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From 99 to 88: the photographer’s second book
From 99 to 88: the photographer’s second book
Vasco Trancoso
March 17, 2026
People on the beach: scattered and in groups, in a variety of strange poses, a child buried hip-deep in the sand – and above them floats a large blue whale. There is plenty to discover in the Portuguese photographer’s surreal-looking picture. As of March 20, the work will be on display at the Leica Gallery Vienna, within the framework of the 15th Leica Street Photo Contest. Selected from over 13,000 submissions from all over the world, the motif now has the chance to go from being a finalist to this year’s winner.
Anyone wishing to discover more pictures by Vasco Trancoso, should quickly order one of the last copies of his new photo book. 88 images merge together to form a colourful array of lively street photography. Following his first publication titled 99, which appeared six years ago, he has now produced 88. Once again, we find intense colours shining in the light of his homeland, precisely designed graphic compositions, and motifs often with strongly contrasting silhouettes and areas of shadow. On the very first page of the new book we encounter the photographer himself: however, he does not appear in a classic portrait, but rather his fragmented silhouette plays with the surfaces and shapes of the architecture onto which his shadow falls. In this manner, the photographer is both behind and in front of the camera, thus becoming part of the visual narrative. Trancoso has taken up this idea time and again in the sequence of images in the new book. His presence is unmistakable, as he always seems to be wearing a hat.
The pictures were taken in his homeland – primarily in Caldas da Rainha where the photographer has lived for over forty years, but also in Foz do Arelho, Lisbon and Óbidos. He wanders through familiar streets, squares and markets – as well as on the beach, of course. With his knowledge of places, he has created a photographic monopoly because, as he says, “this body of work is considered unique because these locations have been largely unexplored by other street photographers.” He photographs with a Leica Q and a Leica Q3, preferring narrow excerpts and small apertures to achieve the greatest possible depth of field. That is why there is always more to discover – even in the furthest corners of a picture. Spontaneity only plays a role at times, as in the last photo in our selection, where a boy jumped in front of the photographer’s lens. Yet it is precisely this spontaneity that gives this perfect shot its presence, and draws the viewer right into the heart of life. And who is reflected in the boy’s sunglasses? Why, the photographer, of course!
Ulrich RüterAnyone wishing to discover more pictures by Vasco Trancoso, should quickly order one of the last copies of his new photo book. 88 images merge together to form a colourful array of lively street photography. Following his first publication titled 99, which appeared six years ago, he has now produced 88. Once again, we find intense colours shining in the light of his homeland, precisely designed graphic compositions, and motifs often with strongly contrasting silhouettes and areas of shadow. On the very first page of the new book we encounter the photographer himself: however, he does not appear in a classic portrait, but rather his fragmented silhouette plays with the surfaces and shapes of the architecture onto which his shadow falls. In this manner, the photographer is both behind and in front of the camera, thus becoming part of the visual narrative. Trancoso has taken up this idea time and again in the sequence of images in the new book. His presence is unmistakable, as he always seems to be wearing a hat.
The pictures were taken in his homeland – primarily in Caldas da Rainha where the photographer has lived for over forty years, but also in Foz do Arelho, Lisbon and Óbidos. He wanders through familiar streets, squares and markets – as well as on the beach, of course. With his knowledge of places, he has created a photographic monopoly because, as he says, “this body of work is considered unique because these locations have been largely unexplored by other street photographers.” He photographs with a Leica Q and a Leica Q3, preferring narrow excerpts and small apertures to achieve the greatest possible depth of field. That is why there is always more to discover – even in the furthest corners of a picture. Spontaneity only plays a role at times, as in the last photo in our selection, where a boy jumped in front of the photographer’s lens. Yet it is precisely this spontaneity that gives this perfect shot its presence, and draws the viewer right into the heart of life. And who is reflected in the boy’s sunglasses? Why, the photographer, of course!
ALL IMAGES ON THIS PAGE: © Vasco Trancoso
Vasco Trancoso: 88+-
184 pages, 88 colour images
33 × 22.5 cm, Portuguese/English
self-published
With a text by Paul Russell
Vasco Trancoso+-
Born in Lisbon in 1944 and has been living in Caldas da Rainha, Portugal, since 1983. He discovered photography as a young man, but decided to follow a career in medicine. As a retired gastroenterologist, he decided in 2009 to dedicate himself to photography – specifically street photography: “On the streets, I’m fortunate to discover everyday wonders that turn out to be fragments of a parallel dimension where the mundane can be extraordinary.” His first book 99 (with 99 pictures) appeared in 2019; 88 (with 88 pictures) appeared in 2025. More
