A wonderful message! Thanks a lot for sharing. Is it also publicly available? If we have more feedback like this, I hope we can share it somewhere together.
Best regards, Lodewijk No dia Quarta-feira, 26 de Outubro de 2011, [email protected]: > Dear all, > We have received an inspiring message from the winner of the Portuguese > competition that we would like to share with you. Ha has authorized us to > publish and share it. I took the liberty of translating it to English for > your enjoyment. I think it would give a very nice blog post for the european > site. > > João Martinho uploaded 500 pictures of 181 different monuments in Portugal, > and won the prize for Best Picture. He has a second picture that will also > compete for the European prize. > > His message is below. > > Best, > Gonçalo > > *Dear members of Wikimedia Portugal,* > * * > > * > * > > *it was with great satisfaction that I received the news of my victory in > the photo competition “Wiki Loves Portugal – Portugal” with the photo > “Alameda de Pedra” captures at the Carmo Convent in Lisbon in September > 2008.* > * * > > * > * > > *I no longer recall when the interest in photography of monuments and > landscapes awoken in me; when I think about it I believe it was always in > me, starting with my curiosity in registering pictures of places and moments > in my memory that had in some way moved me, I was a child still without a > camera of my own, but I own the most important equipment a photographer > could have: the visual sensitivity about what surrounds him.* > * * > > * > * > > *With the years I started gaining enthusiasm and acquiring photographic > equipment that allowed me to reproduce and crystalize in time that which I > had observed in the journeys I have been doing through this world of ours. A > trip for me is a photographic adventure. I do not travel without > photographing!* > * * > > * > * > > *As an amateur photographer, I am passionate about photography. In the > last few years I have taken advantage of the merits of the internet to > subscribe and participate in international forums and groups for amateur > photographers. Within these I would highlight “BetterPhoto” and “Photoblur” > of which I have been a member and where some of my pictures have been > awarded (I take the liberty to add my “BetterPhoto” gallery for your > appraisment: http://www.betterphoto.com/searchResults.asp?limit2=&szTerm=joao > martinho&schMod=Photos&page=1&rows=16<http://www.betterphoto.com/searchResults.asp?limit2=&szTerm=joao%20martinho&schMod=Photos&page=1&rows=16>). > However until today no other national or international award has given me > as much satisfaction as the one I have just received. The reason is my > passion for the natural and monumental heritage of Portugal: My first and > best motive for photographic inspiration. I have now crowned that fondness > with this honourable distinction.* > * * > > * > * > > *Our country is one of the most fortunate in terms of places and monuments > with photographic interest. Proving it is the quantity and participation > level achieved during the competition. Regrettably throughout our country I > have encountered too many examples of the poor condition much of our > historic and architectural heritage. That situation is extremely > heart-breaking for me however I have not up to this date found the right > “weapons” to fight the degradation of the places and buildings once living > and noble and those who time and human neglect are slowly turning into > regrettable ruins. Two years ago, I made an appeal to IGESPAR to undertake a > photographic survey throughout the country of monuments that require > restoration and preservation but my appeal fell on deaf ears. Now this > purpose is rekindled and I would like to take the opportunity of this award > to consolidate my mission of contributing the best way I can (through > photographic images) to alert the competent authorities to this true SOS > from some of the national heritage. I am aware that much has been done and > that we have some good examples of happy interventions, namely through the > Pousadas de Portugal, but I have that much is still to be done and from > today I will launch in my Facebook page a new appeal “SOS – Património > Nacional” placing photos of buildings and monuments needing intervention and > restauration.* > * * > > * > * > > *It is this way that I intend to be constructive and enterprising with the > award I receive from you. Not as arrival point but as a starting point to go > even beyond.* > * * > > *I take the opportunity to send you my congratulations for the success of > this initiative and applaud all the more than 250 contestants that with more > than 16000 pictures took the opportunity to showcase the Portuguese > monuments on the web through their respective photographs.* > * * > > * > * > > *With my best regards* > * * > > * > * > > *João Martinho* > >
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