GUSTAVO SANTIAGO

My name is Gustavo Santiago and I am German-Brazilian who lived most of my life in Sao Paulo, Brazil but also in Lyon, France and now in Basel, Switzerland. I can communicate in English, German, Portuguese, French and Spanish.

Yes and I still have the same picture. I was 7 y.o. in Brazil and the picture is from my mums kitchen ceiling. It was taken with a Disposable machine (Kodak)

I was never out side of photography. Humans are fascinated by vision. They are absorbed by beauty, whether natural or artificial. Photography is merely an hourglass that allows us to capture what we consider beautiful.

When I can deliver exactly what my client needs. I find photographing for a third person very challenging. We agree that beauty is a very personal thing, right? That's the challenge of trying to capture something through your client's eyes. Getting this right and making them happy with the result is magic.

Obviously, the sooner the better, but I've done work where I was asked to do it at the last minute. The most important thing about getting in touch with someone at the last minute or early is to GET IN TOUCH. Beautiful things can come from unplanned contact.

If I can transcribe some feeling into the image, be it of a wedding or a refrigerator, the photo is good.

I believe that creativity mixed with the ability to deal with unique moments is the reason why I love photography.

In my case, I love when I portray landscapes, because a feeling resides there and also when photographing people, I can stop time for them in that moment.

I don't believe that the photographer is a special being. I believe that photography is like a book, because everyone knows how to write, but no one writes the same way. This is the language of photography. Personal exclusivity.

Sou formado fotografo (Bachelor of Fine Arts - BFA) pela Bloo École de Photographie et D’images, Lyon/FR

Most answers to this question are, in my opinion, just words. I firmly believe that photography allows me to pursue what I truly seek as expression. Ultimately, I'll never be satisfied with the last photo; there's always room for improvement, for something different. The day I'm 100% satisfied with what I do, photography will no longer be the vehicle I use to seek this answer.

I don't believe that equipment makes a big difference in the final product. It all depends on the objective. Personally, I really like Canon products.

Once again, I reiterate that, ultimately, the equipment doesn't make the photographer. What matters is the reason the photographer presses the shutter button on the device, whether Canon, Sony, Fuji, or Leica.

My first projects were street photography, so I bought a camera and went hunting for interesting things. Then came invitations from friends to weddings, etc.

Nowadays, we can't underestimate the use of these technological devices. But before you start processing everything on the computer, the most important thing is to understand that the image speaks for itself. The second step is to give these words a storyline through post-production.

I'd say what I wish I'd heard when I was younger: Don't be afraid to put yourself out there, don't be afraid of being judged. Don't let the outside world dominate YOUR moment, YOUR inspiration.

I'd say they should invest time in understanding this inner voice that will make all the difference when you're out there in the real world, acting. If you don't understand why you're doing something, then you're doing it wrong or should be doing something else.