“I have always been curious and an observer. I got a point-and-shoot Kodak when I was young, and I still have it today, along with some photos I took when I was 8 years old,” vividly remembers Vinicius Longato, an architect, photographer, and café owner from São Paulo. From his travels to Mexico, Cuba, Costa Rica, Peru, the US, Uruguay, Argentina, Ecuador, all around Brazil, and Europe, he always comes back with images, thus building a bridge between his homeland and other cultures and places. His photos radiate a wonderful calmness, reflecting his own search for peaceful places and his calm nature, which isn’t easy to find in a metropolis like São Paulo. We spoke to Vinicius about his connection and love for the sea, how an old wardrobe on his family’s farm is linked to his photography career, and why his commitment to finding beauty in a chaotic world is so important.
Vinicius, you are very much inspired by the sea and our connection to it. Where does this love come from?
That’s a good question for everyone, don’t you think? I could say it’s because of my parents, or surf and the infinite possibilities of shapes the water assumes when it shocks with sand reefs or rocks. Waves are never the same. The culture of the coasts, how amazing it is to watch people fishing and all kinds of interactions. The beauty of the light mixed with water and the reflections it causes, all the sea creatures, so colorful, rich, and exotic. The pleasure of fresh seafood after a day at the beach. Watching the coast from a boat or a board’s perspective.
You see? It keeps going… That “call of the sea” is probably an answer as important as the classic “what is the meaning of life” for humankind. Who knows… they say there are mermaids singing, (laughing) I really love it all: the opposite of silence and noise, calm and wildness, solitude and crowds, and the vastness.
Summer often appears as a theme in your photography. What do you find most wonderful about this season?
The joy and freedom of people.
Tell us a bit about yourself and what you want people to know about you.
I was born in São Paulo, Brazil, half Brazilian, half Spanish. I’m an architect, and besides photography, I have a café in my city, named Botanikafe. Nowadays, I consider myself working as a creative director. I have been to many places around the world: Mexico, Cuba, Costa Rica, Peru, the US, Uruguay, Argentina, Ecuador, all around Brazil and the EU. I spent some time living in Australia and Indonesia, and now I’m between Brazil and Europe shooting. Next places would be Nepal, Japan, and Mongolia. Greece and Turkey are on the list as well. São Paulo is a tough city; it’s not easy to find beauty, so I think I exercise that. Besides that, I always leave and come back, and that movement made me feel like a bridge between other cultures and places. Bringing images in my baggage is a good way to communicate.
“I really love all about the sea: the opposite of silence and noise, calm and wildness, solitude and crowds, and the vastness.”
Can you share your own story about your path to becoming a photographer?
I have always been curious and an observer. I got a point-and-shoot Kodak when I was young, and I still have it today, along with some photos I took when I was 8 years old, haha—mostly of family dogs and landscapes. I put it aside for some years as I grew up, but I always paid attention to expressions, details, movements, special places, light, and shadow, etc. Some years ago, my family sold an old farm where I spent most of my childhood. After years without going there, we visited to take some things. When I opened the wardrobe in the room I used to stay in, I found old Leicas and Voigtlanders from my grandpa. It was the first time I saw those cameras, so it was a big surprise. I took them to be repaired and started taking photos again. That’s when my love for photography reflowered.
Your pictures seem like frozen moments, radiating a wonderful calmness. Are you a patient person, and do you think that everything comes in time?
My nature is calm, but as a morning person, I’m very energetic, and living in a megalopolis like São Paulo is not easy to maintain that. It probably reflects in my search for peaceful places and moments. I’m happy that you felt that. It means my photos are bringing something good, even if unconsciously.
“Bringing images in my baggage is a good way to communicate.”
What role does beauty play in your work, and how do you perceive beauty?
I think beauty brings balance into chaos. I mean, the way the golden ratio appears in nature—you can’t ignore it. It is everywhere; it just depends on what your perception is aligned with. The news are always based on a culture of fear, and it can freeze people. We know there’s war, corruption, and all kinds of things we keep messing up with that rare and special place we have. I am conscious of this. It is important to be aware and try to do my best, but I’m committed to finding the beauty still out there, and, if you will, bringing calm to people.
“Bigger than destiny is how we live our way, day by day.”
Can you think of a specific moment that changed your perspective on life? What happened?
It didn’t happen at that level for me. Looking back, I can see an infinite combination of events that made me who I am and brought me here. Bigger than destiny is how we live our way, day by day.
Love is… a way of feeling and living life.
