On the Fringe of the Rio Carnaval

Photographs and Words by Peter Turnley

 

My first exposure to the complex human realities of life in Brazil began when I was offered an assignment to photograph the spirit of the players of the Brazilian national soccer team during the year leading up to the 1998 World Cup. This gave me the opportunity to witness up close a group of young men who, besides being the gods of soccer, also in many ways exemplified the flair, charisma, spontaneity, sensuality, and joy which are so characteristic of daily life in Brazil—coexisting with socioeconomic realities that are among the most difficult and disparate of any country in the world.

In 2005 I began to photograph the Carnaval of Rio, likely the biggest party on earth and certainly the largest expression of popular street theater in the universe. I’ve now been to Carnaval four times.

Ever since my first encounters with many of the great photographers who inspired me, I became aware of the value of turning my attention away from the main event. So often, the temptation is to look where everyone else is looking. But, time after time, I have chosen to observe what’s going on by looking in the other direction—before, or after, or at the edges of the main attraction. There I find the textures, moods, atmosphere, and emotion that enable me to arrive at a more profound level of feeling.

Besides photographing the Rio Carnaval myself in 2005, 2007, 2009, and 2010, I’ve also taught photography workshops in Rio, centered on Carnaval, in each of those years. I’ll be offering the Rio Carnaval workshop again in 2011.

I’ll also be teaching workshops in Street Photography and The Photo Essay in Seville, Istanbul, Paris, Provence, Calcutta, New York, and Buenos Aires. The exciting Easter Procession in Seville Workshop starts in only a few weeks.

My workshops embrace an appreciation for the visual and human poetry that can be found when one keeps one’s heart and eyes open to observing the “Cartier” diamonds in the rough of everyday life. The workshops are centered on observing the human realities of daily life, photographing people in their environments. We discuss philosophical issues and practical tips related to photographing people and creating photo-essay/narratives with groups of images. We explore camera techniques centered on creating the most spontaneous visual response possible to what we feel, observe, and perceive about in the world around us.

I've titled the following portfolio of images “On the Fringe of the Rio Carnaval.” It represents moments I've observed while turning away from the main event. I have witnessed and photographed many if not most of the major world news stories of the past twenty-five years. If I have been motivated to show images about what seems wrong with the world, I am also moved to underline that which is wonderful and beautiful about life. Each time I return to Rio, my soul is inspired by the amazing spirit of the people of Brazil.

—Peter Turnley

All images in this post are copyright 2009 by Peter Turnley / Corbis.
May not be reproduced without permission. All rights reserved.

Caption to the lead photo (above): The Rio Carnival, properly spelled "Carnaval" in Portuguese, takes place each year forty days before Easter. On the Friday night before the beginning of the official Carnaval, the children’s carnaval takes place at the Sambodromo in central Rio. Children from the outlying neighborhoods, the favelas of Rio, perform and dance samba with their community samba schools. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, February 16th, 2007.

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A dancer from one of the Rio samba schools speaks on her cell phone shortly before the beginning of the Rio Carnival samba school competition in 2005. Samba schools are very large groups of performers from the neighborhood communities of Rio who work year-round in preparation for Carnaval. Samba Schools perform in the Sambadrome. They are part of an official competition, divided into several divisions, in which a single school is declared the winner, according to costume, flow, theme, and band music quality and performance. Feb. 6, 2005.

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Performers from the Samba School Beija-Flor relax and gather themselves in the very early morning, 5:30 a.m., after parading for one hour down the avenue of the Rio Sambodromo. There are over 70 samba schools in Rio and they all parade during the four days of Carnaval. Beija-Flor is traditionally one of the best schools and is from the Rio district of Nilopolis. Feb. 15, 2010.

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The week before the Carnaval in Brazil, the Samba School Imperatriz Leopoldinense rehearses for Carnaval, in their quadra. Some of the best samba dancing in the world is seen in these samba schools. Feb. 15, 2007.

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Percussionist performers of the Mocidade Independente samba school prepare to parade in the Sambodromo during the Rio Carnaval. Before parading, each samba school stages on streets on the outskirts of the avenue and stadium. Feb. 5th, 2005.

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Samba dancers, passistas, prepare to go on stage as part of a Carnaval rehearsal of the samba school Salguiero the week before the Carnaval of 2010. Salgueiro is one of Rio's legendary samba schools, and has won the Carnaval samba school competition many times, including in 2009. Feb. 10, 2010.

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Each year, on the Friday night preceding the beginning of the official Carnaval, there is a children's carnaval with thousands of young people participating. Feb. 12, 2010.

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Carnaval performers prepare their parade costumes prior to competing in the "Access group," or Group A, on a Saturday night. The 12 leading samba schools, which are the biggest and most spectacular, form the Special Group. They create a pageant with 3,000 to 5,000 people to compete in the Samba Parade on Sunday and Monday. Feb.13, 2010.

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Last minute preparations before the children's carnaval, Friday, Feb. 12, 2010.

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Carnaval participants prepare costumes and make up on the avenue outside of the Sambodromo just prior to the Special Group Pageant on Sunday night. Feb. 14, 2010.

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Participants prepare to join their samba school group. Feb. 14, 2010.

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Outside of the Sambodromo in Rio just before the beginning of the children's carnaval. Feb. 12, 2010.

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Participants prepare their costumes before parading in the competition.  The winner of this Group A competition joins the competition of the best samba schools in the Special Group the following year. Feb. 13, 2010.

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A samba dancer prepares her makeup.

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A garbage collector takes in the colorful sights of the participants preparing for the children's carnaval, Friday, Feb. 12, 2010.

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A samba dancer outside the Sambodromo in Rio de Janeiro. Preparations for Carnaval take place a full year before the Carnaval parade. Feb. 17, 2007.

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An elderly woman participates with one of the samba schools in Rio's Carnaval in the Sambodromo. Feb. 5, 2005.

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Outside the Rio Sambadromo. Carnaval 2007 opened on a Sunday night, with the major samba school competition. Samba dancers from the famous samba schools such as Mangueira, Imperio Serrano, Estacio de Sa, and Viradouro gave performances. Feb. 18, 2007

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A Samba dancer, or passista, leaves the stage after dancing during a rehearsal of the samba school Salgueiro the week before the Carnaval of 2010. Salgueiro, one of Rio's legendary samba schools, has won the Carnaval samba school competition many times, including in 2009. Feb. 10, 2010.

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Spectators watch the children's carnaval parade at the Rio Sambodromo on a Friday night. Each year, thousands of children from the favelas participate in their own parade. Usually they are children of participants in the community samba schools.

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Participants in the Rio Carnaval 2010 relax among security police at the end of the parade avenue. These samba school participants have just spent one hour parading down this avenue in front of thousands of spectators, often dancing samba at full speed for the duration of the performance. Feb. 13, 2010.

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A samba dancer joins other members of her samba school.

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Brazilians outside of the quadra where the Beija-Flora samba school, from the Niopolis district of Rio, rehearses for the upcoming parade. Feb. 11, 2010.

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A samba dancer outside of the Sambodromo. Feb. 13, 2010.

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Outside the Sambodromo in central Rio prior to the children’s carnaval. Feb. 17, 2007.

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A member of a samba school relaxes outside the Sambodromo prior to the beginning of the 2009 Carnaval.

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A samba dancer, likely one of the top dancers of her samba school, stops to pose for photographers with her assistant carrying her feather costume, after parading on Saturday night. Feb. 13, 2010.

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Participants in the Carnaval of 2010 prepare their costumes before going inside the Sambodrome. Feb. 13, 2010.

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The "king" and "queen" of a samba school pray for a great performance and for success for their samba school during the Carnaval of 2005.

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A mother with her children prior to the children's carnaval in Rio in 2009. Each year, several thousand children parade down the avenue of the Sambodromo on a Friday night prior to the beginning of the official celebration.

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Young performers parade from the children's carnaval on the Friday night before the Carnaval begins. Feb. 4, 2005.

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Outside the Sambodromo, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2010.

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Carnaval 2007.

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Two samba dancers relax before the beginning of the Rio Carnival on Saturday night. Their samba school participated in the Group A "Access" group of the samba school competition at the Sambodromo in central Rio. Feb. 13, 2010.

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A mother and her child prior to the children's carnaval in Rio in 2010.

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Outside the Sambodromo in central Rio prior to the beginning of the Rio Carnaval in 2007.

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Young spectators stand outside the Sambodromo in central Rio to view the performers, samba dancers and costumes prior to the beginning of the Sunday night parade during the 2010 Carnaval.

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On Sunday night during the 2010 Carnaval, a samba dancer prepares her costume and makeup the evening of one of the two nights of the competition. Feb.14, 2010.

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Participants in one of Rio's samba schools finish parading down the avenue of the Sambodromo during the 2005 Carnaval.

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One of the top samba dancers of the famous Rio samba school Beija-Flor. The carnival parade and samba school competition lasts from 9 p.m.–5:30 a.m. each night of the Carnaval. Feb. 14, 2010.

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A participant in the 2007 Rio Carnaval.

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Crowds of spectators and performers gather outside the Samdodromo in central Rio prior to the beginning of the Sunday night parade. Feb.14, 2010.

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A spectator looks through the security gates of the Sambodromo to get a look at the colorful costumes and floats. Feb. 21, 2009.

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Children outside the Sambodromo on Friday night. Feb. 17, 2009.

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Performers in one of Rio's samba schools relax prior to the start of Carnaval. Feb. 7, 2005.

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Children gathering outside the Sambodromo prior to the start of the Friday night children’s carnaval. Feb, 4, 2005.

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Performers of the samba school Beija-Flor relax at the end of the avenue of the Sambodromo. Feb. 14, 2010.

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A samba school dancer who has just danced nonstop for one hour. Feb. 13, 2010.

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A woman collects recyclables in central Rio in the early morning, 5:30 a.m., after the final samba school, Beija-Flor, paraded down the avenue as part of the competition of the Special Group on Sunday night, Feb. 14, 2010.

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An exhausted performer of the samba school Beija-Flor waits for transportation home after parading down the avenue of the Sambodromo in central Rio. 2010.

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A lone street vendor sits outside the Sambodromo in central Rio at 6:00 a.m. after the last samba school has finished parading down the avenue. 

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Comments

[John]

WHAT A FEAST!!! I blew a good hour playing with these images on my monitor. Every one works equally well as a B&W as it does in color. My two favorites are the old guys in the white suits and the shot of the crowd through the blue fence. Mr. Turnley you do fabulous work both as a photographer and a teacher. Thank You!!!!!

[Dennis Ng]

I really like the photo that advertised this.

[Brian]

Peter;

Great portfolio. It is very interesting to see the people in the background. I find the last picture of the street vendor to be my favorite. It tells a very different story. Thank you for sharing these with us.

Brian

[David Dorn]

If any one is interested in a further understanding of Carnival and the Samba schools, I would like to suggest you read Samba by Alma Guillermoprieto. She was the South American bureau chief of Newsweek and spent a year documenting the the samba schools and their preparation for Carnival.

My copy was published by Jonathan Cape. London, 1990.

You will have a much better insight into Peter Turnley's images afterwards.

[mcananeya]

I love the Internets.
I love T.O.P.

Many thanks for taking the time to put this together and share it with us, Peter.

Best regards,
Adam

[erlik]

It would be a sin to shoot the Carnival in B&W. :)

But pretty strange colour here. Faces and bodies look quite normal, but the colours on the costumes seem oversaturated. Sometimes to the point of clipping.

[Jim]

Not too impressed with these photos. An event with this much action and this much color kind of makes it an "f/8 and be there" thing. They are decent photos, but I don't really see anything special here.

[Michael]

Colors seem quite faithful.
Congrats, Peter, on an outstanding set of images. You manage to capture Carnaval participants as real people, rather than sociological curiosities. You obviously got it :-)
Well Done.

mike c (Brazilian)

[Dick Clark]

Photos are captivating. Impressed with the costume color, fabric. thanks for posting these.

[Bahi]

These work so well in their larger sizes. If you're using a modern browser, open each picture in its own tab to bring it to life. Yes, Erlik, the colours are a little crazy—it's Carnaval time!

Wonderful work, Pete—thanks, and thanks Mike: that the piece could sit so comfortably here says something about this place.

[Michelle A. Zaffino]

I love the photographs. As always Peter Turnley is an outstanding photographer. This portfolio is beautiful.

Michelle Zaffino

[Warwick]

"Colors seem quite faithful."

Interesting. Especially as these photographs were taken with: D1X, D100, D70, D2X and D3 cameras.

Seems like the old saw is true. It ain't the tool!

"makes it an "f/8 and be there" thing" Hmmm - mostly 2.8 actually.

Thanks Peter. Quite an education.

[Michael]

"Colors seem quite faithful."

Warwick, you're quite right. It ain't the tool.

I don't know if you've been there or not. For someone who's actually been there, the colors seem quite faithful, yes. They are supposed to be saturated, because the costume colors and accessories really are.

Dunno about the cameras used, and really don't care. Peter's photos are true to Rio's Carnaval colors, and compassionate as well.

mike c

[Michael]

To Jim:

"Not too impressed with these photos... this much action and this much color... f/8 and be there... don't really see anything special here"

I am sure you missed the point. Can't blame you though, too much action and too much color can be very overwhelming to some people.

As a Brazilian, I have said, and will say it again, these photos are refreshing in their honesty, accuracy, lack of preachiness ans sensationalism.

As a photography lover, some images speak to me more than others, but the set is very coherent, and makes me want to see more. It _is_ a photo book.

mike c

[Carsten Bockermann]

I really like how Peter gets close to his subjects, using mainly 28mm(-e) lenses.

It's also very nice of Mike to provide a place where Peter can promote his workshops ;-)

[Mike Johnston]

"It's also very nice of Mike to provide a place where Peter can promote his workshops ;-)"

Wink acknowledged, but the only thing I can offer Peter in return for his work is the shop window and a few plugs for his workshops. So don't complain--it's a win for everybody: me, Peter, and most TOP readers. The only ones who don't win are the people who hate the portfolio, but then, they can just wait for the next post.

Mike

[Roger Bradbury]

Look at the shot of the samba dancer with the orange feathery outfit. (No. 24) Constrained to shoot through the mesh, Peter chose the moment where the dancer's legs, her outfit, even the white line on the road, all follow the lines of the mesh.

And the shot of the two dancers sitting on the ground relaxing (No. 47). Peter's own shadow is part of the composition; the shot wouldn't work so well without it.

Many of you folks will have noticed this stuff, but I just had to say.

Gotta go back for another look now.

[Roger Bradbury]

"We're not in Kodachromeville any more, Toto"

[Hans]

Thank you, Peter! 021 and 033 are favourites!

[Ken Tanaka]

Not a criticism of Peter's photos, but more as a matter of contextual judgment...

Grabbing interesting snaps of performers at such events is like eating falling fruit. Everyone is putting themselves on free display, nobody's fearful of cameras or resentful of snappers, vibrant color is everywhere for the taking. Indeed, as Pete shows here there are some interesting "back-stage" scenes possible. Some of Pete's frames remind me of Bruce Davidson's "Circus" work or even some of Diane Arbus's freak work.

But this is to street photography as zoo photography is to wildlife photography.

[erlik]

Faithful colours?

Okay, you both were there. :) But it still looks unnatural. What I've seen around the web doesn't look as saturated.

[ben ng]

wonderful series of decisive moments-which is what captures emotion. Good work as always, Peter, and thanks to Mike for posting this!!

[mark / one way photo]

Superb set of images. Really tells it how it us, not just standard carnival images. Love it...

[Andreas]

I am a bit disappointed now, not because of the post as is, but because of the small number of comments. I have revisited it 3 times, but its not gaining much momentum. Would it be about a minor M9 firmware update, oh well...

I think this series of pictures gives opportunity for discussion by 2 facts alone: the timespan in which they were created (implying the dedication of the photographer to this subject(s)) and the amount of images with all their consistency. These 2 considerations make a bit more than just happy snaps of performers on the carneval. If this is to street photography what zoo is to wildlife and Kens comment is no critizism, then what shall we believe? It is also a difference if I go to inner city or a huge market or strive the outer districts. So the best street photography would happen in Alaska? Yep, why not.

[ctein]

Dear Ken,

It took me a couple of days to think of the proper response to your comment. What I'm reading you saying is that although you like the photos, you think it's no big deal making such photographs because there are so many photographic opportunities there. Did I read that correctly?

If so, I have to strenuously disagree. Spectacular scenery is not even close to being a guarantee of great photographs. All it does is present you with plenty of opportunities to make them. Just peruse one's neighbors' family photograph albums or a random sampling on Flickr and you'll find that the vast, vast majority of photographs of spectacular places like Yosemite, Yellowstone, Volcano National Park, and so on are ordinary and banal in the extreme. It still takes an extraordinary photographer to produce an extraordinary photograph in an extraordinary situation.

Having photographed in street carnival situations and looked at what my non-professional/non-serious-amateur have done in the same situations, there's no question of the difference. And that's not my ego speaking, they would agree. They make tourist snaps; I make photographs worthy of more than a single glance. But that was supposed to be my job and what I got paid for, so it's not a big surprise.

I think Pete does great work; I don't think you're disagreeing with that. But I don't think the noteworthiness of it is in any way diminished by the fact that he had an abundance of rich POTENTIALLY wonderful photographic compositions to work with.

~ pax \ Ctein
[ Please excuse any word-salad. MacSpeech in training! ]
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-- Ctein's Online Gallery http://ctein.com 
-- Digital Restorations http://photo-repair.com 
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[Matthew]

Great photos but I think this essay also shows the benefits that a picture editor brings - it really could have done with a prune.