why Brasil?

As many of you already know from following my Instagram, I've been traveling back and forth to Brasil for the past five years. Whenever I meet people who follow my N65film page, the conversation almost always ends up in the same place.

"How is Brasil?"
"What's it really like?"
"Did you go to Rio or São Paulo?"

It's funny how often those are the only two places people mention, as if a country the size of Brasil begins and ends there.

After hearing those same questions over and over, I realized how curious people were about the places I was photographing. That's one of the reasons I wanted to build this website—not just to share the photographs, but to finally give them a voice and tell the stories behind them.

It all started in early 2021 when I became romantically involved with a woman from Maceió, the capital of the northeastern state of Alagoas. We met through social media, and in April of that year I boarded a plane to Brasil for the very first time.

The moment I stepped off the plane, I realized I wasn't just visiting another country—I had walked into an entirely different world.

The language was the first thing that caught my attention. At the time I didn't speak a single word of Portuguese, so hearing the distinctive Nordeste accent everywhere I went was fascinating. Then there were the little things that made the experience feel even more unfamiliar: Renaults and Fiats filling the streets instead of the cars I was used to seeing back home, and horses standing along the roadside or pulling wagons through town. They were details that would seem ordinary to the people who lived there, but to me they were unforgettable.

It looked nothing like the version of Brasil I had grown up seeing on television. Somewhere along the way, many Americans had been sold a very narrow image of the country—samba, soccer, Carnival, beautiful beaches, and women in colorful costumes. While those things certainly exist, they barely scratch the surface. The Brasil I came to know was quieter, more layered, and far more human than the stereotype ever suggested. And over the years, that's the Brasil I've tried to capture with my camera.

As the years passed, those trips became about much more than the relationship that first brought me there. With every visit, my Portuguese improved a little more. Conversations that once depended on Google Translate slowly turned into real conversations. I became comfortable enough to joke with people, order food without thinking twice, ask for directions, and have genuine conversations with strangers. The language stopped feeling like a barrier and became one of the things that allowed me to experience Brasil on a much deeper level.

As my confidence grew, so did my curiosity. What started in Maceió gradually expanded into exploring other parts of the country. I found myself wandering through different states, each with its own rhythm, traditions, landscapes, and way of speaking. Sergipe, Natal, Salvador, Itacare, Paraty, Belém, São Paulo, Rio, and more to go. The more I traveled, the more I realized there isn't just one version of Brasil. Every region has its own identity, and experiencing those differences became one of my favorite parts of returning. Instead of trying to check destinations off a list, I became more interested in slowing down, spending time with people, learning local customs, and seeing the parts of everyday life that most visitors pass right by.

Eventually, the relationship that introduced me to Brasil came to an end, but my connection with the country never did. By then, I had built friendships that continue to this day, found places that still feel familiar every time I return, and created memories that had nothing to do with why I first boarded that plane back in 2021. Looking back, I'm EXTREMELY grateful that one chapter of my life opened the door to something much bigger than I ever expected. What began as a trip to visit one person became a lasting connection to an entire country. Every time I return, I come home with a deeper appreciation for its people, its culture, and another collection of photographs that remind me why I keep going back.