CEO Planking

By me

Planking for the train

By me

Wise planking

If I were crazy, I would be up there.
But I’m not, so…

Planking on the grass

On a really hot day, looking for some refreshment.
And I almost fell asleep.

By me

A kind of safe planking

By me

Stone planking

Planking against

Not against the light.
Against bullfight!

By me

Planking at the parking

... or the other way around.

By me

Planking to the universe

By me

Safe planking

By me

Toy planking

Hello all!
I suppose that some of you have seen my series “Planking”. Maybe! And from those, I suppose that some have asked themselves why I do such photos. Maybe!
So, let me explain it to you:
The first time I heard about this practice was a week ago, in the news, where I knew that a guy, some 20 or so years old, fell from a balcony while trying to do it. And I was curious (maybe I was a cat, some life before).
Googleing it, I found the story about its practice, its origins and meanings. But I also found, on what photography concerns, that it have some potential.
First, because photographers, as we all know, are shy. We don’t use to show our self, maybe because we know what photography can do to people’s soul and we don’t want to taste our own medicine.
Then, because doing a self portrait, alone and without extra help, is a challenge. And doing it, always different, even with the same pose, is a bigger challenge.
Third, as the Spanish painter and writer Antoni Tàpies said once, “When art doesn’t shake minds, surprise viewers, make people change its way of think, is no longer modern, is no longer art”. I’m quoting it by heart and I don’t intend to argue about what art is or if photography is art.
But I do want to shake minds, surprise viewers, make people change their ways of thinking. If by doing planking photographs, why not?
And fourth, we have all the eternity to stare at the universe, but how many times do we really look deep into our own mother-planet?
I do not do it where people stare at me. I’m to shy for it. And I do not jeopardize myself just to get a photo. I’ve done it at least twice, once on a really tall cliff, another against some police officers at a political demonstration. And I decided then that my skin has more value than some photographs I can do or a story I can write.
So, my challenge is doing some “planking photos”, trying to do them as good as I can or know, but also trying them to have some meaning included, than just the act of planking.
Does age or athletic condition difficult the series? Yes, they do, but that’s part of the fun!

Thank you for reading all this.

Planking in the park at sunset

By me

Straight planking

Me by me

Belém, Lisboa

Depois da tempestade

Me by me

Planking at work

I guess the idea is crazy and irreverent enough for me to joint it, keeping the obvious distance between an improbably photo and a place at the hospital.

Me by me

Planking

Planking é, de acordo com o que tenho lido aqui e ali, uma modalidade em que os seus praticantes se fazem fotografar empranchados em locais pouco prováveis.
Tenho a ideia por divertida, se bem que a questão do risco para a integridade física do próprio ou de terceiros me pareça absurda.
Assim, decidi eu mesmo alinhar na ideia e esta será, espero, a primeira de várias.
O que acho de mais graça na ideia é que é das raras oportunidades em que se está rígido e a direito virado para a “Mãe-Terra”. O resto da eternidade será de cara virada para cima.

Me by me