Every picture is basically the result of three factors: an equipment capable of capturing images, the instrument; an eye that decides when and how certain beings and objects should be recorded, the instinct ... and, finally, a fraction of time and space, where chance and/or the effort put in front of the photographer, the moment or the instant. This piece of time without defined duration, sometimes eternal as the mountains, but often brief, as a look of someone who passes by.

The instrument and the instinct of the artist are important, one catch and the other solves the frame and decide the time, but the moment... this, in our opinion, is the essence of the photograph, its raison d'être and its goal. Moments, frozen in pictures, touch us, cheer us and teach us or simply feed our eyes and quench our thirst for beauty.

L'instant photographies proposes to share with everyone, this type of moments, collected over the past four decades, in several countries. Featuring different cultures, places and times. In remembering, often, as humans can be so different and yet so alike. We hope that our images can touch, cheer, teach or simply indulge your eyes.

* Our brand is the obvious conclusion of our philosophy, and the language of your spelling a simple tribute to the great masters of this photographic strand.

This site aims to be a space for exhibition of our collection as well as for dissemination of new projects. We’d like to update it regularly, with the publication of new work or the presentation of unpublished pieces from our file.

The site L'instant photographies is basically divided into three sections.

In collections you will find pure pictures, without any kind of digital intervention that affects the whole of its frame. They are photographs, mostly unpublished, grouped around themes, places or times.

The section photoDesign is a free space, without pre-established format, but always taking the picture for base.

While in exhibitions, you can see, or review, shows that have already been made in several places.

We still have the sections: contact us and sales, dedicated to those wishing to purchase copies, right to use our images, hire our services or simply send us comments and suggestions.

I come from Minas do Leão, a small town in the extreme south of brazilian countryside, born in 1953, the sixth of nine brothers. It can be said that my tutorial in the world of photography took place in the office of my father, who stood on a building in the center of Porto Alegre, a much larger city than my hometown, to which we’d moved a couple of years after I was delivered. Doctor Ataliba Alvares, was radiologist, and around 1969, I began working with him, revealing radiographs and MMR in a small laboratory. On the side we used to do some experiments, with images of leaves and shells, and slowly, I went deeper into the dark room techniques and the photographic art. In 1972 I got a Canon FTB, and the keys of the room next to the office to open my first studio, called "The Image", a period in which I specialize mainly in the production of posters in high contrast. In the same year, started working for the Diário de Notícias, a local newspaper, and the images for a cover story entitled "Motim no Presídio” (Jailhouse Riot), won the first prize in the photography category of the Hall of Arts of Rio Grande do Sul (the state of Brazil in which I live). The following year, a work composed by my pictures and the layout of the artist Carlos Athanasius, aka Caiado, entitled "Campo e Cidade" (Town and Country), ranked in the same contest, to be presented at the Biennial of Arts at São Paulo.

I do not know if the cause were the field visits for the production of this project, or maybe even the memories of those long trips of my childhood, where, along with my parents and brothers we packed the family’s Chevrolet Brasil (a station wagon), and cruise for 7 days, crossing the country until Sergipe(a state in Brazilian’s northeast), to visit relatives. The fact is that I was feeling restless, hungry for new horizons. Desiring to see and experience new places and different cultures. By this time, I started a relationship of love that crossed decades, with Santa Catarina’s (a southern state of Brazil, with some wonderful beaches surrounded by hills) coast and its inhabitants. I am pleased to be part of the group, which in 1974, with the consent of its owners, was established on the land of Miss Eugenia and Mister Dorvino Rosa, becoming the first "outsiders" to enjoy that still unspoiled paradise called Praia do Rosa (Rosa’s Beach), in Imbituba, Santa Catarina. Later, this beach became well known in Brazil and the world.

In 1975, the idea of going further, see and photograph the world, started to become stronger inside me. Then, in August of that year, I filled my backpack and got a plane to Rio de Janeiro, then I said goodbye to mom and dad and caught a train towards São Paulo. From there another train, down to Santos, where a cab drop me in front of the city harbor just in time to catch the Brazilian Lloyd's ship, on which I was about to cross the Atlantic. I can still remember the feeling of euphoria, mixed with a bit of anxiety, while we slowly left the Brazilian coast behind us. I’ve not completed 22 years old yet, was alone, with only a few savings in the pocket and without a pre-established itinerary. But I was realizing a dream, almost a necessity, to put the foot on the road, and see the world with a camera around my neck. After 13 days at sea, we arrive at Valencia, Spain. I’ve spent some time in cities such as Barcelona and Paris before I settled in London, where I’ve studied lighting and developing on color photography at the London Polytechnic School. While I was there I’ve done some jobs as a freelancer for some Brazilians magazines and newspapers.

On the summer of 1976, I transferred to Stockholm, after the well-paid Swedish summer jobs. I like what I saw and decided to stay ... But I just could not get used to the Scandinavian winter. So in October 1977, joining the useful to the pleasant, I’ve run away from another winter and started another journey. I’ve flown to Greece, where I rested a while, preparing myself for a big adventure to come. The difficult and rewarding, "Overland Track”, to the east, also known as the “hippie trail”, a path more or less repeated by travelers, who crossed Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India towards south to the beaches of Goa. Of course it also had some ramifications for diverse places such as Nepal or Southeast Asia. Crossing Turkey and Iran, by bus or 4x4 trucks, (in some stretches even on foot or horseback), I’ve reached Afghanistan, where I’ve stayed a while, traveling over that Country. Then through Pakistan into India, more precisely the state of Rajasthan, before returning to Sweden in the next spring. In 1978 I’ve presented at the Stockholm Kulturhuset, the exhibition: "Afghanistan - Stockholm" and began to develop some projects with the ethnographic museum of that city. At the end of the year I’ve returned to India, to begin a documentary project, in partnership with the Indian photographer Kim Morarji, with whom I’ve traveled more than 10,000 kilometers around that country.

Always with the Swedish capital as a base, I’d still visit many places, before returning to Porto Alegre in 1981, where I would work for a few years in the fashion and advertising areas. Over the years I’ve presented the audiovisual documentary "India", the exhibition "Theatro São Pedro," on the reopening of the true temple of culture of our state capital, and shows "Rui, 40 years." The New Brazilian Constitution drafting in 1988 took me to Brasilia and back to the photojournalism. But in 1989, again in Porto Alegre, resumed working in advertising area and personal projects. In 1992 I’ve presented the exhibition "Paris 48 hours". From 1993 to 1995 I’ve worked exclusively in Zero Hora, a local newspaper, from where I’ve came out to soak in the project "Perfis Parlamentares” (Parliamentarians Profiles), of the Legislative Assembly of Rio Grande do Sul State, publishing books on prominent characters on the Brazilians political history, born in my home state. It's worth pointing out also that in 1994, life gave me the most wonderful gift, my daughter Laura. Still in the 1990s I would present the exhibitions "Retratos de Cinema", with portraits of some of the greatest Brazilian actors and actresses and "Planeta Atlântida", showing images captured on the first edition of the homonymous music festival.

In 2000 I’ve began working in the House of Councilors of Porto Alegre, where I’m still today. Parallel to this, as to anticipate everything nice that the new millennium would bring me, I’ve realized a project that for some time I wanted to run, the exhibition "Elegância Gaudéria", about the culture and costumes of the gaúcho, the pampas cowboy, commonly associated with Uruguay and Argentina, but still a very strong presence at Brazilian southern state, Rio Grande do Sul.

By that time my nephew Eduardo, began to be interested in photography, with a contagious enthusiasm. I’ve started to guide him at the same time that, together, we unveil the secrets of the new digital age in photography. Then we’ve decided to open my chest, and scan the files, mainly the stuff from the 1970s.

He convinced me that these images should be shared with the public and that I should have a more organized structure for the archiving and dissemination, of those pictures and for new projects. By the same time, I’ve encouraged him to commit himself even more to the work, because I believed that his pictures soon would reach the quality required to contribute to the project. Was born there, although the name was created a little later, the L'instant photographies. Crowning the joys of this period, in the beginning of 2003, I met Patrice, my truly better half. On January 2005, the exhibition "Paris-India" took place at the MARGS (the state Museum of Arts), and the following year it was presented at Punta del Este, Uruguay.

This site is the most recent chapter of this history. I hope this will be the first step of a new journey, the latest of many in my life.

I was born in Porto Alegre in 1976, and honestly, I can’t remember very well when was the the first time, I’ve put my hands on my parent’s Olympus Trip 35. I only know that ever since I’ve started, with or without it, to cut the time and space around me, framing scenes, freezing moments ...

On one of those mysteries of life this passion, or rather, that ability was left alone for a while. For several years I’ve worked in the business of my father, started 3 colleges, graduated in one (Law at the Catholic University PUCRS), take jobs in public agencies and private firms. But one day, in the midst of all, I’ve decided to perform and old desire, and began studying photography with Luis Catafesto. Almost by the same time, I’ve discovered that my uncle Tonico and I had much more in common than our love for football. The resumption was better than expected. Because my rediscover of photography, was actually the discover of myself.

But I was already in the middle of my twenty-something’s, and had already more beginnings that I would like ... so every time I’ve day dreamed with the words "photographic career", two concepts sounded like a alarm clock on a cold Monday morning: "inexperience" and "financial security". Of course I was inexperienced, to be honest, by then I’ve no idea how a camera could support me. As a rookie and not having inherited any commercial notion, it was clear that photography could hardly give me the confidence that the law career would. So I’ve decided to continue in the University and at my job in the area, dedicating my free time (and not so free as well) to photography. On this period I’ve took the SENAC’s photography course with Elson Sempé. Soon I was taking all kinds of photographic gigs that shown up, some of then as Tonico’s assistant. Together, we’ve began a research study and scanning of his files, the embryo of what is today L'instant photographies. I’ve also had the pleasure to participate in the research and digital production of the exhibition Paris-India.

The inexperience issue was to gradually being resolved. With regard to financial security ... some questions arose. First, I could no longer count on my, by then virtually complete, law course. It was already clear to me that I was not born for that job. Second, my photographic passion was turned increasingly, to a strand, let’s say, not very commercial.

Assessing the issues mentioned above, plus an irresistible appeal to my gypsy spirit, after graduation I’ve accepted a proposal to work in an export company, which would lead me to a season in Asia, with forays to other continents. The project L'instant suffered a downturn in this period, but it also benefited from the various insights that this experience has provided, not to mention the maturation brought by time itself. In April 2007 I’ve left the company to dedicate myself exclusively to L'instant photographies and my career. At the end of the year I’ve presented my first personal project, the exhibition “Bicicletas & Ciclistas – Sudeste Asiático”, with pictures taken at China, Vietnam and Cambodia. On august 2008, I’ve returned to the theme in a new exhibition, but this time I’ve shown only Chinese bicycles. Next January, I’ll be sharing with my friend Alberto Meneghetti the credits of the exhibition “Uruguay. Sol, Arte e História” .