This is a tribute I made to the biodiversity in Miranda Plateau, located in the North-East of Portugal.
During my travel in 2014, I intentionally multiple exposed this series of photographs using my camera (D800E) and some DIY studio equipment. The project is done without help of alteration/layering in external software such as Photoshop, this simply because I enjoy the beauty in the process - taking the creative challenge while out on the field.
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Miranda donkey & farmer resting under a cork tree
Donkeys and Men have been shaping the Plateau’s landscape together, for centuries.
Rock pigeon & Douro cliffs
Rock pigeons (Columba livia) breed close to Douro river’s cliffs and feed endangered eagle species.
From cork seedling to forest
From the early days to the adult life of native species (Quercus suber), despite being essential on both ecological and economical levels, must fight to keep being planted.
Heads and tails: the village and the hill
Villages and hills – both ploughed and wild – are the two sides of the Plateau’s landscape.
Miranda donkey foal & ash trees
Lameiros are very biodiverse traditional pastures, bordered by Ash trees (Fraxinus angustifolia), in which the Miranda Donkey frequently feeds. Their symbiosis contributes to avoiding each other’s extinction.
Bosca’s newt & pond
A newt (Lissotriton boscai) jumbled with its habitat, necessarily fresh and clean, which makes this species an indicator of healthy, unpolluted environments.
Black kite & Douro cliffs
A rescued, recovering Black Kite (Milvus migrans), one of the main pigeon predators.
Miranda donkey foal & cork trees
The Miranda Donkey is an endangered native breed, and it is thus important to find new roles for it: maintaining healthy and clean forests through grazing is one of them.
Hand-built world
An old, hard-working hand, moved by traditional knowledge, over one of the many stone walls it has built.
Soon to fly black kite
A rescued, recovering Black Kite (Milvus migrans), a pigeon predator.
Soon to fly owl
A rescued Western Barn Owl (Tyto alba). This species plays a role in maintaining the pigeon house’s ecological balance, as it eats potentially harmful small mammals, such as mice.
Stone house & husband
As youth leaves to the cities, it’s mostly the older who bring life to the villages’ stone houses.
Stone house & wife
Villager & village
People have been leaving their villages since the 1950s, in search for more modern lives. But a few resist, and Spring always comes.