We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Laura Neves Penido a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Laura thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I learned most of the photography basics through my mother who had been a photographer in the 80s-90s. Once I picked up her old camera, and she saw that I was serious about it, she decided to guide me. It was an eventful experience. I needed to learn a lot of the details through practice. I made a lot of mistakes and destroyed a lot of films before I got to the stage where it was easier and more fun.

Learning should not be accelerated, in my opinion. Everyone learns differently, and the reason I was able to advance in photography was because I wasn’t placing a lot of pressure on myself to master every aspect.

Growing up in a home with two artists provided a solid basis for learning color theory and how to use the rule of thirds. Although technical proficiency might be essential, especially when working with film as I did, I felt that perseverance was more important for my process.

Initially, I was limited by a number of financial constraints to pursue a photographic venture, and I mostly used a single film camera, with a cap on the amount of money I could spend on film. I eventually began borrowing people’s cameras, which allowed me to try out various lenses under dimmer lights. My learning was greatly accelerated as I began to be contacted to photograph shows, which has allowed me to keep learning to this day.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My journey into photography began when I was in my hometown, interning and still figuring out my path when a box full of old, worn-out cameras unexpectedly found its way into my living room. These cameras—moldy with rusted screws—belonged to my mother, who had once been a professional photographer.

When my father brought the box into the living room, my mom was not pleased. “What are you doing with those? They’re worthless,” she said, irritated. At the time, I was working on a research scholarship, so I offered to use my own money to restore these old cameras. My mom scoffed, telling me, “Good luck, these are trash,” and left the room.

Despite her skepticism, I was stubborn. With guidance from a friend at university, I found skilled hands to repair my mother’s old Nikon camera. I took it upon myself to learn how to use it, and soon after, I loaded it with film and started shooting. When my mom saw the restored camera, filled with film and ready for use, she was completely astonished. She realized I was serious, and that’s when she began teaching me the basics of photography.

As I honed my skills, people began to take notice of my work. Soon, I was being hired to photograph events and music concerts—two things that fascinated me and that I loved dearly. Photography became my escape and therapy, especially as I navigated through a difficult period in my life. I was diagnosed with anxiety, panic symptoms, and depression, and photography became a way for me to reconnect with the world.

In my work, I provide photography services, with a particular focus on capturing live music events and moments that depict emotion, relationships and movement. My work is a reflection of everyone and everything that supported the path I have been traveling, as well as aspects of my personal background.

I strive to create images that communicate to people, offering them an idiosyncratic reflection of the moments they create. I’m proud of how my work has allowed me to connect with people and this world in so many different perspectives. Even though I enjoy the more technical aspects, I have been keen to lean more into the narratives that the subject of the photos express.

Photography, for me, has been a form to reconnect with the world in a moment that has been making us feel incredibly alienated from our environment and ourselves. The ability to channel my subjectivity and experience into something meaningful has shaped my work in a way that is deeply personal.

I’m most proud of how far I’ve come—from a beginner learning on rusted old cameras to now being able to work professionally and connect with my others through my work.

Ultimately, my work is about reflection, connection, and creating something timeless that speaks to people in a way that resonates with them.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

The hardest challenge, in my opinion, has been leaving my native country. I departed in 2020, when everything in our lives was changing. The administration in power at the time weakened the sectors of culture, health, and education, which exacerbated the consequences of what we were going through.

I lived in multiple residences and formed enduring relationships all across the world. I had to face an array of uncertain moments, but despite everything, I was able to take my one camera and use it to make art.

Somehow, despite being far from my home, family, and friends, I was able to reconstruct my life so that I am genuinely happy with my work and my chosen family.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

As the logic of the current economic system favors less and less the equitable distribution of resources throughout different sectors, I think there is a lot of focus placed on art as a detached final product, which tends to devalue and empty it out in certain ways.

We should reconsider how we have been abusing artists’ creations and degrading the process to the point where many artists have had to take on additional employment in order to make ends meet. It is time to devote our time and resources to ensuring that artists can live comfortably from their labor, as many other industries do, if we are interested in supporting artists.

At this critical moment, we must stand up to those who seek to devalue and dehumanize our labor and our lives by protecting both our human and labor rights.

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