Pedro Bento

Real | Timeless | Emotional  
 
Portugal wedding photographer Pedro Bento makes his home with his wife and two kids near Lisbon in a quiet place that’s just fifteen minutes from either the city center or the beach.  
 
Pedro’s life as a photographer began when he was twenty and started shooting with his father’s camera from Macau, so he describes his penchant for photography a “legacy” situation. Initially, his interest was in landscape photography, something he pursued for his first decade as a photographer. About seven years ago, he decided to delve into the world of documentary wedding photography and has never looked back. 
 
A master of black & white imagery, Pedro’s images exude both artistry and emotion—frequently concentrating on the small, unexpected, and frequently funny moments that reveal the true character of the event and the uniqueness of the couple. Above all, Pedro devotes himself to staying with the action and the emotions of the people at the event. “I value moments, not things,” he says. “I want to believe that people feel something good from their hearts when they look at my photos. That’s my goal in photography.” 
 
Asked if he has any interesting personality quirks, Pedro joked that his wife would say yes: thinking too much about photography. However, finding a good work/life balance is something he considers the key to a good life. “You are successful if you work in something you really love and have quality time for you and your family. This balance is really hard,” he admits, “but if you achieve it you’re in heaven.” 
 
Photography and family came together when we asked Pedro about what he considered his “best” photo. “It’s a photo I took a year ago, with four birds flying across the mountains in the middle of a snow storm. That photo represents me, my wife, and our two kids keeping together and trying to find the best of life—even in difficult moments,” he says. Pedro is also striving to find time for another family photo project he has in mind: photographing his 90- and 93-year-old grandparents.  
 
Drawing inspiration from timeless sources like nature and family, Pedro concludes that being “fearless” has a lot to do with remaining true to yourself and your aesthetic. For him, that means, “Shooting and showing weddings in black & white and believing in my vision without caring about the trends.” 
 
Pedro Bento | Portugal | Fearless since 2019