Born in New York to Portuguese parents, João Carlos is an advertising, fashion, and fine art photographer currently based in New York City. Though he expressed an interest in having a “real” camera at the age of five, João’s artistic explorations began with painting and fine arts, which led him to study at ar.co Institute of Art and Visual Communication in Lisbon.

João’s photographic career began as an assistant to João Palmeiro, an advertising photographer in Portugal. For several years prior to moving to New York, he worked with some well-established photographers including Horst Diekgerdes, Thomas Strogalski, Peter Schreiber, and various production companies on a freelance basis. João ran and co-owned a production house, Milkman Studio, in Lisbon for seven years from 2002, which catered for large and small clients from the advertising, fashion, and music sectors. One of the highlights so far in his career came in 2010 when he won the prestigious Hasselblad Masters Award.

João’s client list includes advertising agencies, magazines, fashion apparel, and beauty companies. Most recently, João’s work has appeared in numerous publications and magazines namely Elle, Forbes, Kurv, Chaos Magazine, Eclectic Magazine, Dilema, Wallpaper, Nstyle Magazine, Umbigo Magazine, Numero Magazine, Blink Magzine, W25 Magazine, Iconography Magazine, Connecticut Home and Gardens, Modern Homes, and Architect. João’s work has been featured in several magazines and TV Programs worldwide such as BCC UK, Portugueses sem Fronteiras, Direct Arts Magazine, FotoVideo, Victor by Hasselblad Magazine, Photoshop Australia magazine, O mundo da Fotografia Digital, DP Arte Fotografica, PH Magazine, Composition Magazine Israel, Plum TV Miami, Caracol TV Columbia, RTP international, and RTP 2. In João’s continuing role as a guest speaker, he has been invited to speak at many prestigious events over the last two years including the Hasselblad stage at Photokina in Germany, Hasselblad Studio opening in London, Hasselblad FOCUS events in Columbia and Brazil, BES Art and Finance, Petcha Kutcha Lisbon and IADE Creative University to name a few.

João Carlos' Favorite Westcott Gear:

 

Articles by João Carlos

Omega Reflector Portrait by Joao Carlos

Controlling the Sun with the Omega Reflector

I was recently in the south of France teaching a workshop to a group of professional photographers. I prepared a class about shooting in natural light and controlling the Sun. This is the best way to understand and manipulate light. This was also a perfect opportunity to use 10-in-1 created by fellow Westcott Top Pro Jerry Ghionis.
Joao Carlos - Final Headshot 1

In-Studio with João Carlos and the Ice Light

This article is courtesy of Westcott Top Pro photographer João Carlos. You can read the full article and see more of João Carlos' portrait photography on his website. For my second proper shoot with the , I decided to create some black and white portraits in the studio.
Joao Carlos - Final 3

On Location with Joao Carlos and the Ice Light

Renowned fashion photographer João Carlos was able to use the Westcott Ice Light for the first time during this photo shoot for Rangefinder Magazine. Shooting on-location at night in a Parisian square, João needed a light the was portable while also producing a beautiful output. Joao uses two Ice Lights during this shoot to illuminate his subject from head to toe.
Joao Carlos Scrim Jim

Black-and-White Action Shot Lighting Setup

Black-and-White Action shot by photographer João Carlos using a The Medium Scrim Jim Kit is a useful photography tool that allows photographers to diffuse, reflect, cut down, or completely block light.  With the variety of available fabrics, the Scrim Jim is one of the most diverse tools in the photography industry.
Natural Light Photography - Joao Carlos (11)

Using Natural Light Outdoors for a Romantic Concept Shoot

In these works, Portugal-based fashion photographer Joâo Carlos pairs the literature of love tragedies through the ages with these stunning outdoor fashion portraits. These images have a composition and balance inspired by the masters of painting. Centuries-old castles and palaces in Portugal create a fairy tale setting for the characters to play out their doomed love. The location is crucial.