Street Photography in Brazil--how dangerous?

[Cindy_4701]

Hi, I'm just about to leave for 2 months in Brazil. Of course, one of the main reasons I am going is to photograph. I'll be staying in two big cities, Salvador mostly and a week in Rio. I've read all the tourist warnings about being robbed, and of attracting notice if you even carry a backpack. I was thinking of taking some combination of a digital camera, a 6x9, and even my 4x5.

Has anyone done this before? Are the warnings exaggerated? Of course, I have the extra wrinkle of being a woman travelling alone (courage or stupidity, I'm not sure which yet) and of being very gringo looking.

I'd appreciate any information which might help me decide which cameras to bring along (no way I'm going without one) and how best to set up in the street.

muita obrigada!

[Kuzano]

Hi, I'm just about to leave for 2 months in Brazil. Of course, one of the main reasons I am going is to photograph. I'll be staying in two big cities, Salvador mostly and a week in Rio. I've read all the tourist warnings about being robbed, and of attracting notice if you even carry a backpack. I was thinking of taking some combination of a digital camera, a 6x9, and even my 4x5.

Has anyone done this before? Are the warnings exaggerated? Of course, I have the extra wrinkle of being a woman travelling alone (courage or stupidity, I'm not sure which yet) and of being very gringo looking.

I'd appreciate any information which might help me decide which cameras to bring along (no way I'm going without one) and how best to set up in the street.

muita obrigada!

[Kuzano]

I think it would be a disservice if I or anyone on this board told you to ignore the travel warnings. When I travelled in Peru, I always checked with the government. One year I was advised not to go at all, because of some special anniversary of criminal elements in the country. There was a lot of mayhem in the areas I wanted to go, like Machu Pichu and Andes Trail.

Considering the equipment you plan on carrying, you may want to investigate protection from the "Slash and Run" perps, who slash backpacks or straps and grab what they can. In the 70's-80's, we wrapped our backpacks in chickenwire. It was more obvious and preventive on the outside. Never put your bag down and look away. Now there are actually Slashsafe bags available. Google "slash backpacks".

My experience suffers from only being anecdotal and old.

[Carioca]

I have lived three years in Rio, and taking pictures there is always a pleasure as much as it can be a risk (loss of your cameras through theft).
As a general rule, take cheap cameras that you can bear being taken from you (a snap shot 35, a cheap 35 reflex and maybe your 6x9 for scheduled and planned use) - never resist in such cases, you can always buy a new one...your life is worth a lot more than any camera!
In the worst cases, cameras get ripped out of your hand on the run, so nothing can be done anyway, if they ask you 'kindly' to hand it over, you might have a chance to propose some money instead (keep 50R$ losely in your pocket that you can pull out quickly to 'offer' and keep some more money hidden safely in another pocket, to get you back to wherever you are staying). I'd reconsider taking your 4x5, you might want to come back a second time for this.
Another possibility is to find some local male company to guide you around safely.
The main attractions in Rio are safe to photograph, so don't worry for those.

It takes a while to feel comfortable moving around on the streets, but do keep a camera in a pocket (start with the cheap ones). If you feel like photographing, pull it out, shoot and put it back where it came from. This worked fine with me and I never had any problems with theft. (but I do know many cases where it happened, and it was not funny, although never anyone got hurt).

This period of the year is getting close to winter in S. Paolo and Rio, not too many tourists around and therefore less possible aggression on the streets. I don't particularly like Sao Paolo (to much stress), but Rio, being on the coast, is pure joy - you will love it! I have been there 10 days just 2 weeks back.

A beautiful inspiring site of French photographer Patrick Bogner, an 'affecionado' of Brazil can be found here:
www.patrick-bogner.com/Fr/travaux_perso.html

Enjoy your trip!

Sidney

[butterflydream]

One of my young friend has shot series of photo in the subway in Seoul - he admires Bruce Davidson. He has chosen Rolleiflex TLR and it worked. Most of people didn't notice him taking pictures thanks to the waist level finder and silent shutter. Young people don't even think that is a camera at all.

Regarding Bruce Davidson, I read on the book "A user's guide to the view camera" by Jim Stone that he used 4x5 view camera to take the photos of "East 100th street" in the African American and Hispanic ghetto being himself a Caucasian. "Everyday I appeared with my large bellows camera, heavy tripod and box of pictures. Like the TV repairman or organ grinder, I appeared and became part of the street life."

It's not necessarily small not to be noticed.

[Daniel Grenier]

A female Brazilian co-worker would not even consider taking anything "obvious" on such a trip - especially a 4x5. She's not much of a risk-taker, mind you, so it's up to what you can tolerate losing when considering your options.

[D. Bryant]

Hi, I'm just about to leave for 2 months in Brazil. Of course, one of the main reasons I am going is to photograph. I'll be staying in two big cities, Salvador mostly and a week in Rio. I've read all the tourist warnings about being robbed, and of attracting notice if you even carry a backpack. I was thinking of taking some combination of a digital camera, a 6x9, and even my 4x5.

Has anyone done this before? Are the warnings exaggerated? Of course, I have the extra wrinkle of being a woman travelling alone (courage or stupidity, I'm not sure which yet) and of being very gringo looking.

I'd appreciate any information which might help me decide which cameras to bring along (no way I'm going without one) and how best to set up in the street.

muita obrigada!
From what I have heard through my personal grape vine, it could potentially be "cut your throat dangerous". I'm a guy and I wouldn't travel alone abroad in Brazil unless I had very good contacts or plan on building relations over a long period of time.

Your plan sounds risky especially if you come accross as a lone gringo.

My 2 cents,

Don Bryant

[harrykauf]

I realize its only anecdotal but Brazil is the only place where I have been actually robbed.
Some kid ripped the watch of my arm. That was many years ago in Sao Paulo on a
public square with lots of people around.

[Cindy_4701]

I really appreciate the responses and what I gather from them is that the dangers are very real--I am staying with a family in Salvador and am going to reassess what equipment I am planning to take with me. I want to enjoy myself in Brasil (I've been looking forward to this for years) and maybe photography is going to have to be scaled back in order to do this. Maybe the answer is just a point-and-shoot that I can take out and put back quickly--if I don't feel safe, I can't photograph, that much I know about myself. Again, thank you!

[Ron Marshall]

I really appreciate the responses and what I gather from them is that the dangers are very real--I am staying with a family in Salvador and am going to reassess what equipment I am planning to take with me. I want to enjoy myself in Brasil (I've been looking forward to this for years) and maybe photography is going to have to be scaled back in order to do this. Maybe the answer is just a point-and-shoot that I can take out and put back quickly--if I don't feel safe, I can't photograph, that much I know about myself. Again, thank you!

What do the people in the family with whom you will be staying say about potential dangers?

You might consider bringing your equipment and leaving it indoors untill you can asses the situation yourself.

[Richard M. Coda]

Thank God I live and photograph in the U.S. ;)

When I was younger (in my 20s) I would take the 4x5 and 8x10 down into Paterson, NJ. Didn't realize that once I was under the dark cloth I was at risk. Luckily I never had a problem.

Lately I have again been on an 8x10 street photography kick.

Now I live in Scottsdale, AZ and go down into Phoenix very early almost every Sunday morning. The "downtown" area is a ghost town then. I have set up the 8x10 actually "on" (in a traffic lane) Central Ave. and not been hit by a stray car or bus, or even approached by anyone. I took a photo looking north up Central at the San Carlos Hotel (an historical boutique hotel) and there was ONE homeless guy looking in a Jewelry Store window. Got another one a few weeks ago, a modern "Meudon, 1928," by Kertesz, with jumbo jets caught inbetween skyscrapers and two elderly people crossing the street. I have other photos where there's no one in site (seems everyone's inside the Starbucks!). Amazing, for the 5th largest city in the country! I love it.

Last Sunday I was able to get off 7 new 8x10s (all keepers BTW) in less than 3 hours, over a fairly large area. Maybe 4 or 5 people walked by total.

[Carioca]

What do the people in the family with whom you will be staying say about potential dangers?

You might consider bringing your equipment and leaving it indoors untill you can asses the situation yourself.


Cindy,
if you're staying with a family, that's a good thing. As Ron suggests, keep your valuable gear indoors until you feel comfortable with the situation. Nothing is worse than having a good and safe situation to take pictures, but not having the camera at hand...

Sidney

[Cindy_4701]

I've e-mailed the family and asked them for an assessment of the situation in Salvador. At any rate, I don't think I will bring my 4x5--shooting in some US cities is dicey enough with my head under a dark cloth. It's kind of sad to come up against these social realities--but I guess photography does not exist in a vacuum. Maybe, that's why we have all these meditative photos of natural settings since it reduces the intrusions--but that's precisely what I like to get in my photographs with my LF cameras, a clinical look at the way things are now without bracketing all kinds of stuff out.

I'll post again once I've heard back from the family, to let you all know what their on-the-scene assessment of the situation is.

[BrianShaw]

FWIW, US State Department assessment and traveler warning for Brasil: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1072.html

[Ash]

I live in the UK and honestly there are places in my hometown I wouldn't pull a camera out. Only a general note, but be aware that whenever you go somewhere new you want to be carrying as little as possible as safely as possible.

I could have been robbed by a old bloke in Rome if it weren't for the friends around me shouting over my daydream as we got on the metro. We even had a group of women with children try and rob us whilst getting on our coach at one point.

No matter the location, don't carry more than you can keep hold of and run with.

[legs]

I was searching for info on Brazil and came accross this thread in google.

I am going to Brazil in July for two weeks. I will be visiting my wifes family in sao Paulo.
We plan on going to Iguazu Falls, Rio and nature places along the coast.

I am worried about getting robbed as well. I will have a lot of digital equipment with me and will be shooting stock work in the cities. So I will stick out like a sore thumb.

Have any advice for me?
I will have my wifes sons with me who are pretty good size boys.
They are 21 and 18 and 200+ lbs. Plus I carry weapons for self protection.

Also, for you native Brazilians, I am mainly a lanscape photographer and would like any pointers on places to see
on my trip between sao Paulo and Iguazu Falls and points between Rio and sao Paulo.

I'l like to go to Serra dos Orgaos, Itatiaia National Park and Velha State Park.
Any advice, pointers for me with these places?
Any other awesome natural landmarks in the southern area to go see?

[Nathan Potter]

Cindy, you could consider hiring a couple of big body guards just while you shoot. A friend did this while in Morocco and he felt very safe, even in rough areas. They were found by the hotel staffers and vouched for by them. The cost was pretty modest for the times they were needed. All depends on how badly you want to shoot.

Nate Potter