Because some of you may not know much about the woman behind the camera, I decided to share a some words about myself.
It’s quite difficult for me to open up so please be kind :)
These are reflections I am sharing with my heart open, as a way to say thank you to all of you following and supporting me along the way.
In difficult times, we need to focus our energies in sharing, in the good vibes, in the beauty of simple things, in the passions that connect us, such as photography.
Resistants who make it to the end of the reading, will be given a challenge :)
1. Marketing, communication, images ....
My academic and professional career in the area of anagement has always been focused on Marketing and advertising. Working with many people and leading exciting projects, creativity was my main motivation. At the same time, Photography has always been part of me and I have always been passionate about images.
Photography began to get more and more embedded in my day-to-day life, until I decided to leave the business area and go follow my passion. I went back to studying another 2 years of Photography and I started a new professional career, as a photographer. I divide my time between portraiture / artistic photography and commercial projects.
A few years later, it is interesting to reflect on how my two professional worlds have come to cross.
My previous work experience allows me to understand the client when I work for commercial projects, companies, brands.
It is an area filled with challenges and it becomes truly rewarding when I am working with committed and inspired teams.
2. Portraiture ...
The main focus of my non-commercial work is portraiture. My wish as portrait photographer is to tell stories, awaken emotions and immortalise what is ephemeral. Sometimes I find inspiration in poetry, in paintings, and in other photographers, but the center of it all comes from the people and the connection I can set with them. I always fall a little bit in love with the people I portray. With their stories, their virtues, their weaknesses, even their sorrows. Because that’s what we are made of, of the sum of it all.
I also believe that Photography is a kind of therapy. It sometimes works as a way to explore self-awareness and improve self-esteem.
Other times it works as a "deposit" where people can leave their pain, sorrow, ending a chapter.
What I hope is that the photoshoot always works as a "celebration of themselves" whatever moment of life they are going through.
For me, portraits are about exploring identity and the photographs must mirror the body and soul of a person. The person is always my "center" of inspiration, which then merges with my own world, my way of seeing others, my way of looking at things. This world, in turn, is the sum of all the things I experienced, what I dreamed of, and especially what I felt.
It also pleases me to realise that the artistic and emotional interpretation that each person will feel when looking at an image, can be so personal and unique. Because the image can touch the inside of each of us, in so many different ways. It can awaken, in each of us, different emotions.
The fact that a single image can contain so many different "worlds” in itself is, in my opinion, one of the most exciting aspects of photography. This multiplicity of feelings it can awake, allowing each of us to make their own journey when looking at it.
3. Random stories...
I remember a dancer who told me she did not know she could actually "fly" like that until she saw her photographs.
I had women who came up with a big list of their "flaws", and after a few hours began to feel comfortable in their own skin, and to accept that what makes them special is the sum of it all.
In the more artistic portrait work I have done, I had people using these pictures to print and put on the bedroom wall because it inspired them and made them feel more capable of dreaming.
I have also photographed people who wanted to record difficult moments of a certain episode that they needed to "materialize" in order to closure.
There was a young mother once, who apologised for trying to negotiate the price of something that, she later realised, has an immeasurable value (2 years after I photographed her daughter)
I have been told that I am an "hopeless romantic", I am not sure if this is good or bad :)
4. Two questions and one surprise...
Two questions to the people who made it to the end (to respond in the comments):
A. two words (adjectives) about my work / about me (why you follow my page)....
B. If you would like to have a portrait session with me
If the answer to question 2 is "yes", then please send a private message (or you can also leave it in comments) with some words about why - what it means to you to do a Portrait session, what is your goal, and what is your story ... you can also tag someone you know and think might want to do a portrait session.
I will choose a story to tell and offer a session to one of you who will open up to me.
Why? Because life has given me so much and I try give it back, anytime I can. :)
Notice:
The photography session will be held in the Porto area.
THANKS FOR BEING HERE
Sara