For Rafael Bruno da Silva Braga, known on Instagram as @rafaelbsbraga, photography is not simply about creating images. It is about connection, observation, and discovering beauty in the ordinary moments that many people pass by without noticing.
Born and raised in São Bernardo do Campo, in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, Braga’s photographic vision has been shaped by the rich cultural diversity of his homeland. “Brazil is a country that, besides having a very rich local culture, has also absorbed influences from many other cultures,” he explains. “Both characteristics influenced my photographic perspective.”
His earliest connection to visual storytelling came through skateboarding. Like many young skaters, he grew up surrounded by friends carrying cameras to document tricks and sessions. “Photography came to me through my experience in the skateboarding world,” he says. “There was always a friend with a camera filming or taking pictures.”
Yet it would take years before photography became a serious part of his life.
“I became fully involved with photography many years later, during the Covid-19 pandemic,” Braga recalls. With skateboarding temporarily removed from his daily routine due to lockdown restrictions, he found himself searching for another outlet. “I lost my main escape, which was skateboarding. That was when I decided to buy my first camera.”
Armed with a mask and a camera, he began wandering the streets alone. “Little by little, my interest in street photography and documentary photography began to emerge.”
Unlike many photographers who come from artistic families, Braga’s path was largely self-directed. “No,” he says when asked whether his family had artistic inclinations. “My education was a combination of self-learning and a few short photography courses.”
Today, his work centers on documenting everyday life. “Basically, I seek to capture the essence of daily life,” he explains. “Those fleeting moments that happen in the cities I visit and in the lives of the people who live there.”
That focus on ordinary human experiences has become one of the defining characteristics of his photography.
Although photography remains a hobby rather than a profession, Braga recognizes challenges within the Brazilian photographic landscape. “I think the main challenge is breaking down the barriers that still exist around street photography,” he says. “I would like to see it more valued in Brazil, as it is in other countries, especially in exhibitions and art galleries.”
At the same time, he feels fortunate to work in a country that constantly offers compelling visual stories. “Brazil is an incredible country to photograph,” he says. “Our territory is extremely rich in landscapes, cultures, and people. Practically anywhere there is something interesting to document.”
For Braga, photography serves a purpose beyond image-making. In many ways, it has become a form of therapy.
“Photography often works as therapy for me,” he says. “It helps me have a better week, both at work and in my personal life.”
Being out on the streets reconnects him with the physical world. “When I’m on the street, I end up connecting with people. I feel like I’m part of the real world and not only the virtual world that we’re increasingly immersed in.”
His photographic walks rarely follow a strict plan. “When I go out without a specific destination, I try to capture scenes of everyday life, revealing a certain beauty within them,” he explains. “I also try to give visibility to the people who are the true protagonists of real life.”
When working on documentary projects, however, his approach becomes more intentional. During religious processions and cultural celebrations, he aims to blend street photography instincts with stronger visual storytelling. “I try to combine elements of street photography with more elaborate compositions and some images that have a more journalistic approach.”
One project, in particular, stands out as especially meaningful.
At the end of 2025, Braga participated in a photographic expedition documenting a celebration dedicated to Yemanjá, the Afro-Brazilian goddess of the waters, in Praia Grande, São Paulo. The event brought together worshippers who gathered by the sea with prayers, songs, and offerings.
“It was the first time I photographed this event,” he says. “The experience was very beautiful. I was welcomed with great affection by the people, and I believe I managed to capture the feeling that was present in that celebration.”
The project left such a strong impression that he continues to develop work around Yemanjá celebrations and hopes to eventually exhibit the series in a gallery.
Among all the photographs he has made, one image carries special significance.
“It is a photograph of two urban cleaning workers playing football during their lunch break,” Braga says.
The image shows the workers, still dressed in their uniforms, taking a brief moment of joy amid demanding daily routines. “That photograph ended up becoming part of my first solo exhibition.”
Not every memorable experience has been as serene.
Braga recalls a particularly unusual encounter. He had photographed what he considered a touching scene: a father carrying his son on his shoulders while the two enjoyed a walk together.
“The man noticed that I had taken the photograph and came over to talk to me with a very serious expression,” he remembers.
The request that followed was unexpected.
“He asked me to delete the image immediately because he was enjoying temporary leave from prison,” Braga says. “The problem was that he should have returned two days earlier.”
The story remains as a memorable one behind the camera.
Looking ahead, Braga is eager to explore new subjects. One project he dreams of pursuing focuses on Brazilian boxing.
“I really want to create a photographic series about boxing,” he says. “It is a sport that I consider quite underestimated in Brazil.”
What fascinates him are the athletes’ dedication and resilience. “There are places where people train with very few resources but with enormous dedication,” he explains. “One day I would like to develop a documentary project portraying the daily lives of Brazilian boxers.”
If he could give advice to his younger self, it would be simple: start sooner.
“Photography was always part of my life, even when I didn’t have a camera,” he says. “I always liked observing people and the world around me. But I postponed for a long time the decision to buy a camera and start photographing seriously.”
Today, alongside his personal projects, Braga is preparing a fanzine with his colleagues from the Br.avo Collective, featuring photographs made in an amusement park in São Paulo. The group is currently selecting images for publication. “I’d also like to send a big shout-out to my friends from the collective: Rod, Renas, and Ronaldo, as well as the group’s newest dad, Thiago Potato, who recently welcomed little Helena into the world,” he said.
Before ending our conversation, he offers a message for aspiring photographers.
“I don’t know if I have enough experience to give advice,” he says modestly. “I only started photographing in 2021.”
Still, he shares the same wisdom that older photographer friends once passed on to him: “Photograph all the time and don’t be ashamed of your images.”
He compares photography to skateboarding, the activity that first introduced him to cameras.
“In skateboarding, you spend approximately 80% of the time failing tricks and only 20% landing them,” he says. “Street photography is similar. We need to photograph a lot because it’s not easy to get a great image.”
Above all, he encourages newcomers to enjoy the process itself.
“Try to stay consistent and go out to photograph whenever you can,” he says. “And enjoy the process. Being on the street, observing, talking to people, and discovering new places is a very rewarding experience.”
After all, for Braga, photography’s greatest value is not always found in the final image.
“Many times, the experience of photographing is already worthwhile by itself.”
As for his ultimate ambition, “My dream project would be to publish a photography book,” he says. “However, I feel that I still have a lot to learn and develop. Maybe one day.”
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Soledad Quartucci is the CEO and founder of Latina Republic, a nonprofit organization that celebrates the culture, creativity, and diversity of Latin America and the Caribbean. Through Latina Republic’s street photography interview series, she highlights the work of emerging and established photographers whose images capture the everyday beauty, humanity, and unique stories of the region. Guided by a mission to showcase Latin America’s rich cultural identity through its people, traditions, and communities, Quartucci uses visual storytelling to connect global audiences with the vibrant realities of the region.