Saudade

[kaskais]

Paula, faz hoje precisamente um ano que abandonastes este mundo cruel. O sofrimento provocado pela saudade de alguém que partiu para sempre, é um mecanismo misterioso, instalado na casa das máquinas da alma. Não se vê, mas abana todo o cavername do nosso frágil esqueleto. Obriga a mudanças e transforma-nos noutra coisa qualquer, diferente daquilo que éramos. Não sei se melhor ou pior, mas diferente. Uma mudança imposta, através do estilhaçar e da aniquilação do antigo eu. Um traumatismo que temos relutância em ultrapassar, pois é nesse trauma que se encontra a pessoa que amamos e perdemos. O único lugar, triste e solitário, onde existe algum sentido. Tal como o vento brinca com os teus cabelos, a saudade brinca com os meus sentimentos.

https://kaskaisphotos.wordpress.com/2025/03/29/saudade/

[whited3]

I have no words...

[DanK]

Mark,

Just a heads up: Kaskais posts here often, but in all of the years I've been participating in this forum, I can't recall a single time he has either responded to a post like yours or posted comments about anyone else's photographs. Some people occasionally respond to his posts regardless.

Dan

[Geoff F]

I always look at these posts. Sometimes I don't agree with the way a scene has been shot or edited but they make me think about so much.

[billtils]

When I see one that catches my eye I always get a translation from the Portugese - that was particulary important for this image.

[Manfred M]

Fernando has been posting one image per week as long as I have been a member of this site. He never comments on any responses, and that is certainly not an issue here.

If you visit his website and look at his "Artist's Statement" it gives us some insight as to what he is trying to accomplish. Here is the Google Translate English version:

"My name is Fernando Cascais, I am a Portuguese photographer, and the images I make today are the result of more than 50 years of trial and error, of research and discovery, in my quest to understand how we are affected by the world around us and how we interact with our environment. I have long been interested in the Japanese aesthetic tradition, and I have come to the conclusion that if I want to express the emotion I felt at the time the photograph was taken, then I must also encode (simplify) the elements within the image. This process seeks to eliminate the “visual fat”, to take the photograph to the “bone”, to try to reveal a world that, although very real, is not easily visualized. The aesthetic concept that “less is more” is something that is more difficult to internalize than it seems. Obviously, this is an aesthetic choice, but photography is such a broad art that there is room for many others. In fact, on this site I have photographs that are not minimalist, as well as some texts, colored photographs and “manipulated” photographs.

Fernando Cascais"

The statements about each individual work is quite common in the fine art field. Some people are more interested in the text than the work. I am almost the opposite from Fernando and want the viewer to explore the piece with no more than the title and the artist's statement and the actual image.

[escape]

Narrative has an impact on how we see the image. It could have been,
“Lady waiting for her car to be repaired”, or
“What will I make for dinner?” Just saying.

[Manfred M]

Narrative has an impact on how we see the image. It could have been,
“Lady waiting for her car to be repaired”, or
“What will I make for dinner?” Just saying.

It could, but some of the narratives I have seen at various galleries were so "over the top" that they were just about useless.

[mugge]

Mark,

Just a heads up: Kaskais posts here often, but in all of the years I've been participating in this forum, I can't recall a single time he has either responded to a post like yours or posted comments about anyone else's photographs. Some people occasionally respond to his posts regardless.

Dan

I, rarely look at kaskais's photos now because I am a merely plebian photographer who does not deserve attention. I think people would understand what I am really saying.
Cheers Ole

[escape]

It could, but some of the narratives I have seen at various galleries were so "over the top" that they were just about useless.

Hello, Manfred. I've been exploring how a well-crafted title and a few lines of narrative can influence the way a viewer experiences an image—both in perception and emotion. Interestingly, psychological research supports this as well. Studies in framing, art interpretation, and narrative psychology show that even a small amount of text can meaningfully guide a viewer’s emotional and cognitive response.

[Manfred M]

Hello, Manfred. I've been exploring how a well-crafted title and a few lines of narrative can influence the way a viewer experiences an image—both in perception and emotion. Interestingly, psychological research supports this as well. Studies in framing, art interpretation, and narrative psychology show that even a small amount of text can meaningfully guide a viewer’s emotional and cognitive response.

There are a host of different and opposing views out there. When I first started judging photo competitions (over eight years ago), the general practice was to not show the title of the image to the judge. The prevailing view was that the artwork had to stand on its own, without any written prompts. In the past few years this has changed and works with poor or missing titles are sometimes penalized.

I have seen people visiting galleries who only read the artist's statement and the descriptions of the works, without really spending much, if any time looking at the artwork. To some, the intent is much more important that the outcome. I have heard it said that some artists will never be successful because their artist's statements and descriptions of the work are not strong enough. The fact that the art itself is very strong doesn't seem to matter to some "experts".

[escape]

I have heard it said that some artists will never be successful because their artist's statements and descriptions of the work are not strong enough. The fact that the art itself is very strong doesn't seem to matter to some "experts".

Maybe that's about marketing. I've seen some posted images on this forum that are outstanding in the view of the few people who left comments, yet, though impressive, they receive a low number of views. That brings me to the images' titles. Some visitors may only click on the ones they’re drawn to in a particular category. Can the title impact a viewer's decision to click? I tend to think so—because I’m not sure what else it could be.

[escape]

[QUOTE=escape;780775 es. Some visitors may only click on the ones they’re drawn to in a particular category. Can the title impact a viewer's decision to click? I tend to think so—because I’m not sure what else it could be.[/QUOTE]

Continuing the thought.

So why do they click? The title is one reason. Another is that some visitors are regulars and have come to recognize the work of certain photographers. And then there’s a third reason that I think plays a big role: people tend to click on posts with lots of views because they assume there must be something worth seeing—after all, so many others have looked. That creates a snowball effect, where clicks keep increasing regardless of the image’s merits or the quality of the discussion.