Featured photographer #29: Arthur Galvão
Short personal intro. My name is Arthur Galvão, I’m from Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. I currently live in LA pursuing my childhood dream of being a filmmaker and photographer.
How did you start? I started doing photography when I was 15, when I bought my first camera in New York during family vacations. It was a Canon XTI with a 50mm 1.4 prime. Being in New York allowed me to practice street photography, something that wasn’t exactly of my liking. But in the past two years I have drifted away from the latter and I have become a much happier photographer being in contact with nature. It allows me to become one with my camera and isolate myself from the stress of Los Angeles.
What do you want to achieve? I want to achieve personal satisfaction with my work, that’s the most important to me. Getting home and being happy with the pictures I took. The greatest power of photography is freezing a moment in time, and being able to turn back to that moment or individual that was important to you. 
What’s in your camera bag? My black Lumu Lightmeter; Leica M(240)-P and M9-P with 24mm Summilux and 135mm Elmarit (and sometimes my Leica X Vario); Hasselblad 500cm with 120mm back; 400 Portra (always); Leica Tripod; Always a cable release; My pocket knife and lens cleaner; iPad with card reader; and of course my iPhone 6 with Moment Lenses.
Where do you think the wisdom and instinct for good photograph comes from? The instinct comes from immersing yourself in your surroundings. In my own opinion, as a screenwriter you have to “write about what you know”, and I find it to be true also for photography, taking the literal meaning of the word “photography”. I don’t like being surrounded by city lights and the hecticness of the city, therefore I don’t make a good street photographer; I enjoy being in nature, surrounded by trees and mountains. Of course, this is in my own opinion.
Highlight one great experience of your life. One of the great experiences of my life lately was looking at Yosemite Valley for the first time. I had always wanted to go but had never had the opportunity, and just remembering that first time gives me goosebumps.
Do you have any kind of obsession or projects? I think I may have an obsession with photography, a healthy one, but still. Sometimes I just need to hear the noise of my shutter going off, it’s rewarding somehow. I am working on a personal project along the year, trying to visit all the National Parks, gathering pictures in the main icons of every park, but looked at from a different perspective. I am also developing a screenplay about an obsessive photographer, which I guess is very close to home.
If you could give one advice to fellow photographers, what would it be? Always bring your camera with you, that will not only help you become one with your device but you will never be disappointed for not having a camera for that unexpected moment.
Don’t forget to check http://www.arthurgphotography.com/ and follow Arthurs daily updates on his Instagram profile!
