Woman with Wanderlust

Photos: The Wanderer

cydneymcfarland — Fri, 22 May 2015 11:55:00 GMT

I wanted some profile pictures

Portuguese Fado aka Lonley in Lisboa

cydneymcfarland — Fri, 22 May 2015 11:53:36 GMT

Fado, meaning ‘destiny’ or ‘fate,’ is a genre whose origins have been traced to Lisbon around 1820. The lyrics are meant to express ‘saudade,’ which translates roughly to a longing, or a feeling of loss and melancholia.

Our guide mentioned Fado in passing a few times on our walking tour and when a few of us showed interest he offered to take us out to his favorite Fado club. The one rule: don’t be obnoxious. He was a regular and didn’t want a bunch of drunken tourists ruining his reputation.

The bar was small and dark and we were the youngest people there by about 30 years. I squeezed into a small booth against the wall and ordered red wine from a large man who spoke to me at length in Portuguese. I just smiled and nodded, he laughed.

The lights dimmed and the doors and windows where shut. Fado was banned by the dictator Antonio de Oliveira Salazar so, for over 40 years, it was performed behind closed doors, literally, and now it’s tradition.

A man stood up and joined the two guitarists sitting in front of the bar. The room quieted and the man began to sing. I couldn’t even look at him. I don’t speak Portuguese but the pain on his face was so real that all I could do was stare into my wine glass and hold back tears.

Eventually the lights came up. People began to move towards the bar to refill their glasses, many wiping their eyes.

Moments later the lights dimmed again and another singer took his spot at the bar. This continued for hours. Someone sang, you cried, the lights came up, you refilled your glass and began again.

The last performer was a woman, the only one performing that night.

I’m not an emotional person, and I had been drinking quite a bit of wine, but a minute in to her first song and tears were pouring silently down my face. Unlike the men I couldn’t tear my eyes away so, I just sat there, staring and crying.

The lights came up and the bartender very delicately herded a sobbing, and slightly intoxicated, mass of people out the door and on to the street.

It seems counterintuitive to suggest that, in one of the best party cities in Europe, the best thing you can do is sit in a dark room with people who could be your grandparents, listening to songs so powerful they’ll make your cry into that Portuguese red you’re drinking, but it’s true.

And don’t worry, if the wine doesn’t get you through it you can always go find the late night bakery in Barrio Alto and drown your sorrows in a pastry wrapped chorizo.

Medinas of Morocco

cydneymcfarland — Mon, 24 Nov 2014 10:01:55 GMT

I had never really thought seriously about photography until my senior year of high school. When I was required to look ahead and make decisions about my future I realized that I couldn't imagine doing anything else. When I look at the world through my viewfinder I see moments and details that would've normally passed me by. To me photography will be my contribution to the world. I aim to use it to educate and bring awareness to issues and stories that are overlooked and misunderstood.

I chose to study journalism to supplement that idea, but the more I have worked in the world of mass media the more I've learned to appreciate photography as way to communicate. In a world full of political spin and conflicts of interest a photo is the most honest way to get a story across.
Though I've been shooting for more than 8 years and am now a senior in journalism school I still haven't received any professional training aside from a few high school level photography classes. I'm hoping working on this project with Jason will allow me to step up to that next level so when I graduate next year my dream of being a professional photographer will be closer to becoming a reality.

A 'place' I have visited

cydneymcfarland — Wed, 3 Jul 2013 17:19:01 GMT

My parents taught me that ignorance breeds hate but education creates an understanding that allows tolerance, if not love. Technically they were talking about math but I have found that it works the same way with people. This is why photojournalists are so important. They connect the world through stories, accessible to everyone, in photos.

I live for hiking up mountains, through rivers and enduring extreme weather to get “the shot.” I crave new adventures and knowledge. But in the end I do all of this with the hope that my work can start a conversation. I hope to inspire people and help them appreciate the world and everything in it.

It took me until my sophomore year of college to realize all of this but now that I have a direction and I’m hoping to start my journey as soon as possible. I figured a trip to Greenland; with some guidance from a professional, would be the best way to kick-start my dream of being a photojournalist.

To Mr. Jason Edwards I promise you I will work hard, I will be open to all criticism and critiques, I will wake up as early or stay up as late as I need to, and I will never complain no matter how cold it gets. See you in Greenland!