Interview with LOBA 2023 Finalist: Gustavo Minas (Simera 28mm User)

Editor Note:

As a nascent and burgeoning brand, Thypoch is deeply honored to include Gustavo Minas, a finalist for the 2023 LOBA, within our community of users. Mr. Minas, renowned in the realm of street photography, maintains a humble demeanor and consistently highlights the vital importance of continual practice. We are delighted to present this unique opportunity to our audience, allowing them insights into Mr. Minas's photographic inception, his evolving perspective on the craft, and what he's planning for the challenges ahead.

Personal Information

Thypoch: What's your job and where are you based?

Gustavo Minas: I'm a journalist and freelance photographer based in Brasiília, Brazil.

Thypoch: When did you get your first camera, and what attracted you to photography?

Gustavo Minas: My very first camera was a Yashica point-and-shoot that I bought when I was still in high school. What first attracted me to photography was the possibility of registering a bit of my personal life. I used this camera basically to photograph our parties and my 1st girlfriend. Later on, in 2000, I went to university to study journalism and learned the basics of “serious” photography darkroom processing, and printing.

Thypoch: How would you describe your photography style, and what makes you unique?

Gustavo Minas: I basically document my daily life, mostly on the streets but also at home, wherever I go.

It's hard for me to say I'm unique, with the risk of sounding pretentious, but if we’re talking about style, I guess we all have our own “unique” style. We just have to practice long enough for it to emerge in our pictures. For me, a personal style comes from a) your references, not only in visual arts but also from readings, music, etc; b) the things that attract you when you’re shooting; c) your past experiences in life and how you see the world. These things mixed together kind of create a personal mood or atmosphere inside you, that you should try to express when you're photographing and editing your work.

Thypoch: Have you ever been bothered by a lack of recognition, and how did you overcome it?

Gustavo Minas: Not really. My master Carlos Moreira used to say all the time that photography should be a tool for self-expression, a tool to intermediate your relationship with the world around you, and these words have always been with me. Since the beginning, I've been an amateur, working as a journalist to pay my bills and using photography as a very serious pastime, but not expecting much from it. I started before Instagram and all this thirst for recognition, and this also helps I guess. Especially with street photography, it's very important to please yourself with the practice itself, not expecting much from the world, otherwise you’ll get frustrated easily. 

Thypoch: When did you achieve fame, and what is your biggest accomplishment in photography?

Gustavo Minas: I'm not sure if I’m that famous, but it’s been a very organic process. I started doing street photography around 2009, and little things happened year by year. In 2012, I was the runner-up in the London Street Photography Festival. In 2017, I won a Category of Pictures of the Year Latin America with my “Bus Station” series. I launched a book (Maximum Shadow Minimal Light) in 2019, was featured in a video by Adobe Lightroom, and launched an online course at Domestika platform. In 2023, I was shortlisted for the Leica Oskar Barnack Award. All these things were important.

Thypoch: What advice would you give to photographers who want to improve?

Gustavo Minas: Definitely practice every day. You don't have to go out specifically to shoot as I do, but I strongly recommend having a camera on you at all times, even for everyday errands like shopping, etc. There’s no way to improve if you only shoot when you're on vacation in exotic places. Try to see your city with a tourist's eyes. Take a random bus or metro and go somewhere you've never been to. And as I said before, try to find contentment in your inner self instead of waiting for recognition from others. 

Thypoch: What will be your next challenge, or what genre do you want to excel in next?

Gustavo Minas: Portraits are a mystery for me, something that I love but that's always challenging, especially when it comes to photographing someone I don't know very well. For me the next challenge is always finding new ways of putting my work together into a series, as I did with “Liquid Cities”, my 2nd book, to be published by Eyeshot in August.

Story with Thypoch

Thypoch: What’s your overall impression of Thypoch?

Gustavo Minas: Thypoch makes solid lenses, with great image quality even at their brightest apertures. The build quality is very good, and I have to mention that they’re beautiful objects too.

Thypoch: What are your expectations for Thypoch's future development?

Gustavo Minas: A 75mm or 90mm f2.8 would be nice.

Thypoch: Could you please provide 3 Thy-photos that you are the most satisfied with and explain why? (camera used)

Leica M240 + Simera 28mm f/1.4

Leica M240 + Simera 28mm f/1.4 

Leica M240 + Simera 28mm f/1.4

Gustavo Minas: I took all these with a Leica M240 and Simera 28mm on the first days I put my hand on it. 

I think that they all have some elements of mystery and some ambiguity that I always try to look for when I'm out on the streets.

Find Gustavo Minas on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gustavominas/