My first workshop with Joao was back in 2011 when he visited Toronto, Canada. It was an intensive three day workshop on Fashion photography. And to this date, it is the best workshop I have attended. During that time, I noticed on many occasions Joao would spend some focused time with each and every attendee to make sure they understood the assignment and give suggestions on how to approach it.
I remember on one assignment, I was having difficultly finding an angle that suited the model and the wardrobe. Joao came over and looked at the back of my camera to scroll through the images I had taken already. He turned to me and said that I was allowed to take only one more shot. This forced me to really look at the way I approached taking a photo and discover the difference of taking a snap shot and creating an image.
Through the years we have kept in touch through social media and most recently on an online one-on-one consult. I value Joao’s generous sharing of his knowledge and experience. I not only consider him an exceptional instructor but also a mentor.