Red Bull Illume photographer Jair Bortoleto began his journey becoming one of the most prolific Brazilian surf photographers by shooting exclusively in B&W. Our team caught up with Jair to discuss his style & his journey…
“B&W is my color. It's where I identify my style and aesthetics. I think you actually can see color in a black and white photograph!” says Jair. “I don't believe in a perfect shot. A lot of photographers look for the perfect shot, and I think it's impossible. We are imperfect human beings and it's impossible to create something perfect. What I believe it's in the pureness in the imperfection. We can be pure, at least a bit, and find this gap on the imperfection to create something unique, imperfect, but unique.”
It all started at a young age…
“I started taking photos when I was 9 years-old. My mom gave me a broken Yashica camera. Yes, broken... I used to run around the neighbor faking news photos!” laughs Jair.
“After living in the metropolis of São Paulo, my family moved to the coast, where I fell deeply into surfing and surfed my brains out for years. When I was 18, I went to Peru and Hawaii to surf, and took a point-and-shoot camera with me. After coming back some friends told me that I had a good eye for it!”
The age of B&W…
“I lived for a few months in Boston and fell in love with black and white photography. I soon started to shoot B&W exclusively. In 2005, after getting married in my local town of Santos, I started a photo project about the surf lifestyle in the city and shot the most iconic surfers from Santos, where the surf born in Brasil in the 30's. I published a book a year later and then kept shooting, contributing for various magazines and some group shows around the world in the following years.”
“In 2010 I was invited to become the editor of The Surfer's Journal Brasil, which would be released in 2011. I learned how to edit a magazine from the beginning. My teacher was the legendary editor Adrian Kojin. I scored the first cover shoot with a photo of João Mauricio Jabour, father of North Shore local hero Kiron Jabour."
Current events…
"Right now I am working for Romeu Andreatta, editing and curating the Almasurf platform. I also just had my first real solo exhibition in NYC at the Picture Farm Gallery in Brooklyn, curated by legendary editor Toddy Stewart…
Stoked!"
Be sure to follow Jair’s journey via his website.
A B&W Surf Photography Odyssey
A B&W Surf Photography Odyssey

© Jair Bortoleto