Sara Sousa is a photographer based in Lisbon, Portugal.

Sara didn’t study photography – it was something she casually picked up when she was 18. The moment she really fell in love with photography’s aesthetics was when she started shooting on film, at the age of 25. She became fascinated with the slower process and the deliberateness it requires. She started by shooting mostly landscapes, and later discovered how wonderful it is to photograph people, and now she says she won’t go back.

Five Questions to Sara Sousa

 

How would you describe your photography to someone who has never seen it?

That’s a tough question to answer, as I’m still discovering my style and trying out different things. I’ve been focusing a lot on photographing faces and bodies, trying to capture interesting shapes, details – maybe the glow of skin exposed to sun, as well as expressions and some abstract shapes. I also really like street photography. That’s the style I began with. Generally, I absolutely love saturated colors, strong contrasts, reflections, and shadows.

What makes a great photograph?

That depends very much on the type of photography. For instance, in documentary photography, content will often matter more than aesthetics. But overall, an interesting composition, a fleeting moment caught at just the right time, and the hint of a story are some of the features of a great photo, I think.

What’s your main source of inspiration when you’re behind the camera?

Sometimes I have a specific image in mind that I want to turn into reality, and I go from there. Most of the time, I get inspiration from the people I’m photographing, my surroundings, and my mental collection of images and motifs that I’m fixated on at the time.

How is the photography industry changing in the digital era?

On one hand, photography has become democratized by digital cameras and social media, which is great since this has allowed many people to discover this wonderful art form and create. But this transformation has also resulted in the devaluing of professional photographers’ work, which is very sad.

Have you heard of Blockchain and if so, what are your views on it?

I sure have. Blockchain is often associated with cryptocurrency, but I think it can do even better things. The transparency it provides, for one – so many industries can be so deeply transformed by that.

You can find Sara’s work on Instagram.