Portuguese Fine Art photographer Henri Prestes will stun you with his cinematically tense images. His ability to narrativise any landscape is unrivalled.
Henri become interested in photography around six years ago. At the time he’d just started working as a commercial cinematographer, shooting small videos for local companies in Portugal. He took to photography as a way to develop his compositional skills, and to improve his awareness of different lighting situations, one of the main skillsets you need as a cinematographer to be able to produce masterful imagery.
After shooting stills at night, mostly with long exposures, and inspired by Todd Hido’s book House Hunting, Henri fell in love with the medium. The way it allowed him to depict narrative moments with just a single frame, and being able to express himself without having to rely on so many external variables like other mediums was liberating — it was just him and the camera, and the motivation to explore his surroundings. As he began sharing his work online, he was surprised and humbled how passionately complete strangers connected to his images. He knew immediately that photography was something he had to keep doing no matter what.
“This was one of my earliest photos when I first started going out at night, inspired by the work of Todd Hido. I began exploring more isolated places, trying to capture scenes with longer exposures. I remember driving around the outskirts when I spotted this collection of abandoned cars. It was late at night, and there was no artificial light nearby, the only light was the ambient coming from the city in the distance. I had to use a very long exposure to be able to see in the pitch dark. I was immediately attracted by the disposition of the cars and their colours were so distinct that I didn’t struggle at all with the composition and I think I was able to capture the feel of the place.”
“The photo where I felt things were starting to click. I was driving around the villages surrounding my hometown in Portugal when I came across this burned field enveloped in dense mist. As I started walking around it, I found myself immersed in this place; the atmosphere was somewhat unnerving but also peaceful at the same time. After a few minutes of total silence, a lone car emerged from the hills in the distance and I was immediately attracted by the artificial light contrasting with the surrounding wilderness. After this photo, I started a series of lone cars traveling at night, which is something I enjoy doing as well.”
“This photo represents a departure from my then-usual solitary landscapes, and I think it’s the first one where I introduced a character. I had gone up to the mountain region called Serra da Estrela to capture snowfall but there was only dense fog and strong winds so I tried to capture that in the photo. Most of the day had been cloudy but as soon as the elusive sun showed up I knew it was the time to capture the shot. I was pleased with the way the colours of the character’s raincoat merged with the desolate environment even though we hadn’t planned it at all, and it was one of those little happy accidents that makes me love photography.”
“Something I enjoy doing is driving around when it’s raining, and use the wet windshield as a way to blur the photographs, giving them an almost impressionistic aesthetic. This one in particular was from one of those nights. I was exploring the more secluded villages that populate the Portuguese countryside when I came across this lone house on a hill. I found it interesting the way the dirty road merged under the rain until it reached the house that was surrounded by a dark forest and by a single lamppost emitting a sickly light. The scene evoked an uncanny atmosphere that I tried to capture.”
“The first time I experimented with using more than one character in my compositions, which is something I’m currently doing more frequently. It was a late afternoon and I was travelling with some close friends, hoping to find some interesting places we could explore in our countryside. We ran into this open field right at the time the sun was setting and was projecting a slash of warm light in the dark grass. I knew I had to act quick to take advantage of it. I also felt lucky with the way the sky and clouds appear to be pressing down into the characters, rendered with their late afternoon colour that is always so unique and something we can’t replicate with any special effects.”
“Painters have always been a big inspiration for my work, especially how they use light and colour to create atmosphere. And since I’m not very good at drawing, I use my camera to try to replicate the more dramatic feeling that my favourite paintings evoke. I’m fond of this one in particular, where a lonely silhouette travels through a misty field. People always ask me if I use any artificial light during my shoots and the answer is no, I always use the available light present in the scene and then push it in post-production until I can get closer to the mood I want to express to the viewer. I think the most important thing in any visual medium is about the emotion of the image and not necessarily to try to replicate reality.”
Be sure to check out Henri’s Instagram:
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