We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Thaís Mendonça a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Thaís, thanks for joining us today. Almost all entrepreneurs have had to decide whether to start now or later? There are always pros and cons for waiting and so we’d love to hear what you think about your decision in retrospect. If you could go back in time, would you have started your business sooner, later or at the exact time you started?
I always wanted to work with communication. Anything that brings me a way to express myself and to connect to others. I think that’s why I graduated in Journalism. I had some regular jobs in this area and imagery always stood out for me. I feel like my life has taken so many unexpected turns that I could hardly believe it at times.
I started doing underwater photography before doing photography on land, but always registering moments in my life and trying to capture everyday images as well, especially when I was traveling.
Opportunities came for underwater photography and I moved to the Caribbean. I was also there when Covid hit and had to reinvent myself like a lot of people did. That’s when I started doing my own photoshoots and later created my brand Island Muse Photography already here in Maui, Hawaii.
Answering the question, I feel like I started my business at the right time. If I hadn’t had to create opportunities in difficult times I wouldn’t have had the courage to start over and learn everything I learned along the way.
Thaís, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My name is Thaís, I am a Brazilian journalist and a photographer who decided to explore the world and show it from different perspectives, including underwater. My specialty is photographing people in natural places with a feminine eye, and delicate colors which, in my perspective, show not only the instant but the feeling that was in that image.
I live and work in Maui, Hawaii, and travel for work to the other Hawaiian islands and wherever else in the world my photography takes me. Island Muse Photography is my brand and a way to honor the islands where I lived in Brazil and the Caribbean, and now in Kihei in the Pacific. All of them brought me closer to myself and the ocean.
I’m proud of being a businesswoman building my work in photography in a place surrounded by nature. Everyone who comes to Maui and feels the connection to this beautiful island should have this experience of being photographed, being able to feel the energy here, and taking those memories/feelings back home.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
I think it’s seeing your work improve as time passes and as you gain more experience. For me, it’s about movement and also about how you decide to navigate life. The way you see yourself in the world, the way you see others, the things you learn out of your work, and the creativity you bring into it. It’s all connected.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
I’m getting into wedding photography in Maui, Hawaii, and other places in the world. My goal is to also show my photography style in this venue. I always say that my work is not related to one type of photoshoot only. I am a woman who photographs people and their love stories, and those are endless. Portrait, solo sessions, couples, families, engagements, maternity, weddings, events, in the water, out of the water. Anything that I can be present in the moment and try to translate what I’m seeing with my camera, that’s my driving mission in photography.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.islandmusephotography.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/islandmusephoto
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/islandmusephoto
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thais-mendonca-islandmusephoto
Image Credits
Thaís Mendonça – Island Muse Photography