Rural Wedding in Monte da Moirana | Carolina + João
Videographer: Bernardo Alves
Make Up Artist: Cláudia Make Up
Wedding Dress: Maria João Madeira
Jewelry: Catavassalo
Venue: Monte da Moirana
Country Wedding in Santarém | Joana + Francisco
Videographer: Dylan Lopes
2nd Shooter: Catarina Lopes
Hair and Make Up: Miguel Catrica
Wedding Decor and Floral: The Plant Designer
Catering: O Bem Disposto
Wedding at Quinta do Pinheiro | Mariana + André
“The word to describe Miguel is talent. It's incredible the way he captures the moment, the emotions, the expressions... He’ll do a handstand if necessary to get the photo he wants. We hired Miguel to photograph our wedding and he was absolutely incredible. He’s everywhere at all times, and at the same time you don't even notice him! All the photographs are real, alive, beautiful! The editing is careful and the colors are really beautiful. I know he does this every day but he really made us feel unique. Thank you very much Miguel! I don't think I have a wall for so many incredible photographs 🥹😍”
Wedding at Quinta Cheiro d’Alecrim | Sofia + António
Wedding Dress: IZA VAN
Make Up Artist: Maria Cruz
Groom’s Tie: Zebra of Portugal
Venue: Quinta Cheiro d’Alecrim
Wedding at Quinta da Falésia | Madalena + Yaneko
“We didn’t even think we would value the photographs that were taken at our wedding so much… I don't know what I can say to make them choose Miguel... I can only share the results... Wait! Do you want some pretty photos with a photographer that is able to direct you and make you feel confortable? Take a look!”
Photographers: Miguel Brilhante + Bruno Barata
Make Up Artist: Cláudia Barata
Hair Stylist: Salão 93
Wedding Dress: Ais d’Amor
DJ: A Elite
Venue: Quinta da Falésia
Small Wedding in Monsanto, Lisbon | Sofia + João
The first wedding of the year always means lots of energy and creativity through the roof, and surely this one delivered some very beautiful moments to capture.
Sofia and João are very relaxed and genuine couple, and I had a lot of fun capturing their wedding, specially because of the way their family and friends treated me. I felt welcomed and that gave me even more inspiration to photograph.
Venue: Montes Claros
Engagement Photoshoot in a Lisbon Garden | Sofia + João
This type of work is, without a doubt, the one that takes me the most out of my comfort zone within photography. The idea of me guiding someone so that they are relaxed and act spontaneously, at the same time that I have a camera pointed at them, also makes me nervous and not knowing what to do. On the other hand, and this is exactly what excites me, it is an opportunity to find and develop my method of photographing in this type of context. For now, what I've noticed works is, together with the couple, we imagine that the session is a film, they are the actors and I am “filming” them. The idea is that they never look at the camera (that they even forget about it, ideally) and that they find a narrative between them that makes them interact continuously. Having achieved this, my concern is to find plans that communicate this interaction well and beautifully.
Black and White Wedding Photography
Why I love b&w.
I’m a sucker for b&w photography.
The main reason I choose to edit an image in b&w is if that image has some kind of emotion in it. If it does, more than likely I will edit it in b&w.
My goal is to enhance that emotion as much as I can and remove any distractions that may exist, and, generally, the colours are the most common distraction. Other distractions can be a person, an object or a light, which, with some patience, can be removed from the image.
Plus, black & white adds that classic and timeless touch to the photos, and that’s why it will never go out of style 😌
In a wedding gallery, my goal is to try to give it the same emotion and mood that the wedding day had. Whether if it’s the anxiety of the groom before the ceremony, the joy of the bride with her bridesmaids or a kid crying for his mom, that's what makes me appreciate the final gallery: Getting to feel the same emotions that were felt that day.
2023: A year in review
This “year in review” is more of a reflection on how I see photography than a review of 2023, but I thought that this title would make sense today.
Yesterday a friend of mine told me that, when I'm taking photographs, I have the ability to blend in in a camouflaged and subtle way among people and capture the moments that happen without anyone noticing. And the truth is that I myself think that no one is watching me when I'm behind the camera. It's like that game we play with children where we cover our faces with our hands and say “Miguel isn't here…” and then we uncover our faces and suddenly the child can see us. This magic trick really helps me, because it's how I can put emotion and intensity into the photographs I'm taking (or at least I think I can...). It's being close to people, being part of the interaction in some way, feeling what people are feeling. And the truth is that everyone says that, when I have my eye on the camera, my facial expression varies depending on the mood of what I'm photographing. At wedding speeches I cry, on the dance floor I sing and dance, and the rest of the time I'm laughing. If I'm not laughing, it's because I'm hungry.
And now let’s look at a “small” selection of photos I took during the year. These are not just photographs of weddings, they are also photographs of theater, rallies, birthdays and commercials. Hope you like it! ✌🏻
Happy New Year!
Intimate Wedding in Algarve, Portugal | Raquel + Mariana
Me and Raquel have been close friends since we were in high school, and when she introduced me to Mariana, we immediately developed the same kind of friendship. A few years later, and they call me with the big news: they were getting married. Of course I was trilled with the news, and obviously waiting for them to ask me to be the photographer of their wedding. Fortunately, they wanted the same 😮💨🤩
The wedding day was, honestly, one of the most beautiful I’ve experienced. Seeing my two dear friends so happy, with their families and friends around, was something very special. Some of their close friends were my close friends as well, making it even more special to be photographing this wedding. I cried so much during the ceremony, that at some point, I couldn’t even see properly through the camera 🫠
Summer Wedding at Pine Cliffs Resort | Teresa + Manuel
Teresa and Manuel both grew up spending their summer vacations in this very location, Pine Cliffs Resort, in Algarve, Portugal, so I suppose it didn’t take them very long until they decided where they were going to celebrate their wedding. 🏖️
I was looking forward to it from the day we signed the contract, both because I’m actually from Algarve, so it would feel very familiar to me, and also because I always heard about how beautiful this resort is, so I immediately started to imagine the infinite photographic possibilities I was going to have. 🤩
It didn’t disappoint, that’s for sure. It was a 12+ hour wedding that felt like 2 or 3 hours. The ceremony was one of the most emotional I have ever photographed. The bride's sister gave a beautiful speech at the beginning, which resonated with the entire family and closest friends.
Wedding at Hotel Club d’Azeitão | Mariana + Bernardo
Mariana and Bernardo have been two good friends of mine for 10 years, and since the day they became parents of Tomás, I became their family photographer. Until the day they asked me to be their wedding photographer! 🥹
The whole wedding day was full of special moments. The moment when the bridesmaids had their first look to Mariana’s wedding dress. The moment when Mariana gave a little piano concert before going to the church. The moment when the groomsmen made a hilarious entrance into the saloon. The surprise concert that the bride’s sister, Joana, planned, where she and all their friends sang Disney songs with personalized lyrics to the bride and groom. It was a really really emotional and happy day where I felt part of their family. 🫶
Wedding at Quinta do Vale, Lisbon | Filipa + Miguel
Emotional Small Wedding in Quinta do Vale
Pipa and Miguel's wedding had a very special touch for me: practically my entire family was there. Capturing a day as special as my cousin Pipa's wedding, with all the people we love most present, was gold on blue.
The wedding day was very happy and full of beautiful details. The presence of the bride's father's car, a Fiat 124 Spider from the 70s. The joy on the bride and groom's faces throughout the ceremony. The reading of the votes. Placing the votes in a box with a bottle of wine from Madeira, Miguel's homeland. The wet rain appeared during the ceremony and made for some very beautiful photographs. My mother's birthday 🫶. The drawing of Piruças, the bride and groom's dog, made by Carolina, Pipa's niece. The (almost) running over of one of my machines while Pipa parked the car better for the photos. 😅
Actress Portraits
Portrait Photography
This photoshoot was a lot of fun. Just 4 actresses doing acting exercises while I photographed them and played with different light setups.
Enjoy!
Pregnant Yoginī
Pregnant Yogini Photoshoot
Fun fact about this session: it was just 4 days before Benjamin was born. (my nephew 🥹)
It was a session that lasted 25 minutes, done during sunset, and I used the light that came through the window to illuminate Inês and make some more creative compositions.
