A Dream Planted (and Photographed) in the Restinga

The year was 2004. I was still a design student at UFES, enrolled in what was then called Industrial Design / Visual Programming. My life was split between two worlds: one was technology — I already had a technical degree in Data Processing from the Federal Technical School of Espírito Santo and worked building websites. The other was nature — pulsing in me since childhood, between days at the beach, surfing, hiking, and adventures with friends.

Fotos: Leonardo Merçon

Fotos: Yhuri Salvador e Pepe Silva.

At the time, I earned R$ 400 a month as an intern. Small as it was, that amount was enough for a dream to begin taking shape. After months of borrowing cameras from the university or from friends (film cameras, since that’s what we had back then), I managed to save two paychecks and buy my first camera — a Canon PowerShot A80. Four megapixels. 2x zoom. For many, that might not sound like much. For me, it was enough to change everything.

I started photographing everything around me. Since I loved surfing, I took advantage of that to capture surfers in the water, landscapes, and the subtle details of the restinga vegetation in Paulo César Vinha State Park. Nature was calling me back — not just as a backdrop, but as a purpose. That’s when I realized photography could be more than documentation. It could be a tool. And I wanted to learn how to use it the right way.

Registros realizados com o primeiro equipamento fotográfico | Fotos: Leonardo Merçon.

At the university, I had the chance to take a few photography courses — sometimes even as an auditor — with wonderful professors like Gorete Dadalto, Simone Guimarães, Alexandre Curtis, and Rodrigo Rossoni. Each of them shared a bit of their knowledge with me, lessons I still carry to this day.

The Day I “Kicked the Bucket”

I still remember the day I went out to take my first photo with the goal of building a nature photography portfolio. Even though I had photographed animals before, it was always as a hobby. On August 17, 2004, I woke up early and went to the Vitória Marine Terminal, downtown, to photograph the seabirds that gathered there. They would dive close to the seawall separating the walkway from the tide. It was my only chance to photograph birds with my small 2x zoom compact camera. I still have that photo — my first “professional” picture... or rather, the one that marked the day I decided to become a nature photographer.

When the time came to choose a topic for my undergraduate research project, two ideas competed for attention. One was revolutionary: to create the world’s first online course website — something that might have made me a millionaire today, since I didn’t know of anything like it back then. I even started sketching it out and thinking about selling other people’s courses online, via credit card, earning a commission. It might sound obvious now, but at the time, that was new territory.

The other path was to follow my passion — photography. I chose the latter. And even though it wasn’t the easiest or most promising financially, I’ve never regretted it.

I began studying the work of great masters: Luiz Cláudio Marigo, Araquém Alcântara, Sebastião Salgado. Renowned photographers from Espírito Santo also opened their doors to talk with me. André Alves and Humberto Capai were incredibly kind — welcoming a young beginner into their homes and sharing their experiences and wisdom. I’m deeply grateful for that, and I try to do the same today for young photographers, knowing how much that generosity meant to me back then.

I came to understand that the power of photography went beyond aesthetics — it lay in what you do with it. As a designer, that made perfect sense. I didn’t want to just take beautiful pictures. The photos weren’t an end, but a means. I wanted my images to serve nature.

My research project was titled “Genetic Criticism Applied to Photography,” guided by Professor Gorete Dadalto, in which I studied the creative process of great masters of photography. But the true milestone came with my final graduation project: a nature photography book. I chose that theme because I had already spent countless days photographing in Paulo César Vinha State Park — surfing with friends and then trading my surfboard for a camera to explore the tiny creatures of the sand. That’s where the idea for my first book, Últimos Refúgios: Parque Estadual Paulo César Vinha, was born.

At first, I faced resistance. Many professors didn’t believe nature photography was a valid path, and others thought a book on such an underexplored topic was too ambitious for a graduation project. But I was determined to make my university years count toward my dream. I sought out professors who believed in that vision and found support in Professor Sandra Medeiros — known among students as tough, but she believed in my dream. She was demanding — especially with writing — and I’m forever thankful for that.

She taught me to turn words into allies for my images. I don’t consider myself a great writer, but I believe I can get the message across. Thank you for believing, Professor!

The Dream Camera

As I began shooting for the book, I soon realized my equipment wasn’t enough. I had pushed my little compact camera to its limits (remember, smartphones weren’t really a thing yet). I needed to take the next step. But how?

My parents, from a humble middle-class background, had always given me everything they could. We lived a decent life, without financial hardship, but a professional camera was completely out of reach.

Then, a friend told me he was heading to the United States for a work experience program — he’d be working at a ski resort. And I thought: if he can go to save money, so can I. My goal was simple (and bold): to buy a newly released Nikon D80 with its kit lens. I did the math and decided it was possible.

The Quest for the Dream Gear

Before leaving, I made a brave (or crazy) decision — I wanted to work with photography even while in the U.S. I sent 300 emails to photography-related companies. Five replied. But there was a problem: all of them wanted to do a phone interview. And my English was… terrible.

During the first call, I understood nothing. On the second, I started to notice patterns. I wrote everything down. By the third, I had a rough script of what they usually said. On the fourth, I used my notes and even a translation program (there were no online translators at the time) — and I almost got hired… but I didn’t know how to ski. That was their last question.

Then came the fifth call — the turning point. The interviewer asked if I knew how to ski or snowboard. Instead of saying no, I told him I was a surfer and good at extreme sports. I wasn’t lying — just translating my adventurous spirit.

I got the job.

I borrowed enough from my parents to cover the flight, a few weeks of expenses, and food until my first paycheck. I took a leave from college and boarded the biggest adventure of my life.

Departure into the Unknown

At the end of 2006, I said goodbye to my family at Vitória Airport. I was 25. I was moving alone to a foreign country, not fluent in the language, chasing a dream. I had no idea what awaited me — but I was ready. I always am.

That was my first great journey as a nature photographer — the adventure that brought me here, 20 years later. And this story is far from over...

If you enjoyed this first part of my journey, I invite you to follow me on social media and keep traveling with me through the next stories. There are still many roads ahead — many images, encounters, and discoveries I’ve lived, and continue to live, around the world in this ongoing quest to reveal nature’s beauty and fight for its conservation. Follow along and join this adventure that began with a simple camera and a stubborn dream — one that still drives me through forests, mountains, and oceans in pursuit of a greater purpose.