Tiago Sant’Anna, 28, is a young Afro-Brazilian man who knew exactly what he would be when he grew-up— a photographer. Living in one of the most impoverished neighborhoods of Rio de Janeiro, he has learned to overcome adversity, like many Black people in Brazil. And now, his maternity photoshoots are being viewed by people all over the world.
Despite obstacles, he worked hard to fulfill his dreams, and now he is on the path of becoming a new sensation among the Afro-Brazilian community with a very interesting approach: taking stunning pictures of Black women celebrating their pregnancy.
“I have been working with photography for 5 years now. Like most photographers, I started shooting small events, street parties and birthdays. But I wanted to work with something where I could fully explore my creativity, and I realized that shooting pregnant women could achieve that,” Sant’Anna told Travel Noire.
Although his Instagram page is still pretty new, he has almost 10,000 followers, a remarkable achievement for a young independent photographer without many resources.
“I really like to create different photo shoot styles, using my imagination to reflect my passions.”
In fact, many of his maternity photoshoots are done outdoors, with beautiful natural landscapes as the backdrop for his models. Knowing how to capture the sensibility of the moment of pregnancy in every model, his photos work as a celebration of Blackness, according to him.
“Most of the women’s photoshoots are based on my creative process. I always put in every photo accent pieces and accessories made by me, in order to create a different universe from what is usually seen in maternity photography.”
As for the future, the talented photographer expects to see his work reaching as many people as possible.
“I try to be unique in this difficult market, exploring my ideas and concepts of photography. As a Black photographer, I can see that there are more opportunities now than a couple of years ago. Because of the internet and social media, many photographers who were once invisible, now can have their work seen by a larger number of people.”
Although his niche of maternity shoots have become a big success, Sant’Anna is not limited to it. He also portrays Afro-Brazilian religious deities and other themes related to Black people in general.
