ABSTRACT
My interviews with Captain José Caravela (see Plate 10.1) produced two types of narrative: formal information about the history and politics of fishing; and informal knowledge about individual histories and details of professional and personal life. When I used sophisticated video equipment and lighting It discouraged José from being informal in front of the camera, exacerbated by his having recently been interviewed by local television and radio stations. This transformed him into an ambassador for the whole of the (Portuguese) Matosinhos fishing community, rather than creating a space for the more intimate negotiations that can form part of the interaction between photographer and photographed, To achieve the latter I worked closely with the subjects of my portraits as they lived out their everyday lives in the port. As a participant observer I integrated myself into their everyday lives to access the personal and domestic arenas of fishing communities and to record individual histories and narratives. José’s answers to my questions enabled me to include not just a photograph of a generalised fisherman, but a portrait that combined important cultural icons with a personal narrative. The fishing boxes that comprise the background are used in the sardine industry. The book of António Botto’s poems that José holds was banned by the Portuguese political regime until 1974. The author, Botto, was from Matosinhos himself, but this particular volume found its way into José Caravela’s hands and my portrait via a Brazilian fishing boat. Poetry is also part of José’s personal narrative. For three months of the year, while the boats were being serviced, José devoted himself to a life away from fishing, to his family and his poetry, a characteristic that sets him apart from many of his fellow captains.
