Rui Palha
Born in April 1953, in Portugal. Living in Lisbon.
Photography is a hobby since the 14 years of age, with great interruptions up to 2001, since then almost all the time is devoted to street photography and to long term sociological projects in problematic neighborhoods of Lisbon.
In his photographic work all people are unique and the most important part of his photographs.
Probably he tries to be a story teller using images, telling to the others what he “sees” everyday during his “street walks”. His photographic “world” is in Lisbon, 90% of his photos are made in his own town where the anonymous people are the main actors of the photographs. He thinks there isn’t a day equal to the precedent, the People is always changing, as well as the moments, the lighting and…the inspiration, too.
He hasn’t a formal main theme... his theme is street, People, feelings, life... he is always looking for THE moment, he feels he never captured it, and he will look for it forever.
He likes low light conditions, rainy days and problematic places. First of all he likes People, real People.
Usually he walks on foot some kilometers per day... walking, talking with anonymous people, photographing what he can and what he feels.
Sometimes it's easy others don't.
Many times he repeats the route; it is always different in spite of being the same... the people is always changing as well as the situations.
His type of photography it's a task a little bit solitary, but he feels always accompanied by the world that surrounds him.
This sentence defines his way to be in photography:
“Photography is a very important part of my space… it is to discover, it is to capture giving flow to what the heart feels and sees in a certain moment, it is being in the street, trying, knowing, learning and, essentially, practicing the freedom of being, of living, of thinking…”
www.ruipalha.com