How are you photographing during the corona virus pandemic? I noticed that you are still actively photographing out in the streets.   Brazil is one of the countries hardest hit by the pandemic.   How are you keeping safe when you're outside?
So, about the pandemic, I've been photographing my daily life since the beginning. I'm a journalist too, and have been working from home since March 12th.

In the first month, I photographed mostly at home, my family, and our surroundings and neighborhood. Brasilia, the city where I live, has plenty of empty and green spaces, so we can still afford to take some walks to sunbath.

After 40 days or so, I decided to take some walks through the city, which was very empty back then. I used masks and lots of alcohol gel, and avoided busy places. These long walks made me deal better with the situation.

Then I decided to go a bit further, still taking health measures. I'm not taking public transportation as I used to anymore. I always drive and then walk, trying to avoid getting too close to people.
I think health should be our priority, but the fact that we're going through a historic moment also makes me want to go out and document what I see, through a personal point of view.

​Then in mid-June Businessweek magazine approached me to do a story in São Luís, Northeast of Brazil, the first capital to declare lockdown in our country. The city was already reopening some stores and services.
I spent only 24 hours there, but could see a lot of people on the streets, working or just having fun:
- www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2020-06-24/coronavirus-pandemic-brazil-faces-worst-case-scenario
- www.instagram.com/p/CB28Y1hhC4c/

What does it take to create a good image?
I wish I knew! For me good light it's very important - I mean, sunset or early morning light. But artificial light mixed with natural light at dusk can be great too.　
But actually, it's a lot to do about yourself. If I go out thinking that I won't get anything, then I get nothing. You must be open to the world and for chance, you must believe. Otherwise you'd better go home. Also, being relaxed is important. Being focused is good, but sometimes I feel I'm too tense chasing the perfect image, then it never happens. So, for me the state of mind is really important.

What inspired you to be a photographer, especially a street photographer?
This guy called Carlos Moreira (www.carlosmoreira.com.br). I attended a year-long course under this master in 2009, and he showed me all the photographers I must've seen: Atget, Kertész, Cartier-Bresson, Frank, Lee Friedlander on the first semester, then Haas, Eggleston, Gruyaert, Pinkhassov and Webb on the second. I owe a lot to him. He's been photographing São Paulo, where I used to live, since the 60s, and his work and attitude towards photography were essential for me.

 In an era over-run by so many photographers, what makes your images stand out?
Well, it's hard for me to answer this. There are many photographers around, we all have similar tastes and influences... what I can say is that I'm a very passionate amateur, I shoot every single day if I have the chance, so it's natural that after some years I have some good photos to keep. I hardly get tired of shooting, if there's light. Brasilia, where I've lived for 2 years now, is a dull city, not so many people on the streets, no patina in the buildings, but at least we have great light here most of the year. And living in a boring city can be challenging, you really have to push yourself. It's been a good exercise so far. 

Which are your preferred places for shooting (even if photography can be done anywhere), and what makes them special?
Currently, as you noticed, it's the Rodoviaria (our central bus terminal in Brasilia). Brasilia is a planned city, a bit boring as I said, but this place has some energy, chaos and enough movement, besides great light, that make it perfect to photograph. I love being in the flux of people going to and from their daily jobs, I'm one of them myself.
But I also love water parks, for example. Or beaches. Or busy streets with lots of shop windows and reflections. As long as there's people and some light, it's great for me.

Beyond passion and talent, the gear also is part of the process. What do you use and why?　
Some weeks ago I was loving my Fuji X-Pro1 with a 27mm lens (40mm in full frame). But then I attended this workshop with Magnum's Pinkhassov and he told us to use zoom lens, so I've been trying a 18-55mm and it's been good for a change. Most street photographers have some prejudice against zoom lenses, but they actually enhance your possibilities, so why not?

Please describe your workflow (post-processing if any, selection criteria, cropping, other).
Well, I shoot, generally on a 16GB SD card, then I upload them as soon as I get home via Lightroom. I go through them quickly and I mark the ones I like, at first with 4 stars, then I go back to this initial selection and mark the ones I'd like to export with 5 stars. I generally apply a preset I made for contrast, enhanced colors and sharpness, then do some adjustments, that's it. I hardly use Photoshop now. I hardly crop either.

How do you see your photography in the future. Any regrets, anything you missed?
I´d like to keep it as honest and personal as I feel it is now. And I'd like to make books of them. I've made some via Blurb, but I'd like proper books too. They're my favorite way of looking at photographs. And no regrets yet. :)

Last but not least, which picture(s) of yours is/are significant and why?
Well, of course I must love all my work, it's all part of my life, my journey. But then, this set (http://www.gustavominas.com/ O-Parto) I made about my girlfriend's pregnancy and the birth of my daughter has a different level of meaning for me. It's still about my life, but it's about our lives together as well. It was the most thrilling day of my life, and I'm glad I could record and keep it.

What inspired you to be a street photographer?
The streets have many stories and I see beauty of the environment and the people. If you just look closer and pay more attention to your surrounding you will see beauty anywhere, and I wanted to capture it in that certain moment. Freeze them in my frame and let it live forever.

What does it take to create a good image?
Anyone can shoot a photograph but not everyone can create an image that will communicate with a viewer. An image created with a vision and passion to create the mundane into unique, an image with a voice to deliver without words to evoke emotions, that sums up to a good image.  

​In an era over-run by so many photographers, how do you make your images stand out?

I self-curate my images, review my composition, analyze the content that I am sharing to my audience. Some good images that do not appeal to me the first time, I will let them sit in my hard drive for months and look at them again with a fresh mind and different vision. I only delete the real trashy ones where even if I looked at them a few times and still cannot convince myself.
I set my bar to the best shot I have and do better next.  

Your images of Las Vegas are really interesting. Why did you choose to photograph the people in Las Vegas? What did you learn from your experiences?  

I live here in Las Vegas so most of my work are created right here. The Las Vegas strip is a bustling area full of tourist and interesting people. When I started shooting in the streets of Las Vegas I was capturing from 1000 to 1500 shots in one walk. I was just shooting randomly without any thought process, but I realized my images were just mediocre. As I progressed, I slowed down and learned to observe. And now I have become so selective of my shots that sometimes in one walk I will only have fired one shot or even none at all. To develop my own style and consistency I set myself to a challenge and do a project. Las Vegas is an entertainment city and so I thought the nightlife would be a good concept for a project so I selected the location, the old downtown Las Vegas. And I embarked on my Fremont Street project that I did for one year, one location, one camera, one lens and one style of shooting- and that is how I evolved into flashed street shots.

The project was a great learning experience and gave me a good confidence in close range shooting with flash. I have collected enough images that are keepers and currently developing them into a photo zine and a possible a book format as well.

Do you travel a lot?  What other places fascinated you?

It is a sad note that before I got hooked into Street Photography my full-time job involved a lot of international travel that could have given me the opportunity to shoot. And now that I started to love this photography genre my job restricts me from going places. But on long days off I go to Los Angeles, San Diego or San Francisco to shoot. I’d like to go back to Europe and the Middle East if I will have the chance, those places are very interesting. I have some more places in mind that I like to visit and hopefully one of them will happen this year. 

Beyond passion and talent, the gear is also part of the process.  What do you use and why?

The tool is very important on the type of shooting that you want to do. I started with a Nikon D610 but due to its size and weight I shifted to Fuji XT-1. All my street images for the last two years were done with the Fuji XT-1 and 23mm lens. I like my Fuji set up because of its compact and lightweight characteristics, and the color that it produces is very nice that I do not need to alter them in post processing. Lately I have also been using a Fuji 18mm lens if I wanted more information on my street shots.

Please describe your workflow (post-processing, cropping, selection criteria, etc.)

I compose my shots to capture in my frame what I want to be the end result. Very seldom that I will crop my image. I shoot in RAW format and use Lightroom to convert them into JPG format for publishing. I shoot in color and in the process of selecting I see an image exuding a greater impact in monochrome then I work on it in black and white and it will stay that way. Selecting an image as a keeper as I mentioned above, I need to find a good content and composition and should deliver that impact. My post processing workflow is only to do minor adjustments in exposure, shadows, clean up spots that is distracting to the whole composition.  


What do you hope to accomplish in your photography in the future?  Do you have any regrets, or anything you would change?

I love and enjoy doing Street Photography and moving forward I intend to do more series and projects and develop them into photo zines and books. I should have done this earlier is the only regret or change that I can think of.