Brazilian LomoAmigo: Meet the Professional Surfer Junior Faria

From the city of Guarujá, Junior Faria is one typical professional surfer who spends most time of the year travelling around the world searching for perfect waves. One day he starts to shoot and register the places and the people he met along the way using an analogue cameras. Let’s talk to him and get to know a little bit more about this world-class pro surfer and see some of his pictures.

To start, tell us a little about you. Age, where do you live, things you like to do, etc…

Well, I am 24 years old, born in the city of Guarujá in the coast of São Paulo State. And I surf to live and live to surf.

I imagine that you started to surf when you were a little grommet, in what moment of your life did you decide to change this hobby to your lifestyle and work?

Yes, you’re right. The surfing is in my life since the beginning. My family has a strong connection with the ocean and this sport, so I just got lucky to grow up in this environment. But when I was 10 years old, this started to became more intense because of the first sponsors and competitions. And since that period surfing became my life.

And how did your relationship with photography start?

By chance. I use photography to document the places I go to while traveling the world to catch waves. I did not give much attention to photography until about five years ago when a good friend named Tom Toledo gave me a Holga (medium format) and two films. I was on my way to Hawaii and really enjoyed the whole process of analogue photography, until then I only used digital format cams.

Being a professional surfer you might already have visited places that yield plenty of photos. If you could choose a place to shoot what would it be?

I think I would choose the most beautiful place I’ve ever had the pleasure of visiting, Tahiti.

Tell us a little about this last trip to Hawaii. Did you enjoyed the experience of using the Diana Mini?

It was awesome! I’ve been more than ten times in Hawaii and I feel very comfortable there. Using the Diana Mini for the first time there was nice because it’s a super practical camera, perfect for photography and easy to take everywhere! Register, which seems banal, is what I like to do and the Diana Mini fits like a glove for this type of search.

In your last movie called Eu Mesmo Faria we can see some of your analogue photos. Do you have a project or ideas for 2012 related to photography?

Hmm not really, my project / idea is to click more times in 2012 than in 2011!

Which photographers and/or surfers you most admire?

I really like the photos of my friends, Tom Toledo, Jeronimo Vargas, Marcos Sifu, Diego Mota, Pablo Aguiar, Luiz Blanco, Paulo Barcelos, Sebastian Rojas e Jair Bortoleto. And I have a special admiration for the work of Ryan Tatar too.

To finish, want to leave a message for lomographers around the world?

SHOOT FILM!

To follow the wanderings of the Junior access his website. If you want to download his latest film click here.

2012-02-29 #people #videos #brazil #surfing #brasil #surf #praia #hang-loose #lomoamigo #junior-faria