I, the camera, have seen many places around the world. I am blessed indeed to be able to experience and document for my caretakers their extensive travels. I now pass on to you an account of one of the more memorable excursions. But first, I must describe myself a bit. I am a Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III. I am capable of taking pristine pictures when in capable hands. Fortunately, my owners are photographers.

I will never forget the first time I visited Brazil. Of course, being a camera, I never forget any of my travels, but this event was certainly noteworthy. We got on to a plane (checked, of course) and after several hours of monotonous airtime, we touched down in Rio de Janeiro. I was put to use almost right after I was unpacked. It was pleasant to escape the confines of my unventilated case. After all, my job is to take photographs, not be thrown around in nothing more than a glorified box. My internal clock told me that it was 9:50 a.m. when I took my first picture on our way to the Christ the Redeemer Statue. Right away I was taken aback by the scenery. Why, I must have taken fifty pictures before we reached Corcovado, his outstretched arms towering over Rio. But once we reached the statue, I think I took at least three times as many. The view was beautiful, with vibrant colors of the Copacabana and Ipanema beaches contrasting the strong blue waters of the ocean and lagoon. The Sugarloaf Mountain loomed, keeping a watchful eye over the harbor. To the left of the Cristo’s left hand, I could see the Rio Zoo, and next to that the Maracana Stadium, and envisioned a lively futból match. Little did I know that I would soon experience such an event.

Brazil has a vibrant culture. My shutter received quite a workout. We meandered through the streets capturing the scenery. We passed a “hippie fair”, a colorful flea market that takes place right by Ipanema. Impressive sculptures rested on the grass, while paintings and clothes hung from every tree, quite a sight for my lenses. After a while, we moved on to the white beach, which was covered in circles of four or five people kicking a monochrome ball. Smiles abounded on the faces of the populace, perfect for portrait mode.

When I ran out of space on my third memory card, we headed back to our hotel—the Copacabana Palace Hotel. It is unquestionably the most luxurious hotel in Rio de Janeiro. The design reminded me of buildings that I had seen in France.

We headed back out for dinner at 7:30 p.m.. We then headed to one of the most exciting parts of Brazilian culture— the Brazilian steakhouse. Servers came out of the back room at a constant flow, carrying pieces of meat on huge skewers. My owners were stuffed (I could tell because they didn’t take as many pictures after the dinner was finished). We went back to the hotel and went to sleep mode.

In the morning, my batteries were replaced and we set out. After another day of sightseeing, we headed to the previously mentioned Maracana stadium. It was a 5:00 p.m. game and when we arrived, it was already madness. The stadium was a sea of perfectly contrasting black, white, and red. There was a clear division between Flamengo (red and black) and Botafogo (white and black) fans. And when the game started, nobody sat down. The crowd atmosphere was energetic, and the players were the center of it all. It was something that every camera should experience.

Using the sport mode, I got over a hundred great pictures.
The game progressed with few goals but a good deal of cheering. Finally, the whistle was blown for the last time. The victorious Flamengo team saluted its fans and we prepared to proceed back to the hotel. We were rather surprised when many people failed to follow us out, choosing to remain in the stadium to presumably discuss the game. It seemed that the matches were major community events. I longed to stay to listen to the chatter, but I was rushed out painfully, jostling against disgruntled Botafogo fans.

We got back to the hotel, and after packing up in the morning, headed home to Philadelphia. I am happy to say that my owners submitted several of my pictures to a photographic journal and even a few to National Geographic. I am proud to say that an essay about the trip told from my point of view was published.

Brazil is a wonderful place, and I cannot wait until I am able to visit other parts of the country. I have overheard some discussion about one such trip in the near future. For now, I charge my batteries and do my best to capture the excitement of the world in all of my megapixels.