Last saturday I was requested to cover a demonstration for the unity of Belgium.
When I reached the place, I saw around 15 people standing there with some flags.
And that was it!
Is this the importance that Belgians give to the unity of their country?
:: Share, comment, print! :: 2010-12-14 :: admin
This morning I have been to a press conference given by Howard Gutman, USA ambassador to Belgium. I had already seen him a couple of times in the Belgian media, so I thought it would be useful to go and make some pictures for my archive.
Moreover, he is on the spot now, as he assures not to be happy about the Wikileaks issue.
Anyway it is a joy to take pictures of someone who gestures this much. You can check it out by yourselves by watching all the pictures of Howard Gutman:
2010/11/30 – Howard Gutman, U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium – Images by Bernal Revert
:: Share, comment, print! :: 2010-11-30 :: admin
While publishing news about Turkey, this week the agency AFP has got back to one of my pictures of the kurdish demonstration held last april in Brussels.
It is a picture I like (it is actually on the welcome page of bernalrevert.com) and I am very happy to see it published in L’Express and Les Echos.
Picture of Kurds demonstration in Brussels – Canon 5D Mark II – 17 mm. – 1/640, f:8 – ISO 800
:: Share, comment, print! :: 2010-11-03 :: admin
Every year by this time, hundreds of people demonstrate in some of the biggest cities in Europe to demand the drop of car traffic.
The meeting is called Cyclonudista, and it puts people together to ride their bikes… naked!
The Cyclonudista ride has been held today in Brussels. But this time the Belgian police has not allowed people to get naked in the streets. A man who tried to do it was arrested (please pay attention, the link will take you to a explicit picture). And a second person, who was actually dressing some kind of thong, got arrested as well.
Picture of a demonstrator at Cyclonudista in Brussels getting arrested. Canon 5D Mark II – 1/250 a f:8 – ISO 1000
After some minutes, they were released by the police. Needless to say no one else tried to get naked. I feel sorry for the demonstrators, who made a big effort today: it was cold and rainy!
:: Share, comment, print! :: 2010-06-19 :: admin
This week I have covered a press conference given by the president of Flandres, which is, as you know, the Dutch speaking part of Belgium.
Given the fact that I do not speak (yet) a word of Dutch, I had to handle everything by using alstublieft and dank u. Needless to say everyone in the cabinet talk several languages, and therefore they adressed to me in French or English; but for sure one has to be polite and talk to people in their local language.
The press conference was given in Dutch. Although I did not get a word, I saw people laughing every five minutes because of something the president said. He must be a funny and friendly politician, I thought.
Picture of Pascal Smet, Flamish minister for Education, and Kris Peeters, minister-president of Flandres. Canon 5D Mark II – 24 mm. - 1/160 at f:4,5 – ISO 800 – Flash from the left at 1/4
I made the pictures for the agency Isopix. When next day I took a look to Google, to see if any of my images had been published in newspapers, I did not find any. Instead I discovered an interesting thing: Kris Peeters has just been chosen as one of the coolest politicians in Belgium!
My Dutch must be much better than I thought.
Picture of Pascal Smet, Kris Peeters and Philippe Muyters. Canon 5D Mark II – 17 mm. – 1/60 at f:6,3 – ISO 1600 – Flash from the left at 1/4
:: Share, comment, print! :: 2010-06-12 :: admin
I think I was 12 or 13 years old when I decided I wanted to be a journalist. Since then, I was always convinced, even if at some point I was told journalism was not an easy job by a friend of a friend of a friend, who worked as an editor.
As every naive teenager -nobody is perfect!- I associatted war journalism with heroism, justice and wisdom. Plus, war journalists travelled for free, thus I thought I had made my choice!
But my idea did not last for very long. In October 2001 I started studying my Journalism degree. Only three months later, in Christmas, I was given a present from my parents: it was the book The eyes of war (Los ojos de la guerra, in Spanish). It had a dedication in its first page, written by my mother:
“I hope you will never be a war journalist, but a peace one”
Still today I get moved by this. Mothers and sons’ stuff, I guess. The book talked about Miguel Gil Moreno, a Spanish cameraman who had died while working at the war in Sierra Leone.
It was composed by articles written by great journalists, who talked about Miguel Gil and the business of war journalism. And about his death, too. Because everything was so well explained, you could have the impression you were actually travelling to Sierra Leone and to other dangerous places, where Miguel Gil worked in the 90’s, sometimes achieving exclusive images. And also because it was so greatly described, I started dreaming about war during the days I read the book. And consequently, having nightmares.
No need to exagerate here. There were only a few bad nights. After the second nightmare, I decided war journalism was not probably my thing, and the next night I slept again like a log.
During the next years I had to study and take some decisions; maybe thanks to the fact that I did know myself a bit better, I made everything I could to become a peace journalist.
I am telling you this personal story because today is been 10 years since Miguel Gil Moreno died in Sierra Leone. And this morning, while reading the news, I have felt I was somehow in debt with him, with my mother, and with the book.
4 comments :: Share, comment, print! :: 2010-05-26 :: admin
The blog in English is live!
It has been one year since I started my blog in Spanish. The first idea was to have two language versions in a single blog, but it has proven to be difficult!
Now I have decided to separate them, having one blog in Spanish and another one in English. Fortunately, everything seems to run smoothly.
And the question is
Will this blog tell the same stories than the Spanish one? Well, I hope it will not!
The quantity of English speaking clients and colleagues I reach is growing, and the subjects they are interested in might be more international / less Spain oriented.
Fine, but who are you?
True, I didn’t introduce myself! My name is Javier Bernal Revert and I am a professional photographer based in Brussels, Belgium. I sign my work with my two family names: Bernal Revert.
I work in news, events, and corporate photography in Brussels. Feel free to check the about and contact pages and to visit my site: Bernal Revert, Brussels photography.
I am looking forward to start sharing stories here!
Thanks for passing by,
Bernal Revert
:: Share, comment, print! :: 2010-05-12 :: admin
