ABOUT US

ORIGIN STORY

I believed I was a photographer before owning a camera. During childhood trips to Portugal, I would sleep in my late uncle’s bedroom. Relics of his life as a Navy Commander lay where he had left them; as if awaiting his return. Beautifully made objects ignited my 9-year-old imagination as the tools for travel & adventure.

Maps, compasses, binoculars, a typewriter and old photos from his time in Africa told the story of a man I hardly knew. The most captivating of all these objects was his camera. The 1970’s Yashica was so beautifully crafted that even a boy could appreciate its precision construction. I didn’t understand how it worked, nor did I know about film yet. All I knew was that this magic machine could capture time. I would spend my summers looking through the viewfinder, composing images in my mind, but never actually taking a photo.

EARLY INFLUENCES

As a teenager, my older sister began dating a young man who would one day become my brother-in-law. He and his friends shared two passions: music and cameras. Their enthusiasm for photography reinforced the idea that it was something genuinely cool.

At the same time, the early 1990s were an exciting era for music. The CD format was taking centre stage, and album booklets featuring innovative artwork and photography became an integral part of the listening experience. The combination of visual art and music transported my teenage mind to imaginary and emotional worlds far more exciting than my own.

Portrait photography, in particular, offered a way of seeing people that music alone could not. It revealed another dimension of expression, identity, and emotion. It was a visual language I instinctively understood.
So I bought my first film camera.

THE CREATIVE COUPLE

The reality of being a student with limited means and an expensive film photography hobby soon forced me to sell my camera. Years later, when I met my future wife, Raffaella, an accomplished illustrator and graphic designer, I shared my love of photography with her. She encouraged me to begin again. I purchased a used digital camera and started documenting our life together, from our travels and pregnancy photos to, eventually, the arrival of our first son.

As my photography skills developed, I was soon invited to photograph my first wedding. It was an awkward experience. Looking back, the photographs weren’t bad, but they certainly weren’t great. I would like to both thank and apologize to that first couple for unknowingly setting me on this path.

Like many of life’s great adventures, my journey as a wedding photographer began with one fateful decision: finding the courage to take the first step.

NUNO MARTINS