The Jardim Manuel Bíva is one of the lively squares in Faro - between the cultural part of the old town with the cathedral and city museum on one side and the bustling old town district with its numerous bars and restaurants on the other. Since April 1 and until the end of June, an exhibition of photos by 20 photographers has enriched the square. As Grandes Rias Naturais do Algarve: Formosa e Alvor (Great Natural Lagoons of the Algarve: Formosa and Alvor) is the motto - and one of the panels shows four of my photos.
I was invited to take part by photographer Mauro Rodrigues, who curated the exhibition for the Algarve Photographers' Association (ALFA - Associação Livre de Fotógrafos do Algarve). Mauro had found an aerial photograph (taken on approach to Faro) on Flickr - to round off the theme, I had offered three more aerial photographs - all four then made it into the exhibition (via an intermediate round, it should remain exciting), which was sponsored by Faro City Council. "The quality, sensitivity and design of your proposal were decisive for this decision, as they reflect the natural richness of our marshlands in an exemplary manner," was the jury's reasoning. Overall, the exhibition "brings together a collection of photographic works that show the beauty, diversity and ecological importance of two of the most relevant lagoon systems in the south of Portugal: the Ria Formosa and the Ria de Alvor."
