Wally Lafaiete is a creative based in San Antonio, Texas.

waldinei@hotmail.com

When photographer Waldinei “Wally” Lafaiete snaps an image it is more than just capturing a moment. He likens photography to conceptual art, enhanced by his subjects’ beauty and symmetry, simplicity and colors. Through his lenses he freezes time in the visual world his imagination inhabits.

San Antonio’s cultural and ethnic diversity have been stimulating his South American soul since 2009 when he moved here from California. Lafaiete’s earliest memories began with the multi-faceted atmosphere, rhythms and textures of his native São Paulo in Brazil. The constant movement of over 20 million residents, samba’s enticing pulse and the vibrancy of the annual Carnaval festivities drew him to the arts. Resourcefulness also began at a young age. Limited funds never stagnated his initial creativity. He learned flexibility, rather than focusing on exacting techniques which freed him to trust his instincts. Decades later, those traits still influence Lafaiete’s fine art photography.

Carnaval-style props of masks, feathers along with shiny and sparkling materials are sometimes utilized in shoots for magazine editorials. Beyond vivid accessories, Lafaiete merges his intuition and graphic design background with digital manipulations to achieve the looks he wants.

To capture a bride, a corporate executive or a professional model at their best requires putting them in an optimal frame of mind for the photo session. Wally, who also has a degree in Psychology, first gains any subject’s trust by suggesting they play a character on an audition. The more they embody the character, the more relaxed they become, and the resulting tranquility produces more natural facial expressions. If that fails, joke telling – even bad ones – often bring the same results.

Wally has long been associated with photographing well-heeled San Antonio socialites, artists, models, television personalities and other notable individuals. Most characteristic of Wally is his ability to connect individuals into a creative network which is culminating into a community of talent that is quite inspirational. In this manner, he has been able to discover and showcase an impressive pool of talent and expertise within various fields. His images of these and other individuals have been featured within the pages of international periodicals and have graced multiple covers of magazines. His ability to relay an individual’s unique beauty and character is unrivaled.

Wally has the talent and connections to catapult someone’s career to the next level as attested by several success stories of models and aspiring artists who first worked with his business. With his brand well recognized, Mr. Lafaiete continues with coverage of major San Antonio social events but is slowly withdrawing from de rigueur event coverage to pursue his passion of artistic studio photography allowing him to elevate his craft.

Besides photography Wally loves traveling. He has captured through his lens people and landscapes in more than 30 countries. He is constantly amazed to find beautiful photography settings from humble villages to palaces. Click on ThroughWallyLens to see how Wally is capturing beauty in Texas, in the U.S. and abroad.