Pedro was one of the first people I connected with after starting Sagrada. We exchanged messages about a vision we both shared: a desire for a return to a more natural and unfiltered photography. We spoke of the importance of community & sincerity in the creative realm, and of our mutual belief in the power of human connection.
Quinna Hadley (QH): Describe yourself and what you do in one or two sentences.
Pedro Barcellos (PB): Describing who I am has been a tough thing lately, as I’ve always been a restless person that doesn’t know how to be alone. But finding my love for photography, especially analog, has changed me a lot – I don’t know yet who the new me is. Being a photographer for less than a year, I’m still trying to work with everything that comes my way, from editorials to planned photo-shoots.
QH: When did you start taking photographs, and what motivates you to continue?
PB: In November of 2019, a friend convinced me to buy an analog camera, an Olympus Trip 35. That was the first time I went out just to take pictures, and I fell in love right away. It was as if I had found something I had been looking for my entire life, even though I didn’t realize that I was looking for anything. This feeling of belonging hasn’t left, and it made me quit my old career to become a photographer.
QH: What does the word sagrada (sacred) bring to mind for you?
PB: I always associate the word sacred to time – I’m not sure why, but maybe because as time never goes back, every moment is sacred and unique. It’s because of this link that I consider love as the most sacred thing in my life. Every love I’ve felt has shaped the way I experience my own life. And I’m not talking only about romantic loves, but all types of love – they all define the man I am today. I know it’s a cheesy line, but I truly believe that “all you need is love”.
QH: What do you love most in this world?
PB: This is an easy one: hanging out with the people I love, drinking, talking, dancing, forgetting about the world out there and all its problems. This is what I enjoy the most – I would trade anything for these moments.
QH: What is bringing you joy right now?
PB: We are living through a very tough time here in Brazil, so it’s been difficult to find things that bring me joy. But it’s incredible seeing an idea develop on printed film. It’s gratifying to realize that you’re capable of things you never imagined – photography has meant this to me.
QH: When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
PB: Maybe I’m an odd person, but I don’t remember! (laughs). Actually, I think I never made up my mind: there was always something cooler to be, so it kept changing. But I remember that most of the time, I changed my mind because of some movie I saw – I wanted to be a journalist, a rock star, a bank robber…. If the character in the movie was interesting, I wanted to be like them.
QH: What are some traits or characteristics you would use to describe yourself?
PB: I’m very sensitive, so it’s easy for me to cry or get emotional. I think this leads to the second thing, which is that I’m an empath - I find it natural to put myself in other people’s shoes. But I’m sure that my friends would say I’m very sociable, someone who loves to meet new people – which also makes me quite outgoing, not at all a homebody. I love to be out on the streets. The last thing is something new to me: I’m quite happy to note that I am becoming a good listener – I think I have learned now to really listen to others. I was always attentive to the people around me, but I didn’t really listen to them.
QH: What is your favorite book?
PB: Tough one! I’m struggling to choose just one I love, there are so many. Can I name ten? (laughs). Jokes aside, I think it would be The Unbearable Lightness of Being, by Milan Kundera.
QH: What are your creative and/or professional goals?
PB: Creative freedom. I want to get to a point where people who hire me are willing to give me every available resource so I can create – and for that to happen, I have to become a reference in photography.
QH: When you feel challenged, frustrated, or burned out by life, what gives you hope?
PB: I’ve never looked for hope in just one place – I think it depends on which phase of my life I’m in, and especially what the source of the challenges are. But usually, art is the one thing that saves me. It saves me in different forms – it can be a book read on the lakeside to get away from my problems, or a visit to an exhibit that opens my mind and makes me think in different ways.
QH: Is there a piece of wisdom or advice you’ve received in your life that has been helpful to you, that you’d like to share with others?
PB: Many years ago, I heard a famous quote by Nina Simone that stuck in my head and has helped me a lot: “You have to learn to get up from the table when love is no longer being served”.
Pedro Barcellos, Instagram: @pedro.barcellos
