I'll get by with a little help from my friends

My Photo scholarship 2010 entry

Worldwide | Sunday, October 17, 2010 | flickr photos

I am a 29-year-old electrical engineer and amateur photographer living in Sao Paulo, Brazil. As an engineer, a deep love for people has led me to work in the design of medical equipments. This same love, together with the love for nature and different cultures has made travel photography one of my passions.

France was my home for 3 years during my undergraduate studies, and that's where my serious interest for photography – especially travel photography – began. I have always believed that a country or a city has much more to offer than what is described in travel guides. That's why I decided to travel by bicycle, on foot or hitchhike to see the inside of the country, to look behind the curtains, meet the locals, have true conversations with them, learn from them – far away from the rush of the big cities. Since then, such travels have allowed me an intense contact with nature and people at their most vulnerable and sincere. I use my camera as a tool for capturing their feelings, expressing my own, and transmitting to the world the lessons I have learned.

This set of pictures was taken in a small town in northeastern Brazil, in a region known as Chapada Diamantina. Chapada is famous for its natural landscapes, rock formations, waterfalls and caves. However, the beauty that most astonished me was the one I found in the local people, in their character, their hospitality, their happiness and their selflessness, regardless of the difficulties they face every single day. Spending a whole day with these new friends and witnessing their courage made my heart swell to the point of barely fitting in my chest.

This is a portrayal of hope, love and generosity. I hope you like it.