Behind the Camera: Rodrigo Monteiro

Equipment: Canon EOS 5D Mark II,  Canon EOS 5D Mark IV , Canon G7x, Canon 75-300mm, Canon 100-400mm, Sigma Fish Eye 15mm, Canon 28-105mm and Canon 50mm

Lived, studied & worked: Salvador – Brazil, San Diego – USA, Elizabethtown – USA, Zurich – Switzerland, Jersey – Channel Islands, London – UK, currently based in Geneva – Switzerland.

Passionate about: Traveling, Surfing, Snowboarding, Sk8boarding, Sports in general, Art, Adventure, family and simply about life.

Why travel photography: Actually, photography is just a consequence. I have been traveling for many years now and I truly believe that traveling goes way beyond photography. Traveling is about discovering the excitement of life that enables the human being to better understand and appreciate the beauty and diversity of planet earth and its inhabitants.  When I am taking pictures I tend to focus on the identity of locations and its people in order to give a visual construction to places and situations.  I am very blessed to have had the opportunity to visit so many incredible places and this is the way that I can share some of these experiences with my family and friends.

Best trip ever: This is a hard call. Every place is different and with its own characteristics, culture and traditions. However, one trip that was quite memorable was the time that I spent together with my wife, surfing and diving in the South Pacific, visiting places such as Tahiti, Fiji and the Cook Islands.  These are the closest places to paradise that one can get.  Other must-see destinations include India, Namibia, Iceland, Japan, Egypt, Australia, Laos, Rwanda, Kenya, China, Russia, Mozambique, Brazil, Jordan, Zambia, Cambodia, Thailand, Maldives, Morocco, and one country that I was quite surprised with was Bolivia. The Uyuni salt plan and the mountain bike ride down the most dangerous road from La Paz to Coroico are a must…

Where have you been recently? Japan, South Korea, Norway, Angola, Mozambique, Zambia, Botswana and Zimbabwe.

What is the next planned trip: Nothing planned at the moment, but a lot of thoughts on my mind.

Countryside or the coast: At the moment I have the Swiss and the French alps in my backyard, which I enjoy immensely. However if I had to choose, it would definitely be the coast. I grew up two blocks away from the beach and I really miss the sound of breaking waves…