Photographing Alentejo at dawn: the power of positive people

On our travels, we get to see incredible sights and meet amazing people that touch our hearts and add a little more to our life. About four or five years ago, we were photographing a landscape in the Alentejo region of Portugal. It was dawn, and we were hoping to catch the right light for the perfect shot when we met Mr. António.

Mr. António is a farmer from Alentejo, and he must have been about 80 years old at the time. His life was not easy. He used to get up very early every day to get as much done as possible before the sun was too high, and the heatwave started, and he would often walk for miles around his land to check if everything was ok or if anything needed his immediate attention. It was on one of his walks that we met him.

He greeted us with a smile and asked if everything was all right, if we needed help. We suppose that seeing a couple at dawn in the middle of nowhere, stopped at the side of a deserted road, standing beside a car, could be a reason for alarm. But still, we were greeted with a sincere smile from Mr. António.

Of course, we explained to him who we were, what we were doing, and why it was being done at that hour. He listened with interest and asked a lot of questions, motivated by the curiosity of someone who clearly spends a lot of time alone while working. He told us our work must be wonderful, spending our lives at parties surrounded by happy people and music. He was very surprised when we shared with him that we travelled a lot for work, and we had already visited places as far away as New Zealand or Kenya, and we often spent some time in the United States.

Mr. António’s genuine smile, curiosity, and friendliness really left an impression on us. Every time we think of him, we remember what he told us: In life, we don’t always have the power to choose. In his case, he became a farmer almost by family obligation. But the secret is to face these choices as if they were our first option and make the most out of them. Always seeing the glass half full, not wasting too much time thinking about what could have been. That’s the only way to be happy.

We never saw him again. And maybe Mr. António doesn’t remember us, but he added a little bit to our story, and we will always remember him. Maybe it was the sincere smile, the sun burnt face where the wrinkles of old age drew several lines full of stories, or even these few words of wisdom he shared with us. We don’t know for sure, but we do know life brings us unique and special moments when we least expect it, even on a deserted road in the middle of Alentejo at 6 o’clock in the morning.

We didn’t take a picture of Mr. António. We were so caught up in the moment that we didn’t even think of it, and we were holding a camera in our hands! But his kindness and the power of his words drew us in completely. And it’s okay if we didn’t get a photo, because even today when we look at the images captured on that day, we always remember him, and we feel there’s a little bit of him and each one of them.

What we take from life are the stories we share. Let us help tell your wedding story. Check our website to learn about our services and previous projects.