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Mathias Fernandes
@mathias.explores
Photographer based in Portugal
Many things have changed since my first article, and many things have happened during the past three years. At the time of the first interview I was still at a very early stage of my journey, I had started to go out and photograph frequently in order to learn more about this art and also to create content to share on the platform and work on my personal brand.
Since then I have invested all my free time to build and achieve my dream. I went out to take pictures on my days off and I went to shoot at sunrise before going to work and also at sunset as soon as I finished working at my 9-5.
Taking a leap of faith
In October of last year, I got to the point where I was getting good jobs on a regular basis, doing Photoshoots in the Algarve and working with brands. This influx of work made it impossible to balance my 9-5 job with my photography career. It took a lot of effort, sacrifice, and a lot of discipline, it wasn’t simple or easy, but it was really worth it and today I can say that I make my living from my passion.
To this day, one of my most important projects has been the Algarve Photo Tour & Workshop. This was a project I developed with a friend of mine who is also a photographer. It was a project that was entirely developed by us from scratch and it took about 1 year to plan everything.
"This initiative aimed to show the best places to photograph in the Algarve but also to make the participants learn more about photography and business."
It was a totally different experience, exciting and above all very gratifying! It was very special to receive feedback from the participants and to know that everything we teach to them was valuable and that it made them see that it is possible to achieve their goals in the world of photography, whether it may be by improving their skills or even building a career.
Four valuable lessons
The following are four valuable lessons I have learned along the way which I like sharing with the participants:
(1) Trust your intuition. Your intuition is there for a reason, it’s important to know how to listen to it, in my case I must say that the best decisions I’ve made were based on knowing how to listen to myself and trusting my intuition. And even when it’s scary to make that decision, now is the time to do it. There’s a quote that I like to remind myself of sometimes:
“When it feels scary to jump, that is exactly when you jump, otherwise you end up staying in the same place your entire life.”
(2) Surround yourself with people that inspire you, people that are in the position you want to be in or are also pursuing the same as you. You are the average of the 5 people you surround yourself with.
(3) Be patient and put in the time. There’s no need to rush, each one of us has different paths, and it makes no sense to compare yourself to others. The only person you should compare to is your past self.
(4) Celebrate your wins and achievements. Sometimes we end up in a vicious cycle where we end up forgetting our true essence and the reason we started everything. Make sure to stop sometimes and feel grateful for what you have and what you achieved. You will always be your own best friend, if you don’t value yourself first, others won’t too.
Top photography spots in Portugal
In my case and when I look back on my path, a trip to the Azores Islands about 5 years ago made me realize how beautiful it is to travel and explore the world. I absolutely fell in love with the nine volcanic islands lying in the North Atlantic Ocean. My first trip to the Azores was undoubtedly the beginning of my passion for traveling and essentially for photography. Which led me to discover many other places, both in Portugal and also around the world.
Some of the places that are very special to me in Portugal that I have been exploring is the Algarve. When I came back from that trip to the Azores I said to myself that I would take the time to discover and get to know the amazing places where I live, I always knew that the Algarve was a very popular tourist destination but I had never really seen why so that’s why that I started to explore the whole region and was completely amazed that there are so many epic places and so close to home. I asked myself why I didn’t do this sooner!
Another place that I also really like is Costa Vicentina, on the southwest coast of Portugal. There the landscapes are different from the south coast. There are very big and steep cliffs some of them are made of black rock which creates some very epic and dramatic landscapes! This place is also one of my favorite places to photograph and watch the sunset in the summer.
This area is not as commercialized as on the south coast, which means that there are not as many tourists and the beaches are less crowded.
"And of course, the island of São Miguel in the Azores is also a place that is very special to me, because it was the place where it all began, and I am very excited because very soon I will be going back there!"
Special trips abroad and the van life
Furthermore, in the course of past travels this year, there have been several moments of reflection that have made me realize and feel very grateful and proud of myself for the position I am in. It’s something I’ve already written about and you can read more about it here.
One of those moments was when I was watching a sunset, somewhere in the Sahara desert in Morocco, where the silence could be heard, and in front of me there was an infinite sea of dunes, it was something I had never seen or experienced, and being there “in the middle of nowhere” got me thinking a lot.
And on other trips, something very similar has happened, at times when I come across some incredible landscape or place in front of me, there is an awakening of my gratitude for everything I have experienced.
Traveling with a campervan can also give you a great sense of freedom. I think that for travel and adventure photographers this is an experience they will certainly enjoy.
Essential ingredients for a great photograph
Among all the photos I have captured, I’ll say this one is close to my heart. It represents very well the essence of the Algarve, where I belong and where I like to be the most. This photo was taken on a day when a group of friends who already followed me on Instagram invited me to spend a summer day with them on their boat, and it was so epic! In addition to the boat, they also had jet skis, we went cliff jumping and much more! It was for me one of the most memorable days I spent in the Algarve and it represents very well the “Algarve Summer Lifestyle”.
In general, I think there are several ingredients and strategies for a great landscape photo. Below you can find four that I think are always relevant:
(1) Good Light
(2) Paying attention to your surroundings
(3) In some cases, planning can make a lot of difference!
(4) Knowing how to evoke emotion in a photo, is a detail that is very important to me, much more than just photographing a landscape it is important to know how to convey a message/emotion/story through what we are creating and that is something that must be always remembered because that’s how we create something unique and impactful.
Looking to the present and future, at the moment I know what I want, where I want to be, and who I want to be with. Maybe I’ll have the same vision in a few years, or maybe my goals will also adapt over time.
And to achieve those goals, I have some systems in place. I am a very methodical and systematic person. I believe that having a structure is very important in order to achieve our goals. Some time ago I dedicated myself to thinking about my goals in life, both personally and professionally, and built an action plan. Since then I have been following it meticulously. I listed each of my goals step by step, and I planned everything in my digital agenda so I know every day exactly what I have to do. That’s something that gives me peace of mind because I know I’ve planned everything beforehand and I know precisely where I’m going, I just need to focus on being present, and I know that everything I want will come to me.
Throughout this process, every month I reflect on where I am, what I have been doing, and what I want to change in my action plan, so I can adapt over time.
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