About

b. 1985, Vouzela, PT. Based in London, UK.

João Pereira has been taking photographs for most of his life. While studying multimedia design at university, photography was the part that stayed with him — something he drifted in and out of over the years, never entirely letting go.

In 2020, that relationship changed. Furloughed during the pandemic, quitting smoking and drinking, and suddenly left with a lot of time and restless energy, he began running and spending long hours outside. After the murder of George Floyd, he started attending protests more regularly, initially with a strong desire to help, to document what was happening, and to contribute in some small way to making the world better. The pace, intensity, and sense of purpose pulled him in, and photography became central again.

Since then, João has documented protests and activism across the UK, collaborating with NGOs on climate and social issues. His work has been featured in outlets such as the Guardian and BBC, as well as publications including Portrait of Humanity and various exhibitions. Early on, the work felt driven by urgency and responsibility. Over time, the mindset shifted. While the issues still matter deeply, photography became more personal — a practice rather than a mission. Going out to shoot now feels like an exercise, a game, a way of staying present and grounded. His hope is simply that the work might inspire others to engage, to look, or to participate in their own way.

Alongside activism, João works in street and event photography, drawn to everyday life and the emotions that surface within it. He is particularly interested in ordinary, often overlooked moments — crowds moving through shopping streets, expressions of disconnection or quiet dissatisfaction in places meant to promise happiness. These images may feel mundane now, but he sees them as records that gain meaning over time. A way of showing what life felt like, not just what happened.

Photography, for João, is a way of thinking without words. A space where things can stay subtle, unresolved, and human.

“Photography, for me, is a kind of meditation. When I’m out shooting, it feels like a game that pulls me out of myself and into the world. My ego quiets down, I stop trying to control things, and I let my intuition take over. I feel more directly connected to what’s around me.

By spending a lot of time out there—walking, waiting, shooting, coming back again and again—I’ve learned that things start to appear on their own. Moments I couldn’t plan, scenes I couldn’t force. It feels like the universe offering small gifts, and I just keep collecting them. Each one reminds me how beautiful it all is, how strange and generous it is to be present in this reality at all.

That process affects more than just the photographs. It makes me think about my own life, about other people, about society, about how we relate to each other. It makes me feel more human and more connected to everything, rather than separate from it.

Photography also gives me a way to express things I struggle to say out loud. Verbal language feels limiting to me—too structured, too blunt. Images can hold subtlety and feeling without spelling everything out. They let things stay implicit, unresolved, and open, which feels truer to how I experience the world.”

“Alongside activism, I also photograph the street and everyday life. I sometimes struggle with street photography when it isn’t tied to a specific event or to photojournalism — it can feel meaningless in the present. But then I think about time. I think about the possibility that, in 200 years, there might be a kid born on Mars, someone who will never get the chance to see Earth. For them, these ordinary images of life might matter. Not as art, but as evidence of what being here felt like.

When I’m out shooting, I’m drawn to people’s emotions, especially in busy shopping areas of cities. Places where we’re told happiness should exist, where consumption is meant to fulfil us. What I often see instead is fatigue, disconnection, and quiet dissatisfaction. I’m interested in that gap — between the promise and the reality — and in preserving these small, mundane moments that may only reveal their value with time.”

Contact

• Email — hey@joaodanielpereira.pictures
• Phone — +44 7479 493447