

Week 11/52

This is the perfect example of the shot that looked so much better in my mind, but with the tiny window of time I had to actually shoot, and with the crappy sunlight (this was supposed to be shot at sunset or dawn) and everything going wrong, this ended up being the result. Blah.

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"I keep having this dream" Clarissa's words were soft, almost inaudible against the sounds of the morning in the Piazza. He briefly considered getting up and closing the window, but he threw that thought aside as he turned on his side and watched her face. "That I wake up in a rooftop, as if it were my bed."

"Which rooftop?"

"New York. Your old apartment in the Village." she smiles a little, but he still senses the tension, the trouble she has sharing these kinds of things. "And around me there's a bunch of lamps. Old, oily lamps, all hanging from nowhere."

She turns slightly, laying on her side with her face to him. Clarissa tries to hide her embarrassment by hiding part of her face in the pillow, but she knows he can read through her. He always could. "It's almost like an urban fairytale."

Matthew laughs softly, in the same way he'd laugh at a child's idle joke.

"Aren't you quite the urban princess."

"I am."

So, this is a scene I cut from the Lent Novel. It's lousy, but it's what inspired me in the first place, so it deserves to be here.

I have a hard time with dreams, most of the time. I dream every night, I don't know what it's like to sleep dreamlessly, and the dreams are usually either immensely funny or incredibly upsetting. It's not uncommon for me to wake up crying or laughing like a maniac, but I have learned how to deal and push them aside when they're bad, and to find strength in them when they're good. It's just that quirky, silly fact about me. I will always dream, and I will always feel like everything is going wrong when I wake up, but that's a part of who I am and it's not about to change. :)

I hope you all have a truly wonderful weekend, and that all your dreams are as fairytale-like as mine. :)

[Oh, and there's a 'before' shot in the comments simply to illustrate how darn goofy I look when I'm doing stuff like this on the roof. I swear, people are going to call the police on me, someday.]

happiness hit her like a train on a track

nobody@flickr.com (Ana Luísa Pinto [Luminous Photography]) — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 08:44:49 -0700

Ana Luísa Pinto [Luminous Photography] posted a photo:

Week 10/52 — Outtake #1

I know, I know. This is the same shot I posted on the comments of the other picture, but I fell in love with the color version and so didn't want to throw it away. So I thought I'd post it.

I spent the past few days in and out of hospitals. First, one of my closest friends had a baby (I'm an aunt!), which made me unbelievably happy, but yesterday one of my aunts had her arms nearly torn apart by a dog, and today was my sister's surgery. My aunt is at home now, resting, and my sister's surgery went well. So I'm calmer now. But it's still exhausting. Put that together with writing a novel and doing a 52 Weeks, plus the actual photographic work I have to do, the sessions here and there, and you have an absolutely exhausted Lu. But still, a very happy one, and very glad that no matter how dark things seem, something good will always come of them.

you in the moonlight, with your sleepy eyes, could you ever love a girl like me?

nobody@flickr.com (Ana Luísa Pinto [Luminous Photography]) — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 10:30:19 -0800

Ana Luísa Pinto [Luminous Photography] posted a photo:

Week 5/52 — Outtake #1

The title is from Stevie Nicks' 'Leather and Lace'

I like this outtake as much as I like the original photo, if not more. Still, it didn't go with my idea and description for the week, and therefore was bumped down to outtake before it even had a chance.

Oh, and my silly studio lights are the love of my life, right now.

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This is still the Courtesan from the other photo. Or maybe not. Maybe this is her innocent sister, dragged into this life out of pure need. Or maybe, even, this is the girl who moonlights as a courtesan, but by day is this lovely society gal. I don't know. I'm still working on that. And I sort of love it. :D

Also, I love how fandoms can be the string that pulls us out of the ruts we get yourself into. I've had a wonderful couple of weeks, partially because I've been busy and happy, but also partly due to my renewed obsession with Castle. While I stopped watching for sometime because it reminded me of who had suggested it, now that's the farthest thing from my mind. I love the fandom; people are nice, the fanfiction is good (mostly — there are always the ones with the grammar mistakes all over the place) and the show is brilliantly written. I'm not diving into it like I would have a few years ago — I am 24, after all, and trying to be an adult — but it does feel wonderful to have something to read and to watch when I get home at night. So it's a good thing. It's a good fandom to be a part of. :)

I hope you all like this one! And thank you again for putting my last shot up on Explore, it's an unbelievable honor. :)

the hanging ballerina

nobody@flickr.com (Ana Luísa Pinto [Luminous Photography]) — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 06:14:01 -0800

Ana Luísa Pinto [Luminous Photography] posted a photo:

Series of two photos, meant to be seen as a diptych. The other side is here.

These photos were taken to fit into the 'still life' category for my portfolio. Since I didn't deliver it and I came across them today in my external drive, I decided to give them a twist. I processed them again, trying a couple of new things. I hope you like them as much as I do. :)

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The shoes are hanging from the wooden square, now, the last souvenir of a life devoted to dance. She knows she will never dance again, she will never step on stage with that kind of grace, that kind of softness. Her cane follows her steps as she leans on it. The pain isn't even too bad anymore, but physical pain has always been bearable. It's the pain in her heart, that she can't stand.

Glitter in the jar

nobody@flickr.com (Ana Luísa Pinto [Luminous Photography]) — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 07:05:06 -0700

Ana Luísa Pinto [Luminous Photography] posted a photo:

It's only half past the point of oblivion.
— Pink - Glitter in the Air

day two hundred

nobody@flickr.com (Ana Luísa Pinto [Luminous Photography]) — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 13:52:37 -0700

Ana Luísa Pinto [Luminous Photography] posted a photo:

This is my 200th day, and as I was looking over my 199 previous photographs, I was overwhelmed. Firstly, because I never thought I'd get this far. I honestly thought I'd give it up after a month or two, like I did last summer; that's what's truly spectacular about this, for me: giving it up is not even an option, now. Secondly, I was stunned by the love I have around me. The friends I made and that I'm still making through Flickr, the explores, the comments, the LOVE that so many of you have given me. It's very rewarding to see all that. And to be completely honest, what I felt the most as I looked to these photos, was loved.

So thank you. Wether you comment or fave, or simply view my photos. Thank you for supporting me and helping me through some of my darkest times. Thank yu for sticking by. The ride is absolutely amazing, and it's mostly because of you guys.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.