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“…for me photography is important for being whole.”
—Jose Salcedo.
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Jose Salcedo
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About.
62 yrs old. Lives in Porto, in northern Portugal, at the confluence of the river Douro with the Atlantic Ocean, although he spends much time on airplanes. A PhD from Stanford University, his professional life has everything to do with light: lasers and fiber optics. About 15 years ago, he quit his tenured full professor position at the University of Porto to become an international entrepreneur, having founded several industrial high tech companies in the US, Portugal and Norway.
Cameras and lenses.
Leica M3, Leica MP, Leica MM and Sony RX-1. An assortment of Leica lenses: 21/1.4 Asph, 24/2.8 Asph, 28/2.0 Asph, 50/0.95 Asph, 50/1.4 Asph, 50/2.0, 75/1.4, 75/2.0 Asph and 90/2.0 Asph; Voigt 35/1.2 II.
What’s important.
“My family. Our family is scattered – Daughter in Lyon, France, and Son in San Francisco, US – but distance only brings us closer. Freeing younger people so that they can reach their full potential. Always learning, asking hard questions and providing simple answers. Balancing professional and personal life with as much wisdom as possible. Having fun. Being whole. And for me photography is important for being whole.”
Interesting fact.
“I built my first high power laser at age 19, in an old home annex turned into laboratory. The wooden door started burning but I only noticed that the burnt smell was coming from the door and not the laser when the flames were already fairly intense! But that work – and the good grades – gave me a couple of years later the Fulbright and NATO fellowships that I needed to go to Stanford for my MSc and PhD. And I did, barely 3 days after graduation.”
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It is with great pleasure that I present my first Featured Photographer for 2013, the great gentleman, scholar, and entrepreneur, Mr. Jose Salcedo.
As he mentions above, Jose has had an intimate connection with Light his entire professional life. It is not surprising, then, that his images masterfully convey this understanding, and illustrate with deceptively “simple answers” the difficult task of capturing the essence of our world inside of a two dimensional photograph.
What follows, then, is the luminous work of Mr. Jose Salcedo.
—Peter.
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Words and images, courtesy Jose Salcedo.
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On the river Douro, at Porto, “Rabelo” sailboats now stand as an attraction. Years ago, they were the transport to carry casks of Port Wine (the world-class wine of Porto) from the Douro region 150km up river to Porto, for aging, storage, and export:
Trondheim, Norway, minutes before a huge snow storm hit:
Carmo St. in Lisbon, from a nearby elevator:
When I walked into the old Algés Train Station, in Lisbon, I saw this intimate corner and window to the left:
At Aveiro, about 50 km south of Porto, colourful fisherman’s boats and nets wait for another day:
As I entered the Sameiro church in Braga, north of Porto, I noticed the young mother instructing her child:
While waiting for a flight connection at Orly Airport, in Paris, I noticed people walking by this ad. I held the camera steady and used a slow exposure to depict a type of movement that matched the ad. This photograph was published in the charity ‘Leica User Forum Book’, 2010:
The upper patio at MOMA, in San Francisco, has beautiful life-size bronzes. When I raised the camera, this lady started walking away from the group. This photograph was published in the charity ‘Leica User Forum Book’, 2012:
At the old Bolhão Market, in Porto, an old gentleman walks slowly up the stairs:
At the S. Bento Sanctuary, near the National Park of Gerês, one hour drive north of Porto, a man places a burning candle in memory:
You need water inside to keep water outside: ‘Pateira de Fermentelos’ is a beautiful lake and bird sanctuary about 35km south of Porto. Fishermen keep their boats soaked when not in use so that the soft wood swells and does not leak when in use:
Eyes are the window to the soul. This is a dear friend whom I photographed with the ‘Pateira de Fermentelos’ lake behind:
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My sincere thank you, once again, to Mr. Jose Salcedo for sharing his work.
—Peter.
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[Previous Featured Photographers may be found here.]
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Prosophos 
Thank you for sharing the Dr. Salcedo’s work. My family and I lived near Lisbon for a couple years ten years ago and I have a tremendous respect for the Portuguese. The scenery there cannot be beat and the people we met and worked with were the best.
I still regret not getting to the Porto area but I fell in love with the different red wines from the Douro and Dáo region. And when I want to enjoy a fine cigar after dinner with friends I pour a perfect glass of Port!
As you can tell I miss Portugal.
Thanks Duane. It was my pleasure to bring attention to this gentleman’s work.
Thank you, Duane, I am always pleased when I see people from other countries and regions feel at home here. This is a nice country full of friendly hard working people. And the Port… sublime!… 🙂
Fantastic work!! Congratulations and “thank you” to you both for sharing this excellent series.
Best regards,
M.
Thank you Mark.
Thanks, Mark!
Beautiful!
Incrível a imagem do aeroporto!
Abraços,
Thank you Luiz.
Peter and Jose, thank you for partnering on this. The images certainly reflect the skill and creativity of the photographer and are wonderful to view. I also enjoyed reading about Jose and his background. It is contributions like this that help to inspire those of us who have a passion for photography.
Thank you, I appreciate the kind words. The most fascinating thing in life is to share.
Thank you so much, Peter and friends… it is an honour to contribute here, as I have been admiring Peter’s work for ages now, in the various forums where we post photographs and share information. Yes, for me photography is about being whole; that pretty much summarises it. All the best to everyone… and everyone is welcome to get in touch when they come to Porto.
Thank you Jose for sharing ….. And Peter of course.
Your description “photography is about being whole” is a great description and one that sits with me. The fact you can create an image and crystallise how you are seeing the world is like your own fingerprint…..no one else will be the same. Similar yes….the same no.
Love these images and continue to enjoy the journey which is photography Jose.
As always Andrew, I appreciate your ongoing contributions to the posts here.
Hi Andrew… yes, I do feel that way… being whole is what life is all about and photography can be a wonderful tool in that process. And there is always so much to learn from everyone…
Fantastic photos brother!
Black&White or colour…
Thanks, brother!… All the best to you!
Dear Peter, and hello to Mr. Jose Salcedo!
A passage from my hand to congratulate Jose for his superb work!
I love his pictures very well built, strong and minimalist at the same time … I feel the care taken prior to shooting (the trigger) … I really like this style of photography!
My favorite of this great set, and that of the man in motion, captured in slow before this poster!
I say bravo! A striking image, at least, an image that I liked … Otherwise, a very good treatment files From M9 and MM! A real treat …
Peter thank you present us a beautiful artist! And congratulations to Mr Jose for his work, and the passion behind it.
Best regards.
Hugues.
PS: Peter, hoping that you read my post on the portrait of Charlie.
Thank you Hugues, for your boundless appreciation of photography and for your consistent humanity. Yes, I did read your comments about my image “Charlie”. My apologies for not having responded sooner… it’s been a little hectic here since returning from my trip.
Hi Hughes! Thank you very much for your compliment, I much appreciate it.
Thank you so much for sharing these wise words and photo’s Jose, and giving room to a great artist Peter!
It was my pleasure to showcase Jose’s beautiful work. Thank you, Jeffrey, for your positive comments.
And I thank you, Jeffrey. All the best to you.
J. R. Salcedo sees the light in more ways than one. This sample of Salcedo’s portfolio is exquisite and eclectic. Well done!
Indeed, well said.
Thanks, Antonio… I appreciate the kind words, especially coming from a fine photographer such as you. Looking forward to meeting you soon in the Bay Area.
Viagem fantástica, que os meus olhos tiveram o prazer de desfrutar ,da primeira foto até à ultima. Melhor…..arruína….
Obrigado, Amigo Zé Manel! Abraço grande.
Parabéns pelas Images !!!
Thank you, Tiago!
Beautiful work dear brother!
Thank you, sister!