nice but where the are semi naked pics??

Luis,

Naked ladies on the parade only. I didn't shot that. My friend would if he could. He already enjoyed the semi-naked figure in one of the floats!

Michael,

Indeed, those floats are amazingly colorful, I had my camera set for "standard", so there was no color punch other than using the polarizer in some shots.

Wut,

It is dangerous and not, that depends a lot. Expensive, yes. That's why I find it crazy when people start saying tha coist in 3rd world are low.

Anyway, I do take my camera to a lot of places without any issues, even at night, but that depends on the place. And mind you, I am very white and often mistaken as a foreigner, so a prey to robbers.

The parade area is very busy but not overcrowded, and well policed. I had a simple backpack and kept it in my back all the time, except when changing lenses.

The other day I went shooting an open exhibition at dusk and it was in an area that I considered risky, so I only took my compact. What a mistake! There were several people visiting the exhibition and many with cameras, long lenses, big tripods.

Helicopters are common in S�o Paulo, not much in Rio, but it is not a security matter, it's that the traffic in S�o Paulo is so dense that exceutives use them to avoid staying hours stuck.

Tourists do get robbed a lot in Rio, but that's basically for being uncautious, like leaving a bag unattended. There are however cases in which a gun is used, but these are the minority of cases. Pickpocket and baglifting are the most common tactics.

So you actually live there? Are you Brazilian as well? Because I got that info from a friend who has a friend from Brazil, a photographer as well (I also know who she is). If I remember correctly bodyguards or at least security personnel is allowed to carry automatic weapons. But I definitely remember him telling me about double walls surrounding villas of wealthy ppl, with high voltage security fencing. Double walls because the guards let you through the first gate, examine your car thoroughly (using mirrors to check underneath the car), they even open the trunk to see if someone sneaked in etc. Every double-walled villa also has only 1 exit/entrance, for the obvious security reasons. I've already mentioned that they travel around in huge (armored) SUVs, usually in groups of three cars and they don't really drive around except to their office and shopping malls with high level of security and underground parking (in the same complex). Ppl hide all their belongings under car seats and don't stop at red lights, since they often just smash your windows with big hammers.

Is that an exaggeration? Because that friend tends to exaggerate at times to make stuff more interesting and himself more important, but from what I've heard from other ppl, it couldn't be that far from the truth as well. I've also watched cidade de deus and tropa de elite 1&2.

Traveling to Rio, especially for Carnival, is on my "bucket list" of things to do!