A Familiar Image

With the acquisition of my first digital camera came the desire to take photographs. Good photographs.

Taking good photographs isn't a very easy thing to do. It usually involves creativity, a good subject, technical and equipment knowledge and a bit of luck. It also requires experimentation. That's what lots of my images are going to be. Not saying that I have found or reached any of the factors I described, I chose to post this photograph because the subject is actual but also has a lot to do with my cultural past.



Although, it is not a picture of what was served to me for breakfast, black coffee and buttered bread was a true morning meal enjoyed by a huge proportion of the Brazilian population. I have vivid images of myself, riding my bike around the block and observing the small popular bars, botequins found on almost every corner of Rio's suburbs, serving the popular and inexpensive morning meal.

Workers, bosses and passbyers stopped and gathered, enjoying their morning meal while discussing the previous night football match and else. I remember the smells. There was the smell of coffee, the smell of hot bread rolls and the smell of the people. Sometimes, the smell of an alcoholic drink, cachaca, which was very popular among the workers at the time.

I believe those sights and smells were spread around the whole country. Today, odd as it might sound, I find myself having just that for my morning meal. And I love it! It is simple, tasty and not too high in calories. On the photographs, the bread was made in a bread maker by my partner and has all these healthy ingredients and flavours. Delicious!