From Faith to Stones - Interview with José Bassit

(This interview was originally published in 2014, exclusively in Portuguese).

José Bassit, or Zé Bassit, as he is more commonly known, began his photography career in journalism. Born in São Paulo in 1957 and a graduate in Social Communication from the Faculdades Integradas Alcântara Machado (FIAM), he published his first photos around 1985-1986 when he joined O Estado de S. Paulo. He later worked for Folha de S.Paulo, Veja, Época, and Meio&Mensagem before becoming a freelancer in 1998.

It was around this time that he embarked on his most well-known personal project, “Por onde anda a fé” (Where Faith Walks). The idea was to photograph large religious manifestations of faith across Brazil. Zé traveled extensively throughout the country, visiting places like Juazeiro do Norte, Canindé, Barbalha, and Sobral in Ceará. In São Paulo, he went to Aparecida, Piracicaba, São Luiz do Paraitinga, São Sebastião, Praia Grande, and São Bernardo do Campo. He also visited Bom Jesus da Lapa and Santa Brígida in Bahia; Ouro Preto and São João Del Rey in Minas Gerais; Cidade de Goiás in Goiás; Vale do Amanhecer in the Federal District; and Belém in Pará.

His efforts paid off. In 2003, the project became the beautiful book “Imagens Fiéis” (Faithful Images), published by Cosac&Naify, featuring 101 images. The photos also became part of the Pirelli Masp Collection, one of the most prestigious in the country.

More recently, Zé has hit the road again, this time to photograph stones. Stones, Zé? Yes, indeed. Started in 2012, the project was named “Kepha”, which means “stone” in Aramaic. In the following interview, he talks about what led him to choose this theme, past and future projects, and controversial topics in photography, such as the limits of image editing.

Frame35: Could you tell us a bit about your new project, photographing stones? What are you seeking? Is it the aesthetics, the shapes of the stones? Or are the stones you photograph tied to specific stories?

José Bassit: I seek to capture the beauty of stones in their various settings. Their shapes tell the story of time. They have been shaped by all sorts of weather conditions: winds, waters, junctions, cracks—they are the ultimate and striking expression of time. And that’s what fascinates me.

Frame35: Where did the idea come from?

JB: I started researching possibilities for photographing nature and was captivated by the incredible quantity and diversity of rock formations that can be found in so many corners of Brazil.

Frame35: How long have you been working on this project?

JB: Since January 2012, I’ve been developing “Kepha,” which means “stone” in Aramaic. Since then, I’ve visited and photographed seven different locations: Itaguaçu Beach in Florianópolis, Vale da Lua in Chapada dos Veadeiros, Lajedo do Pai Mateus and Pedra da Boca National Park in Paraíba, Petar (Alto Ribeira Tourist State Park) in São Paulo, Chapada Diamantina in Bahia, and Catimbau Valley in Pernambuco.

Frame35: Is there a projected end date?

JB: There are at least six more places I’d like to visit. However, this kind of work can stretch on for many years.

Frame35: What equipment are you using and why? (Camera, lens, film or digital, etc.)

JB: I use a Canon 5D Mark II because it ensures the quality I need for large prints.

Frame35: You have a long-standing project about faith in Brazil, which resulted in the book Imagens Fiéis, published by Cosac & Naify, and whose photos are also part of the Pirelli Masp Collection. Is that project finished, or are you still working on it?

JB: I will never consider that project finished, as it was one of the most motivating and pride-inducing works I’ve done. Its continuation will focus on religious manifestations outside Brazil.

Frame35: Zé, you also have a project photographing traditional barbershops in São Paulo. You even held an exhibition and wanted to publish a book. How is that going now?

JB: I have enough material, and it’s very interesting, to make a book. However, the challenge lies in obtaining image rights. Many of the people photographed have passed away or moved away...

Frame35: What other ideas are you working on?

JB: A project called Iemanjá, Senhora das Águas (Iemanjá, Lady of the Waters), about Afro-Brazilian religious manifestations.

Frame35: How do you view the new generation of photographers emerging in Brazil? Do you follow the work of collectives like Selva SP and others?

JB: The new generation is “hungry for the ball.” Photojournalism runs in their veins, especially at Selva SP. I like that.

Frame35: Have you been following the photographic coverage of the protests since mid-last year? What do you think of it?

JB: Yes. There’s a lot of good, high-quality work being done by competent and, above all, courageous people!

Frame35: Which Brazilian and international photographers’ work catches your attention the most today? Why?

JB: Among Brazilians, I really like Christian Cravo and Julio Bittencourt, who do photojournalism and documentary photography with a highly refined aesthetic sense. Among international photographers, I’m fascinated by Cristina Garcia Rodero from Magnum. She’s fantastic.

Frame35: There’s a big debate today about the limits of using image editing technology in photography, especially in photojournalism. How do you see this debate? In your opinion, where is the line?

JB: The line in any type of photography lies between manipulation and image editing. Editing exists to correct small details, and this was done even with film. Manipulation, in my opinion, undermines photojournalism.

Frame35: Like journalism, photography is going through a crisis. The prices paid for photos in the market are generally quite low. How do you see the future of the profession?

JB: I believe having photos with agencies is an interesting option—a way to keep your work “out of the drawers,” exposed all year round.

Frame35: What advice would you give to someone starting out in the profession?

JB: Photograph a lot, take as many courses as you can, research the websites of good photographers, and refine your eye.

Frame35: In general, what equipment do you use daily?

JB: My trusty Canon 5D Mark II.