Macami
“I love seeing people get empowered about themselves while being photographed, letting their walls fall down and letting me in. For me it is about the human relation, the energy exchange, the connection.”
Intercru: Where are you from? Where are you living/working now?
Macami: I’m from Salvador, the capital city of the state of Bahia, Brazil. Salvador is a very colorful city with lots of history and culture. The food, the architecture, and the music makes the city a very unique place to be; you can feel a different energy in the air. Salvador is known as a place with very happy/smiley people, with good and warming energy. It is located on the northeast coast of the country, which means that it feels like summer all year.
Now I’m living in Queensland, known as The Sunshine State in Australia. I live in the capital, a city called Brisbane. It is also located on the northeast coast of the country, just like my hometown. A few years ago, I also lived for a while in Barcelona, in the northeast of Spain. Maybe I have a thing for places in the Northeast, you know?! It just feels like the right place to be.
I have been living in Australia for 2 years and a half now. I came to learn English for 6 months in 2018 but decided to stay a little bit longer (maybe not that little, hey?).
What got you started in photography?
It took me a while to actually find my passion. I did Marketing and Advertising at Uni and after that I studied film (in Brazil and Australia), which gave me some camera knowledge.
I’m a very independent person, so for me photography was the “easiest” way to not depend on a crew to make my projects happen; it can be very frustrating working with many people sometimes you know? So I started grabbing my camera, and inviting friends to go and explore places in the city with me.
I’m a visual artist; I’m a maker. I usually do things in a very organic way, even being a pragmatic person. So I could say that photography chose me- it was just the natural thing to do.
What is it you love most about being a photographer?
There are so many things... I love that I can create a character for someone, and they will become someone else completely different. I also love the very opposite, just to capture who they really are in a very special frame.
I love seeing people get empowered about themselves while being photographed, letting their walls fall down and letting me in. For me it is about the human relation, the energy exchange, the connection.
How do you prepare for a photoshoot?
I have the idea of what I want, so I create a mood board or just get some reference photos, depending on how much time I have to plan it. I try to find a place that it would work, select the outfits and usually that’s pretty much it! But I try not to stress too much about location for example. While walking with the model to certain places we usually find so many interesting spots that it just flows very organically.
Who are some of your favorite photographers?
Definitely my favourite photographer at the moment is Zhong Lin (@zhonglin_), a Malaysian photographer that takes very artistic and colorful portraits. She is my biggest inspiration!
I also love Kat Irlin’s (@kat_in_nyc) work; she has a very urban and classic style and shoots for many magazines that I admire. I love how she uses the location and makes it one of the most important things on her images.
Last but not least, Natasha Killen (@_natashakilleen) is a photographer that works at the same studio that I do my internship in. Her photos are very high fashion and she definitely puts her signature in all the projects that she does. It is so inspiring having someone so creative like her around. She makes the most creative things with very simple objects or ideas. It makes me feel that my dreams are possible, because someone as talented as her is right there working right next to me.
For you, what is the most important thing you do in order to get the perfect photo?
To be very honest I try not to overthink. I plan as much as possible before the shoot starts, but as soon it begins everything just flows very organically.
Sometimes I have some specific shots that I really want, but 80% of the final images just come out of directions that I give to the model while photographing. Taking photos after years and being interested in this subject you have so many references in your mind that you don’t even notice, so you just know what to tell the model to do, and how to interact with props and the location that we have in order to get the “perfect photo.”
What advice would you give to anyone looking to become a photographer?
Practice as much as possible. Try different things, learn the rules but don’t follow them all the time. Experiment and invite a friend to be a model. Just do it, and you will get better every time. Go meet photographers and creatives of your city- networking is everything. Be around people that inspire you.
Macami is a Brazilian portrait photographer and art director based out of Brisbane, Australia. To see more of her photography, check out her website macamiphotography.com or follow her work on Instagram @macami__.
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