Photographer Spotlight: Bruna Valença

Tell us a little about yourself.

My name is Bruna Valença and I’m a photographer and video maker. I’m from Recife, Pernambuco, in Brazil, and I’m 24 years old. I started taking photos at 14 years old and the addiction to making images evolved pretty quickly. I’m sure I’ll do this for the rest of my life. I love experimenting with different formats and fell in love with the analog world about seven years ago.

"Young Witches"

What got you started on photography and how long have you been into it?

I’ve always been a very observant person. I like looking around me and I noticed that some images stuck to my mind. It was through that habit that I developed the need to register the important moments. My father gave me a portable camera when I turned fourteen and that was the beginning of everything.

dandara

What fascinates you about photography? How would you describe your work and photographic style?

Photography for me is something very tangible. It is an extension of my thoughts, my dreams, desires, feelings. What fascinates me in photography is being able to express myself through this tool. It’s really limitless! I think my style attempts to portray an ethereal atmosphere, like a dream, since most of my ideas come at night, and my biggest challenge is to tell a story through images.

maria.

What kind of gear do you use?

Currently my gear consists of 15 analog cameras, and a Canon 5D Mark III. I like to experiment a lot and have recently been using mirrors and prisms.

young & beautiful

What is your post processing workflow? Do you use any filters, techniques?

I post during the week on Flickr and always select the pictures I took that caught my eye somehow. Since I shoot a lot in analog, I don’t like to manipulate the images in 35mm and 120, so I don’t use any filters on them. I post them raw. With the digital ones, I like to edit thinking first about the story I want to tell through the image, creating a specific mood for it.

city lights

What is the best thing about Flickr? What made you choose it as the home for your photos?

What I most enjoy about Flickr is the opportunity to get to know photographers from other countries. It’s an eternal study and research platform for me. Sometimes I spend hours favoriting photos that catch my attention just to study them later. I like that a lot! I got to know the website in 2006 and started posting some photos for storage, and afterwards as a portfolio. Flickr is really cool because it allows you to show your work to people from other countries who like and appreciate photography.

São Paulo

Which other Flickr members and/or Flickr groups influence you most?

I love the couple Vanessa Hollander and Wilson Philippe from Wiissa. They photograph only in film and their aesthetics is amazing! Really inspiring. I get inspiration from the work of Olivia Bee too! There’s also an Italian group that I love called The World Through The Green Eyes. I also enjoy Lagunaria very much.

"you are a soul"

What is your one favorite photo from your own photostream and why?

My favorite photo of all is this one here:

noir

I believe it to be my favorite photo in life. I love this image because I remember exactly what I felt at the time when I took it. I was in Paris, completely bonkers to visit the city of lights for the first time, and in the middle of Montmartre when I saw this couple who walked happily. It was a Sunday, and I really could not resist and went walking in quick steps to get relatively close to record them without disturbing their moment. I was very satisfied with this picture because it is sensorial to me.

What are your 3 favorite photos from other Flickr members and why?

They are so many! I chose the most recent ones that inspired me the most. They are all very feminine and touch me due to the aesthetics.

Identities
Can Dagarslani
Identities
Crown

What else do you enjoy besides photography?

I like movies a lot. It’s my second passion, and it’s a source I draw a lot from. If I don’t watch at least one movie a week, I feel weird!

Anne

If there was one secret to photography you could share with the Flickrverse, what would that be?

I can’t spend one day without checking the Flickverse! That’s the truth. :)

Untitled

In 5 years I’ll …

…be photographing and sharing my image adventures here on Flickr.

Thank you for the interview, Bruna!

To learn more about her work, you can go through her Flickr photostream and follow her to keep up with her latest photos.. You can also check out her Instagram (@brunavalenca), her Tumblr, her Facebook page and her personal website.

anair