PHOTOGRAPHERS TO KNOW: NÁDIA CORREIA
NÁDIA CORREIA
Originally from Lisbon, Portugal and now based in London, Nádia Correia is a fashion and beauty, stills and motion photographer. She became inspired by her grandfather’s passion and knowledge of photography while observing his work in Mozambique, where half of her family is from. Nádia uses her photography as a way to connect more deeply to her identity and culture while creating compelling narratives in which women often take center stage.
SHEER: Tell us a little bit about yourself.
NÁDIA CORREIA: I am originally from Lisbon Portugal. Born into a white family with a very specific cultural heritage. My dad is a white Mozambican, as well as part of his family who lived in Mozambique for three generations and my mum is Portuguese but with her mum being born in Cape Verde, lived in Angola and only coming to Portugal in her early thirties.
I identify as white Portuguese but I do have an incredible strong bond with Africa specifically Mozambique and Cape Verde.
SHEER: Would you say your cultural background and upbringing influenced your creativity at all? And how so?
NC: I grew up with Africa in mind and in my mouth sort of speak. The cafreal cooking of Mozambique and some of the tastes of Cape Verde were always on our table. Stories never stopped, memories were constantly shared, endless family albums. It is impossible not to connect and travel out of Portugal through these elements.
My grandad, a white Mozambican did photography back in the day and I inherited all of his cameras and equipment. I remember the first time I picked a camera was with him and we would do small photo sessions together - it was awesome. I was very close to him.
All of these hints, influences, expressions, fashion, stories had a huge impact on how I perceive the world and the themes I am interested in portraying in my work.
SHEER: How did you first discover your interest in photography and what led you to pursue this professionally?
NC: It was really with my paternal grandad that everything started.
It was with him I picked my first camera and started getting hooked. From then onwards I always studied photography.
I just loved the idea that I could tell stories with this medium and I also love lighting, so this was an opportunity to get creative.
SHEER: In what way has having cultural roots in both Portugal and Mozambique and then moving and settling in London impacted your creative process?
NC: London is a whole new world of opportunities and where I formed myself as an adult. It is just phantasmic the access to different people and cultures.
London gave me space to grow, to make many many mistakes but also space to question and bring my ideas to life.
When I left Portugal I sort of switched off from my roots. London, was my opportunity to just be myself. What was funny is that on that search of being myself and my visual language I actually went back to my roots and what was important to me, which took me to Mozambique where I felt deeply connected with my grandad and made me restore my relationship with the place I was born.
“I grew up with Africa in mind and in my mouth sort of speak. The cafreal cooking of Mozambique and some of the tastes of Cape Verde were always on our table. Stories never stopped, memories were constantly shared, endless family albums. It is impossible not to connect and travel out of Portugal through these elements.”
SHEER: How do you incorporate your values in both your personal and commercial work?
NC: Sadly I can’t always bring these onto my commercial work as sometimes I am not part of the campaign creative ideation from the get go but where possible I try to work collaboratively with client/ creatives on casting, which is a huge part of my job and I make sure I am working with a full female team behind cameras. I feel it’s important to pioneer this aspect as much as I can.
SHEER: How do you believe beauty and fashion brands can be more inclusive in their branding/marketing visuals?
NC: I guess this needs to start on their product development, even before we come in to support them creating some kick ass imagery for their brand. There needs to be a conscious decision that is important or not for them to reach to other markets and cater to other skin types. Brands need to be less afraid of leading on the market trends. I don’t think there is a right or wrong approach as long as the approach is candid, inclusive and you surround yourself with the right people to seek advice.
Regarding the visuals, this is all down to brand values and their core. What is important and how they want to be perceived. I think these are important questions to take into consideration when thinking of what they would like to create for their brand imagery.
“Sadly I can’t always bring these onto my commercial work as sometimes I am not part of the campaign creative ideation from the get go but where possible I try to work collaboratively with client/ creatives on casting, which is a huge part of my job and I make sure I am working with a full female team behind cameras. I feel it’s important to pioneer this aspect as much as I can.”
SHEER: What keeps you grounded in your photography and in your life in general?
NC: Oh boy! I truly feel a sense of responsibility as a female photographer. Not that I carry a weight over my shoulders but I care for other younger female photographers or techs. It’s a very male dominant industry (like many others) and I feel like we need to support each other more. I think I am very conscious that I am female and how my options can sometimes be limited because of that fact alone.
SHEER: What is the lasting impact you hope your photography will have?
NC: I hope my photography talks mostly to women. Images they can hopefully relate to and resonates some sort of message to them.
