Hi, I'm Ju. I was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. At age 15, I started traveling the world, and a few years later, I began exploring photography. At age 24, I quit my job as a product designer and moved to Indonesia to become a professional outdoor photographer and videographer. Since then, I've worked with some of the most talented surfers in Brazil, producing content for their sponsors and Sports/Travel TV channel. I always create with a purpose and a meaningful message. Inspiring people and spreading the "good" word is what I like to do the most. I can say that my creativity comes from past experiences, emotions, and mostly from my heart.
A brief explanation of Quarantine With A View
Quarantine With A View was worked on during the 2020 lockdown. Living alone and staying 45 days without any physical contact was very challenging. After 2 weeks, California opened up again for outdoor activities. One day, I was on my porch talking to a friend who sometimes walks on my street. I noticed a beautiful light on her and decided to take some pictures. After seeing the photos on my computer, I couldn't contain my joy and barely stopped smiling. That is when I came up with the idea of using my porch elements to take pictures of people who pass by. That's how "Quarantine With A View" was created, taking 2 months to complete.
SimplePrints and Ju Martins Q&A Session
Q - What inspired the idea of creating"Quarantine With A View"?
A - Taking pictures is like therapy for me. Making people smile is something that works as a cure for me. During the lockdown, some felt lonely and struggled with not socializing with friends or family. I heard from friends that they missed their freedom, making them sad, and, of course, I related to them. I needed to do something to keep my creativity alive, which always helped me express feelings. I also started thinking about how I could transform a difficult moment into something that could become a good memory. So, after my first click, as I mentioned above, I realized that it was working. Friends or people who follow me on social media call and show up to be part of the project and bring more joy to these people's days inspired me to keep doing this for almost 2 months.
Q - How many people participated? And how did you pick who you wanted to participate?
A - 20 people in total. Most of the people who participate are friends and one or two came from my instagram where I share a little bit about the project.
Q - How was the experience of doing the project?
A - Quarantine was definitely a challenge, and being able to feel inspired, be creative, and put a smile on people's faces was very special. After partnering with SimplePrints, I turned all the photos into a photo book to share with everyone who participated made me even happier.
Hearing from some of them on how good it was to be a part of the project and that these
memories will last forever is magical. No words can describe the accomplishment I felt in giving everyone a book with their photos.
Q - What hurdles did you face?
A - There were no big hurdles. The only thing I would have liked to do was take more candid photos of everyone passing by on my street and not just the people who called me.
Q - How did you like the outcome of the project?
A - The project worked as a cure for me. Every time I look at the book, I get very emotional. They represent good memories during a time in life that one will never forget. It's a project I should try to keep doing, maybe with a different name, but something with the same concept.
Q - What message do you want to give people with this project?
A - I often notice people let themselves down when they are upset, frustrated, or have a difficult moment in life. My advice is not to let this bring you down, but rather let it motivate you to search for what makes you feel good, what makes you happy.
Bonus Questions
Q - What tips do you have for our users when it comes to taking pictures?
A - Nowadays, everyone has access to a camera, whether your cell phone camera, a small camera, or a professional camera. What matters is how you look at the world through it. One-click can eternalize moments that can tell so many different stories. There is no right or wrong. Go out there and express your feelings through the camera, share your perspective.
Q - Can you share what other exciting projects you have on the works?
A - A possible continuation to "Quarantine With A View", but maybe this time it won't be only from my porch, but from different "windows." I don't know how I'm going to call it yet, though.
Another project is to experiment with my photos, like doing some paintings on some of my prints or even collage. My favorite is the Artvism project that I'm working on, which is basically doing some collages on photos printed with garbage collected on the beaches.
Q - If not a photographer, what would else would you have wanted to do?
A - That's a tough question. Maybe I'd work with something that could help people, maybe in the food industry, or some kind of healing or plants.
Q - What is your favorite SimplePrints product?
A - It’s hard to pick just one favorite, but the books and the metal prints are definitely my favorites.
Thank you to Ju Martins for using SimplePrints to create her Quarantine With A View project and for agreeing to have this interview. You can follow her on Instagram @jumartinss, on LinkedIn at Ju Martins, and check out her work on her website www.jumartins.com.
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