{english below} Creció en Agualva-Cacém, una ciudad alrededor de Lisboa (Portugal), que solo sale en las noticias por lo malo que ocurre. Sin embargo, últimamente está teniendo una gran efervescencia cultural, gracias a los africanos afincados allí, según nos cuenta Ricardo. Este joven periodista y fotógrafo vive ahora en Londres, desde donde añora disfrutar de largas jornadas de bodyboard en Ericeira (zona de surf portuguesa).
Solía escribir sobre música pero se dio cuenta de que necesitaba contar las historias interesantes de las personas con las que se cruzaba, y así pasó también a adoptar la fotografía, sobre todo en ambientes multiculturales, como forma de vida.
Recientemente ha creado una revista online, Siso, donde comparte los artículos que hace para otras revistas y medios.
English:
RICARDO MIGUEL VIEIRA
He grew up in an infamous city on the suburbs of Lisboa, Portugal, named Agualva-Cacém. It’sThe sort of place that only comes up in the news for all the wrong reasons. But he actually sees it as a fervent cultural melting pot with people from all over Lusophone Africa. Then there’s his second home, Ericeira, where he spend most of his time when he is in Portugal – he is currently based in London. That’s where he learned to bodyboard and began photographing.
He has graduated in Journalism, his main passion. Lately he has been focusing on writing about music, but he has always had a knack for human interesting stories. He just soaks up a lot of adrenaline chasing a unique story and then writing about it. “Photography is something recent to me, I do it mostly as a hobby. I really dig street photography, especially in multicultural environments as it poses really great challenges. I also like photographing music gigs”, says.
“Photography-wise I don’t stick to any methods or processes; I just go with the flow. I still have a lot to learn about shooting, so I’m still searching for my own style and evolving my eye. I just shoot what gets my attention for whatever reason it may be. Hopefully it will lead to some sort of unique narrative or style in the future”, explains.
He comments that: “My main project has been to personally establish myself as a journalist – which is not my main occupation. That’s a daily battle. Apart from this life-sucking goal, I’ve recently created an online magazine named Siso, where I basically share the articles I’ve published in other media outlets mixed with news and features that I produce independently for the project. It’s a great way of keeping motivation and practice flowing”.
“Nowadays, getting my work published for free. I’ve been battling to become a professional journalist – even if a freelancer – for quite a generous number of years, but it just doesn’t happen. It’s something that crushes the drive to actually keep on pushing, you know? That’s why I’ve been transitioning to more independent projects like Siso, writing and photographing for the pure enthusiasm that I get from these activities”, continues.
He is inspired by watching documentaries, reading books and magazines, hanging out with his friends, attend gigs, bodyboarding. Anything, basically. “I grew up in an urban environment, but then I’ve been bodyboarding since I was a kid. These are different settings – the city and the ocean -, both informing me in a variety of ways. I may be fond of street photography, but I can’t remove myself from the mesmerising thrill of shooting some empty, hidden waves. So I embrace references from these elements”, adds.
He is always looking for inspiring figures. So he really like people such as photographer Boogie, gonzo-journalism godfather Hunter S. Thompson, New York noise rap trio Ratking, the music producers of Lisboa’s and Durban’s ghetto sounds.
www.siso.pt/sobre