Stefan Peters

When I thought about “real” summers last year, I always had this picture in mind, even though I haven’t looked at it for at least a decade. I took it 25 years ago on a year-long trip to my relatives in Brazil. Just some weeks after my arrival in São Paulo, my old Agfa camera dissolved in mold. I was too frustrated and poor to buy myself a new one, just to let it fall prey to the hot and humid climate or the street robbers.

After some months I found a kid’s box camera in Asunción which suited my needs just perfectly: It was made of blue sheet metal with red plastic straps, one aperture, one shutter speed, no worries. I took about 50 photos with this kid’s camera during that year. I remember being a bit disappointed when I saw the results in my closet-darkroom back home. Looking at them now, I think they reflect my vague but still loving feelings for that trip nicely. Somehow, I am particularly fond of this photo of a coconut picker, maybe because it’s so stereotypical.