Welcome to a journey through the soulful eyes of Mário Pais. He is a Lisbon-based Portuguese photographer. He captures the profound poetry of our shared human experience. Born in Almada and raised in the quiet village of Serpa, his fascination with the globe started early in life. As a little boy, he was utterly mesmerized by the vivid pictures tucked inside his grandfather’s books. When life brought heartbreaking trials, his camera became a vital sanctuary. What began as a simple task to photograph his friends on ocean waves. It soon turned into a quest to express his inner world.

A career in the skies eventually opened the map to him. It allowed that same curious eight-year-old to roam the earth. He documented its raw, authentic wonders. Mário’s work is a testament to the beauty of spontaneity and human connection. He blends into the vibrant, colorful rhythms of New Delhi. He captures the breathtaking dance of Siberian seagulls at dawn over the River Yamuna. He views art as an extraordinary gift that lets us perceive life from a richer, more intricate viewpoint. In this warm and intimate conversation, Mário shares the resilience that anchors him. He reveals the passion that drives his craft. He talks about the quiet magic he discovers when the first rays of sunlight touch a sleeping street.

🟥  Can you share a bit about your background and the journey that led you to becoming an artist? 

Hello, my name is Mário, and I am a Portuguese photographer based in Lisbon.

I was born in Almada in 1979 and grew up in Serpa, a small village in southern Portugal. I grew up with my grandparents, and in those days I spent hours looking through my grandfather’s books, where I saw a unique world through photos. Nowadays i think it was when it all started… Just a little 8-year-old boy with this curiosity about the world. 

When I moved back into my mother´s place, it was a very complicated time with my Grandmother´s passing and all the struggles with an abusive stepfather that made me search for refuge in Bodyboarding and Photography.

When I was around 20 years old, I bought a really cheap camera and a waterproof housing and started to shoot my friends’ surfing sessions. But it was too shallow; I need something deeper or more profound to express myself.

That´s when I started doing some experimental photography with light graffiti, a lot of Street Photography/photojournalism, and some landscape and astrophotography. I wanted to find a way..a line to show the way I see and feel the world and capture the reality around. This experimental phase gave me a better understanding of the foundations of photography, the technical part, and composition, framing, etc.

Twelve years ago, I started working for an airline company, and this allowed me to travel to all around the world with the possibility to stay several weeks in those countries. This opened new doors for me, I could take my camera on these travels and document what I saw…

The eight-year-old boy had the chance to visit some of the places he had dreamed of when he saw the photographs in those books.

Photography, beyond art, became a vehicle to explore different societies and experience this diversity.

It gave me a better overall picture of the world and the path that we, Mankind, must follow. 

🟥  Was there a defining moment or experience that solidified your decision to pursue art seriously?

When I joined the NFT community a few years ago, I began to realize the beauty of this movement in web3. All the artists there inspire me to continue sharing and perfecting my Art. With this community i was able to reach other audiences and have some of my pictures in Exhibitions in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Miami, London, Athens, Amsterdam, Lisbon,

🟥  Do you remember the first piece of art you created, and what inspired you to make it?

To be honest, I don´t remember, probably some blurred pictures when I was learning how to take pictures. 

🟥  What inspires you the most when creating your art?

The moment itself, what defines photography in any genre, is the moment and how to create a more dramatic capture of that specific time.

🟥  Are there specific activities, rituals, or moments that fuel your creativity?

When I don´t have my camera, I like to take mental photos, and this helps me to stimulate my mind, keep a sharp eye and stay in tune with the moment.

🟥  How would you personally define art, and what deeper meaning does it hold for you?

Art is our own perception of life itself… It is the way we see life from a more complex perspective, a gift that allows us to see things others don´t and to find an artistic genre to express them. 

🟥  What part of the creative journey excites you the most—conceiving an idea, the act of creating, or finishing the piece?

The adventure of going out to explore: in my process, I like to merge with different realities.

I put myself in the position of an observer and like to capture the true essence of the places and their people. Responding to your question, definitely create art.

🟥  Do you follow a structured plan when creating art, or is your process more spontaneous?

It depends on the type of photography that I am doing. Street or travel photography is all about spontaneity; basically, I study a place and go out several times (if possible) to those specific places to feel the place, talk with locals, and understand their routines and traditions. This way, I have a better comprehension of their essence.  

When I am doing landscape or astrophotography, I need to drive away from the city, so I like to prepare better by checking weather conditions and the moon phase table to get better results.

🟥  What time of day do you feel the most creative, and why do you prefer that time for your work?

As a photographer during the Golden hour, but early mornings are my favorite time of the day, the streets are still waking up and there is a sense of stillness as the first rays of light erupt into those narrow streets.

🟥  Do you listen to music while creating, and how does it influence your process?

Music is such an inspiration to me, I love music so much, but when I am shooting, I prefer to hear my surroundings to help me connect with what is around me. I usually listen to a lot of music in post-production, choosing the pictures and editing them. It helps me focus and think about the texts I use to compose my pictures.

🟥  Do you have any specific rituals or routines you follow before starting a new project?

Before every session, I clean and prepare my gear, choose the right lens, search for potential shooting locations, get a good night’s sleep, or just relax with a bit of music before starting.  

🟥  What is the most challenging aspect of creating art, and how do you navigate those?

Find inspiration and capture a moment that can create impact. I like to merge with what surrounds me; getting connected is crucial to achieving a special frame.

🟥  What keeps you motivated during times when creativity feels like a struggle?

Sometimes I like to step away and disconnect for a while to reset and return with more energy and inspiration

🟥  Can you share an experience or lesson that contributed the most to your growth as an artist?

All the humble lessons I received along the way, seeing realities so different from each other, and seeing the struggles most people face in their lives impact you in a certain way.  

🟥  Is there a piece of advice you received that completely changed the way you create or think about art?

Do art for yourself, not for others´ validation, let your heart scream out loud and transform that into Art.

🟥  When you view a piece of art, what qualities or emotions do you look for?

Usually, I try to see the piece’s implicit message and the emotions it evokes. I also like to appreciate the technical aspect. 

🟥  How do you perceive art’s purpose and its impact on individuals and society?

Art’s purpose is all about self-expression and liberty, the foundations of our modern societies.

So it has a huge impact on everyone; it takes you to places of perception that humanity couldn’t reach without the positive impact of art. Makes you think about several subjects and creates your own perception of reality.

It is a vehicle to send a message to the world…

🟥  In your view, what do concepts like “passion” and “uniqueness” represent in art?

Passion is all the love that allows you to put a lot of effort, time and heART into Art, so Art without passion is not possible.

Uniqueness is an aspect that allows you a unique line of art, to be original, to break with the established and create new paths.

🟥  What are the non-negotiable essentials in your workspace?

A music speaker, a quieter environment so I can focus, and a glass of wine in the end.

🟥  Do you have a favorite tool or object in your studio that holds sentimental value?

My vinyl collection.

🟥  What’s the one thing you always need by your side while creating art?

My camera is essential to perform my Art.

🟥  Who are the artists or people you admire the most, and why?

The person I admire most was my grandfather, who has influenced me in such a positive way. Other artists that I look up to are too many, but I would like to stand out this legendary photographers: Francesca Woodman, Sebastião Salgado, Steve McCurry, Robert Capa, Henri Cartier Bresson, W. Eugene Smith, James Nachtwey, Alberto Korda, Josef Koudela, Martin Parr, Jan Grarup, Kevin Carter, Chris Hondros, and Nuno Lobito.

Nowadays I love the work from Vhils, Bordalo II, Xueka, Victoria Steklova, Matilda, Beatriz, Yaki Bianco, Vik, Tibalism, Pontes, Yamari, Rina, Alexis Olin, Nelson Zina, Baku, Rachel Wood, Zig. 

🟥  Imagine you could create a piece of art in collaboration with someone from history. Who would you choose and why?

That´s a hard question, but probably Leonardo Da Vinci, or be the road photographer for The Doors or something like that.

🟥  What’s your superpower?

Maybe resilience.

🟥  What does success as an artist mean to you—recognition, impact, or something else entirely?

For me, success as an artist is creating an impactful picture that makes people think and get recognition for it.

🟥  Can you tell us about a piece of your art that holds a special place in your heart and why it’s so meaningful to you?

All the pictures I took hold a special place in my heart because they transport me to that part of my journey, to what I was feeling back then, and to the message I wanted to share with the world. So all of them are somehow special to me.

But I would like to talk about a series of pictures that I made called “Magic at Sunrise”. It was in 2020, and I was in New Delhi for quite some time, taking photos almost every day in a pure street photography mode, but I wanted to capture something different. I wanted to capture true beauty in this chaotic environment, so I searched for different places to see the sunrise and discovered Yamuna Ghat, a place on the banks of the River Yamuna that is very important to Hinduism.

This place is also notable for being a winter migration site for Siberian seagulls, making it a pilgrimage site both religious and natural. Every sunrise during winter, thousands of these birds fly around, searching for food, creating a unique and beautiful spectacle in one of the world’s most chaotic cities. All of this happens with the sound of mantras and Hindu prayers. The sun came out in the middle of the river as these scenes erupted, adding depth to the imagery. 

🟥  What are your dreams or goals for the future?

Maybe every artist’s dream is to live from their art.

🟥  How would you define a “creative person”?

A person who can think outside the box, who finds a solution that didn’t exist, or carves other paths in the stream of life.

🟥  In your opinion, what are the positive and negative differences between being an artist today and being an artist a century ago?

Hard and complex question because I needed to have lived there to compare, but I think in the past it was something more exclusive to some people with money, nowadays I think Art is more inclusive, and everyone can create art. In the past, it was more difficult to gain exposure because the platforms for promoting art were more limited than they are today.

And I think the process of creating is also a bit easier today, since we have more tools and knowledge than in the past. If we have any doubts or don´t know how to do something, we just pick up our cellphone and have the information at hand.

🟥  In your opinion, what are the best and most challenging aspects of being an artist?

Continue creating and make a living from it.

🟥  What advice would you give to aspiring artists who want to build a meaningful career?

Just be true to yourself and your Art.

Relevant Links:

Linktree: linktr.ee/mario_pais

Behance: behance.net/Mariopais

Twitter: x.com/Mario_Pais79

Instagram: instagram.com/mario_pais/

Note: The answers given by the artist have been quoted verbatim. We have not edited them. This was done to preserve the artist’s authentic voice for our readers.