Vania Marques: The Fortuitous Encounter That Transformed a Gaze

At 70 years old, Vania Marques, a native of Minas Gerais based in Niterói, proves that a passion for photography can blossom at any stage of life. With a professional trajectory dedicated to sustainability and social responsibility, she discovered in imagery a new form of engagement with the world. What began as a hobby to document her grandchildren’s growth transformed, during the pandemic, into a language of personal expression and sensitive documentation of reality.

The image “Pandemic – The Walk Home” a finalist in the Single Image category of the FotoDoc Photo Contest 2025, represents a decisive moment in her photographic journey. Captured in December 2020 on a beach in Niterói, the photograph documents a man pulling his unsold merchandise at the end of the day during twilight. More than a record of the pandemic’s economic impact, the image synthesizes the collective sadness of that period through the solitary and downcast figure. This specific moment made Vania understand the power of photography as an instrument of emotional expression and led her to decide to abandon her previous career to dedicate herself fully to imagery.

Learn more about this personal transformation and the photographer’s current projects in the following interview.

Beleza
As flores vendidas por um dos comerciantes do lugar trazem uma beleza inesperada, enquanto mostram o vigor do comércio da favela. – Imagem do Ensaio Rocinha são Muitas… de Vania Marques, selecionado no Prêmio Portfólio FotoDoc 2025

Infinito
Os becos e vielas da Rocinha surgem se ramificando e se aprofundando num labirinto que parece infinito. – Imagem do Ensaio Rocinha são Muitas… de Vania Marques, selecionado no Prêmio Portfólio FotoDoc 2025

Contradições
Da Lage se vê o Rio de Janeiro e a própria Rocinha que se derramam no vale evidenciando as contradições que a Cidade não consegue equacionar. – Imagem do Ensaio Rocinha são Muitas… de Vania Marques, selecionado no Prêmio Portfólio FotoDoc 2025

How old are you? Where do you currently live and work?

I am 70 years old, I am from Minas Gerais, but I have lived in Niterói (RJ) for over 20 years.

Tell us about your journey in photography. When did you start photographing and why? What role does photography play in your life?

I started photographing as a hobby about ten years ago, with the birth of my grandchildren, using an iPhone. Until 2022, my main subject was my granddaughter, but I also photographed nature, travels, streets, and people. At the beginning of 2023, I took a two-month sabbatical, traveling through Costa Rica, Panama, and Cuba, which broadened my gaze to the natural, historical, and social scenery I encountered. As I worked with sustainability and social responsibility, photography was also a way to portray the beauty of the planet, the impacts caused by man, and the challenges of life in society. Today, photography is one of the three main pillars of my life, alongside family life and volunteer work in urban peripheries.

Orgulho e desejo
A frase, tão icônica que virou nome de um drink conhecido em todo o mundo, reafirma o orgulho de ser cubano e traz consigo um desejo de liberdade. – Imagem do Ensaio Viva Cuba Libre! de Vania Marques, selecionado no Prêmio Portfólio FotoDoc 2025

Resiliência
A força de um povo também se sustenta em manter seus valores e princípios. – Imagem do Ensaio Viva Cuba Libre! de Vania Marques, selecionado no Prêmio Portfólio FotoDoc 2025

Mensagem
Na casa onde viveu Che Guevara, incontáveis registros de pessoas do mundo inteiro evidenciam como sua figura é cultuada e uma mensagem em destaque tangencia a sabedoria da alteridade. – Imagem do Ensaio Viva Cuba Libre! de Vania Marques, selecionado no Prêmio Portfólio FotoDoc 2025

Tell us about your finalist work for the FotoDoc Photo Contest 2025. When and where was it created? What is its concept? How does it fit into your photographic practice?

During the Covid19 pandemic, recording daily life indoors and a few landscapes became a way to alleviate the pain of those days. I was living near the beach and used to walk a little on the sand daily.

It was December 2020. One day, while enjoying the sunset, I witnessed the passage of this man pulling his merchandise, which he hadn’t managed to sell. He walked with his head down, and his sadness was perceptible, despite the backlight. I identified with him immediately, took my cell phone, and recorded the moment, so representative of those times.

For the first time, I understood that photography could be a way to express my feelings while recording the reality surrounding me. I realized I could make this my dream personal project to fill the next years of my life. I then decided to abandon my consulting and teaching activities in sustainability and fully embrace photography, studying and practicing more and more.

What projects are you currently working on? What are your near-future plans for photographic production?

I have been working with urban, landscape, and nature photography, mainly in Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, and nearby cities. I am carrying out a long-term project that unites the literature of Guimarães Rosa, the regions and landscapes where his works are set, and my ancestry, as my family is originally from that region. Last July, I was in Cordisburgo (MG) to research for the project and obtain the first photographic records.

Another project, still in the planning stage, is documenting the impacts of climate change on coastal cities in the State of Rio de Janeiro, including Niterói.

I also wish to work on disseminating photography among the population of the peripheries and in Fine Art photography production.