General Strike

Protest against Michel Temer and the reforms his government proposed in Brazil's social security system, during a national general strike, on June 30th, 2017, in Rio de Janeiro.

War in Rio

On June 28th, 2017, residents of Pavão Pavãozinho slum, in Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, wanted to protest against the violence in their community, but they were unable to because of the violence itself. 

In the same afternoon, police was there for an operation against drug dealers, and during a violent clash a resident was dead and four others were injured. In Rio, days like these are not unusual once again.

Gui Blum

Latest photos: Gui Blum portraits. Styling by Rafael Joaquim and production by Dandara Almeida. The photographs were retouched by Vecks. Special thanks to Fábrica Bhering :)

See more here!

The BIG Project

Months ago, me and Guiga Pirá (photographer and friend) started a photography project aimed at the environment and animal rights around the world.

We created The BIG Project, a project to tell stories through documentary photography. BIG means Before It's Gone because the stories we tell are from initiatives to protect the environment and animal rights, endangered areas in our society.

Our goal is to inspire positive changes to protect the planet that keeps us alive. For that, our stories are from people to bring everyone closer to exemplary attitudes, humanizing heroic deeds.

On our brand new website you can check two stories from South Africa, and soon another one that's almost finished told from a very special place.

Follow The BIG Project on Instagram for extras shots and facts: @thebigproject.life

Coração Vabagundo

I was in South Africa in February for a project and took the opportunity to take some unpretentious pictures. For that, I brought an analog Contax T2 and some Kodak Portra 400. 

When I got back to Brazil and developed the films I was in a bit of a crisis - I was surprised by how amazing that material came out but also couldn’t help but think it was a shame I haven’t dedicated myself a little more. 

Either way, I love these portraits. My hearts is filled with warmth just by looking at these kids and their smiles, the greatest memories I made in the african continent. 

I get really emotional about the looks in these pictures and the way those kids felt empowered and valued in front of the camera. As a giant, white man with the “gringo” looks I feel honored to have been able to access a small part of the lives of these little guys. 

It was one of the most special exchanges I’ve ever had. We identified ourselves in our insecurities; we communicated through the transparency we shared in common. 

While watching these kids I’ve realised that, as citizens of both third world countries, we share something: a sense of community and empathy for those around us that I don’t see often in more developed countries. That’s what’s left when so much is wrong around us. This warmth is priceless and inexplicable; is something you got to feel it. 

I hope these pictures can bring some of these feelings to you and also some hope. Not only today - Africa Day - but everyday. That the world be inspired by the happiness and strenght of these amazing people.  

Cheers to Africa!

To see all the pictures, click here.

PS: Coração Vagabundo means "bum heart" in Portuguese and the expression come from a song by Caetano Veloso.

(English translation by Lucia Hsu)

#FORATEMER

Story created during a protest against Brazil's President Michel Temer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, May 18. Michel Temer said he won't quit after an investigation revelead a record tape where he authorised hush-money payment for a witness in a major corruption probe. 

What's new: STORIES & more

This month this website turns five months old. After only four months I felt that I needed to update my portfolio because I'm constantly updating myself.

It seems easy to update your portfolio, just upload new pictures and that's all. But for me it's more than that. It's hard to define my work in a menu with four words. This freedom to choose my own way is amazing but I must confess I feel lost sometimes.  

In that way to discover (and change) myself and what I want to do, I'm playing everything. I love to do different kinds of photography, all this possibilities excite me. 

So, on PERSONAL you can find my own stuff. Pictures I took for fun. The news here are the gallery FRIENDS. I put together all the shootings with friends (not only in front of the camera, but also behind it). 

Basically I concentrated the fashion work on COMMISSIONED. I added a few new pictures on PORTRAIT, where you can find out who I shot.

I also added STORIES to this menu. I think this is the big news after this five months. I've decided to work more with documentary photography and STORIES is the gallery for that. 

There are stories that you already know, but I'm sharing now an unpublished story originally made for Reuters that I had never taken from my drawer. It's about SECRET REHEARSALS during Carnival in Rio. And there is another story, now with the complete material, about RESISTANCE.

I'm also editing a new story that's really special for me shot in 2013 about a peculiar favela in the more expensive area of Rio. As soon as I publish this one I'll let you know here in NEWS, where you can always follow my work :)
 

FAVELA RESISTS: click on the picture to see full story

SECRET REHEARSALS: click on the picture to see full story

André Chalhoub

Latest work: André Chalhoub portraits. Make up & hair by the amazing Carla Biriba. André was responsible for the styling as well. The photographs were retouched by Alt Retouch. Thanks, friends :)

See more here.

LAND.GALLERY is out!

I have launched on April 4 the LAND.GALLERY - my online gallery to sell prints: http://land.gallery

It's not an ecommerce, you can order by email. Write to hi@land.gallery with the reference of the photograph + type of paper + size. 

The photographs are displayed by themes like Sea, Sky, North, Africa and Rio. You can find more at @land.gallery and fb.com/gallery.land.

SPFW N43 in 35mm

Last SPFW, on March, I did some shots on 35mm with a Contax T2 loaned by a friend (thanks, Renato!). After years shooting only with Ilford HP5 Plus, I used the classic Kodak Portra 400. I loved the result so much that I've already ordered a few packs to play more ;)

Rooftop Ipanema

My new story shot in Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro, is out: Rooftop Ipanema. With Larissa Gomes, styling by Lucas Magno, make up & hair by Piu Gontijo and retouch by Alt Retouch. Thank you, team!

To see all the pictures: FRIENDS.

Youtubers portraits

Last March 9 I was invited by Youtube Brasil to create portraits of youtubers gamer girls during an event about women's empowerment at Google's headquarters, in São Paulo.

I'm so proud of this work, was amazing to meet all these intelligent ladies. Thank you, Youtube!

Juliana Maransaldi, Ubisoft Brasil

Josi Gamer

Nicolle Merhy, Cherrygumms

For the women

I’m a bit sad to be back in Rio after two weeks in South Africa. My heart and mind are still in that amazing country.

Guiga and I were in the african continent to work. We are developing a project focused on the environment and animals rights and to do that, we worked with two organizations.

Black Mamba Anti-Poaching Unit, in the Greater Kruger area, a NGO with 36 women doing patrols all day against the poachers. Thirty six women patrolling an entire reserve with no guns facing the dangerous big 5 (the 5 most dangerous animals of Africa) and men with guns to kill the animals. They do a job that a lot of men would never be able to.

And the Tin Can Town, that takes care of street dogs at Blikkiesdorp, a township in Cape Town. A place extremely violent because of gangsters activities. Tin Can Town is basically about three strong women.

We just realized that we will tell stories about women when we were already there. We knew about the Mambas, but only when we were at Blikkiesdorp seing that female volunteers put their fingers in men's faces to protect animals the bell rang.

We met wonderful women in this trip. Beautiful women, powerful women with remarkable strength, dreaming and fighting for a better world. women that will inspire me for the rest of my life - not only today.

But today, I would like to send all my love and all my admiration to all badass women around the world. I've always had better relationships with women than men. I was raised by three fantastic women that showed me that I have much more to learn with the ladies. And I keep this lesson for life, learning with Rosies (Tin Can Town) and Felicias (Black Mambas).

Step aside, boys. The world is female.

Felicia, at Balule Reserve - Hoedspruit/South Africa

Rosie, at Blikkiesdorpe - Cape Town/South Africa

New adidas + Salinas collab campaign

Following the nature themed campaign released in November 2016, the collab between adidas + Salinas introduces its new collection inspired by Brazil's colors.

Featured by Erika Januza and Analu Reis, the shooting had Santa Teresa as scenary, an old school neighbourhood of Rio de Janeiro.

See the new pictures on the gallery:

Make up & Hair: NAT ROSA
Production: ALINE DIAS
Photo Assist.: RICARDO LIMA & BLEIA CAMPOS
Retouch: JUNIOR REIS

You can find out more of the campaign here.

mãeana on Caderno Ela cover

Today was published my latest work, the cover of Caderno Ela with brazilian singer mãeana. Ela is the fashion supplement of O Globo, one of Brazil's largest newspaper.

See the full story on the gallery:

Styling: LUCAS MAGNO
Make up & Hair: DANIEL WAGNER
Photo Assist.: RICARDO LIMA
Retouch: ALT RETOUCH

You can find the online article here.

An oldschool photographer

I consider myself to be an oldschool photographer - that's how I like to photograph.

I don't like using the orange cable, I don't have six lights, thirty eight lighting accessories or an iPad to handle to my clients.

My entire equipment consists in a backpack and a case to external lighting. Around 90% of my pictures are made using a 50mm. I don't like to use a tripod and I avoid using an assistant when it's not really necessary - I don't have a car neither a home studio.

Yeah, I think I'm an oldschool photographer.

I trust my vision and my work, which I've been doing for 10 years now, and I try to have my own style. My biggest pleasure is when I get the job because the client wants me to do it, trusting my vision and the way I work, not because I fit their budget. 

I've never lived abroad - yet! -, I didn't go to a photography school or even had any classes, never worked as an assistant. I love natural light and would only use that if I could. My only assistant became a great friend, I always try to work with friends and people who can bring a good energy to the workplace - which is always the case, fortunately. 

I am aware that I won't get all the jobs or please everyone. I just want to be happy doing what I never chose to be - it chose me - doing the only thing I know how to do well and gives me so much pleasure.

I was born a photographer, one with an oldschool style.

I'd like to thank everyone I've met in my 10 year career (the older the better). You all know how special you are to me. May a hundred more years of photography come, because our love story has just begun.

(English translation by Lucia Hsu)

El Salvador

El Salvador was intense. Not only because I took some surf classes, but because the nature is so beautiful there.

I was fascinated by the ocean -- first time seeing the Pacific Ocean! --, and also by the sweet rocks and the black sand on El Sunzal beach. Absolutely different from what we have in Rio.

The sunrise and the sunset were so special, how strong was the good energy that I felt watching both spectacles! 

Thanks a lot, El Salvador. ¡Hasta luego!

(You can find the 35mm photos of El Sunzal beach here)

Artshot Gallery

The goal of Artshot Gallery is to give a shot to new photographers of different areas. As a gallery, they work to expand the fineart beyond the already famous professionals and I think that's very positive.

Their portfolio is amazing and has beautiful images for everyone (online and offline, in São Paulo, Curitiba and Porto Alegre). The prices are great and I'm among 71 talented artists. So honored to be part of it.

You can find my photos here: artshot.com/artistas/lucas-landau

Chapada dos Veadeiros

Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park, in Goiás, in the middle of Brazil, is a place that I miss so much since I've been there for the first time in April/16. I feel like I left little pieces of me in each track and waterfall.

All the park is located above a huge quartzo crystal what brings a very good vibe to this area called Cerrado (brazil's second largest biome, after the Amazon).

The vegetation is so classy, the rocks all over the place are so beautiful and the sky, oh the sky, is infinite. Without mentioning the majestic moon, the delicious açaí and the nice people from Vila de São Jorge - small village where I stayed, next to Alto Paraíso the main city of the park.

It's a place that put us in our place. When you are there you relativize your life in and realize that we are nothing compared to nature. It's a place to really feel the power of nature.  

And now I feel like I have to go back to Chapada dos Veadeiros to catch up this little pieces I left there. Or maybe to spread out even more pieces.

(You can find the 35mm pictures of Chapada dos Veadeiros here)