Carlota Leitão Portuguese photographer.

What most inspires her is documentary photography, the opportunity to create photos that speak, photos that tell stories. It's not in capturing the perfect image, in the most aesthetic or shocking fraction of a second that she puts her photographer's attention, but in the story it contains, in the human effort that is being made to achieve something that feels important in a given context.

With her work, she addresses topics such as Drag Queen Identities, the medical emergency - Inem, voyeurism, pandemic confinement or the humanitarian work, presented in individual and collective exhibitions in Europe and South America.

Her photographs have already been published in several newspapers, magazines and online, namely Jornal de Notícias, Expresso, Visão, Caras, Record. She also likes to take photos of pauses, of reflection and contemplation, photos she takes around the world and calls "It’s the little things".

Born in Portugal, she has a degree in Advertising Engineering. In 2002 she takes the initiation and advanced courses in Photography at the Instituto Português da Juventude (IPJ) and in 2007 the professional course in Photography at the Instituto Português de Fotografia (IPF). In 2003, participates for first time in an exhibition group with the theme "nude" in the several regional offices of the IPJ. In 2008 she participates in a Collective Exhibition “Lá e Cá” in Brasilia, Brazil-Exhibition that distinguishes the best works of the year by students from IPF-Porto, Lisbon and Senac Brasil – São Paulo. In 2009, makes known her work titled "Voyeur" exhibition at the IPF and an exhibition group at the Biennale Milheirós II, and in 2010, at the Cultural Center Trofa. Also, in this same year with her work "Identities - Drag queen" she sees her work selected for a group exhibition in Italy and the publication of the book Lee-Make History Second Exhibition, together with over 100 photographers worldwide. In the same year, she made the cover of the Jornal de Notícias -Photographic report “5 cars burned in two days”, and saw her documentary report on INEM published in the Newsletter of the Institution. In 2011, this work is made known in a solo exhibition titled "INEM - Stories of Limbo", in “Casa do Alto”, by invitation of the Municipal Council of Maia - Portugal. Again, in the same year, she was awarded with a three month scholarship to develop a tactile photography project at Senac in São Paulo, Brazil, curated by João Kulcsar.

It is this part of author work and documentary photography that continues to work and which integrate the majority of her works.

In parallel with her work in documentary photography and photojournalism, she created Fullframe in 2009, a photography company, supporting companies and brands with professional services in the field of photography and, in 2012, she launched the technical book on studio photography “Luzes Câmara Ação”, in an Author edition, in partnership with photographer Pedro do Canto Brum, which aims to provide students, amateurs and professionals with an instrument that explains and exemplifies how photography is actually produced in the studio.

After a 10-year hiatus, she began to accept again exhibition invitations. In 2022, she has two exhibitions at the Holy Art Gallery in London. In May the exhibition DISCONNECT with the project - Under the skin, and in June, AESTHETICA with the Quarantine project.

She currently lives in Porto, Portugal, from where she leaves several times a year on documentary trips.

Exhibitions

2023 - CEWE Photo Award 2023 exhibition in Europe

2023 - Collective exhibition VISIONS with the - It's the little things project. - Tapial Virtual - in Santiago do Chile.

2022 - Collective exhibition DISCONNECT with the - Under the skin project. - Holy Art Gallery in London.

2022 -Collective exhibition AESTHETICA with the Quarantine project. Holy Art Gallery in London.

2011 - “INEM - Histórias do Limbo” - Casa do Alto - Maia.

2010 -Collective exhibition “Make History Second Exhibition” - Italy.

2010 - *Collective exhibition“A visão de duas mulheres sobre o transformismo” - Café Fenix|Convite Grupo F4.

2010 - “Voyeur” - Cultural Center of Trofa.

2010 - “Voyeur” - Collective exhibition at Sandim Parish Council.

2009 - “Voyeur” IPF (Portuguese Institute of Photography) Oporto.

2009 - “Voyeur” - Collective exhibition - II Bienal of Milheirós.

2008 - Collective exhibition “Lá e Cá” - Contest distinghising the best students’ works of the year IPF - Oporto, Lisbon and Senac Brasil - Brasília.

2003 - Collective exhibition on the several Delegations of IPJ - Theme “Nude”.

Awards

*CEWE Photo Award 2023 - You belong to the best 30!

In total, more than half a million photos from 147 countries were submitted - making the CEWE Photo Award once again the world's largest photo competition and you have personally contributed to this title.

You also helped CEWE to generate the proud donation sum of 50,961.20 euros to the SOS Children's Villages worldwide - we would like to thank you very much.

The donation was handed over on 21 September during the festive award ceremony at PHOTOPIA in Hamburg. The donation will support the EduCare Baidoa education programme in Somalia.

*Make History Second Edition - World photo contest, one-year duration – 3 stories for online publication and one of the 101 finalists selected for exhibition and publication of a book in a contest with 2.398 Photographers| 9.667 delivered works | 1.716 stories published online.

*Winner of the contest “Lá e Cá” promoted by IPF Oporto, Lisbon and São Paulo, Contest distinghising the best students’ works of the year.

Publications

2023 - Volta ao Mundo Magazine - September. Article | Through the Lens of Carlota Leitão - Images That Speak.

2023 - Lens Magazine August 2023 issue #107. Usury Victims Stage Protest in Kathmandu

2023 - August - Publication of multiple photo reports in various Nepalese newspapers, notably - Enewspolar, Ehimalaya and Myrepública.

2012 - Technical book on studio photography “Luzes Câmara Ação”, in an Author edition, in partnership with photographer Pedro do Canto Brum, which aims to provide students, amateurs and professionals with an instrument that explains and exemplifies how photography is actually produced in the studio.

2010 - *Book “Make History Second Edition”.

2010 - *National Newspaper Cover Page “Jornal de Notícias” - March 5th 2010, Photostory “5 burned out cars in two days”.

2010 - *Newsletter INEM - August 30th 2010, Photostory with the INEM (National Institute of Emergency Medical Services).