PHOTOGRAPHERS TO KNOW: MARIANA DOS SANTOS PIRES
MARIANA DOS SANTOS PIRES
Originally from Lisbon, Portugal, Mariana dos Santos Pires is a London-based photographer of Mozambican and Portuguese descent. Mariana describes her photographs as “capturing the moment” and not controlling it, a distinction that speaks to the effortless and authentic representation of her subjects.
SHEER: Tell us a little bit about yourself.
MARIANA DOS SANTOS PIRES: I am originally from Lisbon, where I have lived most of my life till moving to London 4 years ago to study Film. I am also biracial, my father is Mozambican and my mother is Portuguese.
SHEER: What led you to pursue photography as a creative outlet or did it just happen organically for you?
MDSP: It has been a constant since my birth. Everything was recorded since the womb. And the transition to it becoming my profession was super organic.
When I was in uni I needed a job that could give me enough freedom and money. And the film career ladder wasn't for me, to be a PA, runner, assistant... didn't work.
So I imagined Film and Photography as a 10 level career. (Like in the Sims) I figured out that if I am the photographer and BTS person, no one really tells me what to do. Plus it is easier to be hired for your individual worth. I'll get to level 5 of Photography and make the switch to Directing then. I'll still photograph but not as my main creative outlet.
SHEER: How do you choose the themes and subjects in your work?
MDSP: Selecting subjects most of the time is sliding in DMS, if I connect with a person.
And then for themes, it's really a collaboration process with the team. But when on set I try to not get too attached to images created by others.
Mainly the present moment of the shoot inspires me. It can start very superficially if this is the first time I meet the person. But if it's someone I know then I'll have small notes on them before the shoot to just keep those ideas in the back of my mind. A laugh. Their hands. What songs they want to play on set. Their favourite tattoo. The adventures we had together. How they are my equal or someone I look up to. The future. How spring blooms inside of me when I look at them. All in there mashed up into one picture.
I am just there to capture the moment really. I have no control over it.
SHEER: How would you say your upbringing and culture influence your work?
MDSP: I know this is the most cliché only child thing to say but spending so much time by yourself really shapes you as a person. You are basically daydreaming and talking to yourself 24/7.
Also, the area I grew up in Portugal was majority white, as in 99.9% white. I've only experienced the true world when I moved to London.
“Mainly the present moment of the shoot inspires me. It can start very superficially if this is the first time I meet the person. But if it’s someone I know then I’ll have small notes on them before the shoot to just keep those ideas in the back of my mind. A laugh. Their hands. What songs they want to play on set. Their favourite tattoo. The adventures we had together. How they are my equal or someone I look up to. The future. How spring blooms inside of me when I look at them. All in there mashed up into one picture.
I am just there to capture the moment really. I have no control over it.”
SHEER: How do you stay grounded in your creative process and what does that look like for you?
MDSP: I've learnt to nurture myself this past year which is something I never did. It helps me to think of myself as a child.
Here are the current rules:
No work on the weekends unless super necessary. I work 10 to 5 Monday to Friday like everyone else. Friends and family are a priority, always. If I need a day off in the week I'll take it if I know I can't continue without that mental break. Therapy. Spending time with my pets. Go on walks with audiobooks. A solid nighttime routine. Dinner by 6/7. Shower. Paraphernalia of skincare. A film. And my Yoga Nidra every night on the insight timer app!!!
Been keeping to this routine for a couple of months now. All those things bring me internal safety.
SHEER: How do you approach your roles as a photographer and creative director differently while still maintaining your creative style and vision?
MDSP: I don't really differentiate any role I am given. It's still my mind at work.
Whoever hires me knows how I work and trust me, which is the key to everything!
If the trust isn't there or if I feel uncomfortable on set, you'll never see that work from me.
SHEER: Who are some photographers you admire and have influenced your work or process?
MDSP: I love Olivia Lifungula, the sweetest human and such a talented photographer. I love Ronan Mckenzie too!
SHEER: What advice do you have for female photographers of colour carving their own lane while navigating a world where they are often underrepresented?
MDSP: It's hard knowing what we all know about this world, but eventually, you have to look past the issue. And look to those you love, the tools and knowledge you collectively own and think to yourself, how can we all make this work?
SHEER: What is the lasting impact you hope your art will have on the world?
MDSP: It depends you know.
Some days I want to be the best director Portugal has ever seen, their first Oscar winner, the future Portuguese minister of culture that reforms the arts sector-top to bottom. To show kids like me that it's worth it.
Others I hope that it liberates my people now. That to see themselves for the true beauty and power that they innately own, to help take up more space in rooms and in the world that isn't built for us.
And on the days that I feel deeply connected to upstairs, I know that I am not the one making the art.
“Some days I want to be the best director Portugal has ever seen, their first Oscar winner, the future Portuguese minister of culture that reforms the arts sector-top to bottom. To show kids like me that it’s worth it.
Others I hope that it liberates my people now. That to see themselves for the true beauty and power that they innately own, to help take up more space in rooms and in the world that isn’t built for us.”
FOLLOW & SUPPORT MARIANA BELOW
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FOLLOW & SUPPORT MARIANA BELOW 〰️
Photography by Nabila Wirakusumah
Valerie Blaise, founder of leather accessories brand Vavvoune describes someone who wears her designs as curious, intentional, and knows what they want. We could feel these qualities immediately as we stepped into the Vavvoune studio in DUMBO, Brooklyn.