Documenting the rhythm, resilience, and pleasure of Brazil’s northeast via a neighborhood lens.
In Brazil’s sun-soaked northeast, the place drought and celebration usually share the identical stage, photographer Samuel Macedo has constructed a follow rooted in presence, resilience, and cultural reminiscence. From the center of Cariri, Ceará, Macedo captures the heart beat of his folks — their rituals, joys, struggles, and on a regular basis moments — With a digicam in hand since childhood, his work honors lives usually ignored, and the traditions of Brazil’s northeast.
Portrait of Samuel Macedo. Image Credit: Débora Rosado.
Samuel Macedo is a documentary photographer born and raised within the Cariri area of Ceará, in Brazil’s culturally wealthy northeast. “I use that same name as my artistic name,” he says.
“I’m a photographer and, since I was a child, I’ve been dedicated to documentary photography with a focus on the popular traditions of my region. I have an Instagram page where I share my work and images from my journeys.”
Image Credit: Samuel Macedo, @samuelmacedo_fotografo.
Samuel describes the Northeast of Brazil as a area deeply rooted in tradition. “Cariri, where I was born, is centered around the Chapada do Araripe, a fertile land that allows for a life full of celebration, even in the face of hardships caused by drought.”
Image Credit: Samuel Macedo, @samuelmacedo_fotografo.
In this atmosphere, folks have a good time, resist, and reinvent themselves — and Samuel’s photographic imaginative and prescient was formed by that actuality. “The culture, religiosity, struggle, and joy of the people around me have been fundamental in the construction of my photographic work.” That spirit infuses his type, which stays deeply related to the rhythms of his neighborhood.
Image Credit: Samuel Macedo, @samuelmacedo_fotografo.
From an early age, images referred to as him into this world.
“I discovered photography when I was a child. I grew up with a camera in hand, in my grandfather’s old workshop.”
“It started as a game, but soon I was fascinated by the possibility of telling stories through images. I started playing, and to this day, I photograph while playing.”
“The camera chose me, and it’s through it that I show the world as I see it.”
Image Credit: Samuel Macedo, @samuelmacedo_fotografo.
Image Credit: Samuel Macedo, @samuelmacedo_fotografo.
In Samuel’s household, he’s the one one who lives completely from artwork — “although I sometimes don’t even consider myself an artist as such,” he explains.
“But yes, there is talent. My grandfather was a great illustrator, and my mother and sister also have an artistic side.”
Image Credit: Samuel Macedo, @samuelmacedo_fotografo.
His schooling was largely hands-on and self-directed. As a baby, he took half in a social venture at a basis in his metropolis, the place he had entry to cameras and computer systems and was capable of experiment freely.
In 2011, he joined the photographer coaching program on the newspaper Folha de São Paulo, a formative expertise that deepened his expertise and course.
Image Credit: Samuel Macedo, @samuelmacedo_fotografo.
Samuel’s lens focuses on widespread festivals, avenue scenes, and the often-overlooked tales of on a regular basis folks.
“Photography means many things to me,” he says. “Today, it represents my sense of wholeness — it’s through photographing that I feel complete and present.”
“I usually photograph where life is happening. My work is where the people are, especially those who are often overlooked.”
His present focus is on widespread festivals, avenue life, and spontaneous encounters.
“I don’t photograph with the intention of making art — I photograph to tell stories. I’m interested in movement, the energy of the people, and life pulsing.”
Image Credit: Samuel Macedo, @samuelmacedo_fotografo.
His deep expertise and unwavering dedication converse for themselves, however he admits that incomes a residing via images in Brazil — notably within the northeast — stays an ongoing problem.
“In Brazil, especially in the Northeast, everything is a challenge. In photography, the biggest challenge is the lack of appreciation. I still dream of making a dignified living from my work. I fight hard for that.”
Image Credit: Samuel Macedo, @samuelmacedo_fotografo.
“But there are also many beautiful things,” he particulars. “The connection with the people makes it all worthwhile. Participating in popular festivals, seeing the effort people make to keep their traditions alive — even with so few resources — moves me deeply. I feel honored to be able to document those stories.”
Image Credit: Samuel Macedo, @samuelmacedo_fotografo.
Before setting out, Samuel embraces the unknown.
“I prepare by staying open. I like to feel the atmosphere, talk to people, and connect with their stories. I try to capture joy, movement, energy — that which keeps life spinning. I want my photos to convey what I felt being there.”
Image Credit: Samuel Macedo, @samuelmacedo_fotografo.
One of his most cherished tasks is Fé na Festa (Faith within the Festivity). “I have been working on this project, which I love, precisely because it brings me closer to popular and cultural expressions. What makes it so special is being able to closely observe the people who keep these traditions alive.”
Latina Republic envisions a world the place the wonder and resilience of Latin American and Caribbean cultures are acknowledged and appreciated globally. By amplifying the voices of artists and cultural custodians, we attempt to domesticate a deeper understanding of the area’s challenges and triumphs. Our objective is to encourage better appreciation for the humanities as a instrument for empathy, unity, and transformative social change. Through our work, we purpose to equip all stakeholders with important insights for addressing regional challenges, finally enriching the worldwide cultural panorama and portraying the victories and hardships of on a regular basis life in Latin America.