Clickety Click - Tauana Sofia
Tauana Sofia is a photographer living in São Paulo, Brazil. She’s created a unique style that merges her passion for fashion and skateboarding photography into one approach. We’re big supporters of people that take a different approach. Good stuff Tauana!
You live in São Paulo, what’s the scene like out there?
Skateboarding photography came into my life in 2012, but at the time there weren't many girls where I lived in Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, so my clicks were more directed to the boys. In 2016, I moved to São Paulo and started my relationship with Vans Br, my idea was to empower their female athletes, which at the time in Brazil, was a only a surfer. I produced a surfing short film (was my first film, like a DIY film hahaha) which was more linked to fashion. A few months later Vans Brazil started to relate with girls skaters and that's where I started to shooting skate again. I was shooting contests and was standing out because of my lifestyle and fashion photos in the skate world. And it was from there that I had the opportunity in 2019 to cover the stages of the Vans Park Series around the world with my fashion photographer look. I was photographing a Brazilian skate championship (Skate Total Urban), delivering only behavior (skate / fashion), 2018 I clicked the Vans Park series Brazil and the California stage, where I gathered super cool material and created my relationship with Vans Park Series, that was a dream !!! The last stage of the year was August, 2019 and I keep wondering how amazing it was to work alongside so many talented girls. I hope it is the beginning of a relationship. It was inspiring.
The womens skate scene in São Paulo is very strong it is ruled by crews like "Batateiras Skate Girls" and "Britney’s Crew", the female skateboarding around here is getting increasingly united and has many talented girls, I am impressed when I see Atali Mendes, Vitoria Bortolo, Vi Mendonça. Girls here come together all the time to create their own content and empower each other.
Why do you shoot?
Answering why I shoot is a little difficult, but I can say it was love at first sight. I have always been very free, I lived alone for 12 years, I have lived in many places and photography has always allowed me to have this nomadic life, to discover myself in new places. I did 2 colleges, one specialization, and in the end, my love of photography was stronger, and it was so strong that it worked from the beginning. I always dedicated myself, I was always very focused on my goals as a professional woman and where I would like to go. When I think of fashion, there is still a lot more for me yet, I have many dreams, how to make a Vogue cover one day, why not? And in skateboarding, I will be creating my copyright projects, like the documentary I'm developing alongside two great friends.
Your background is in fashion photography, do you think that has influenced how you shoot skateboarding?
Fashion influences me in everything I do, In my daily life and skateboarding. I see my skateboarding look totally connected to fashion, even when it's a maneuver photo, I don't follow rules and like to work with a more vintage look. I love when photography represents the skateboarders style and spirit. The portrait tells something special. For me this is all about my connection to fashion. Play with bowl shadows.
You mentioned to us that you think girls need to be more united, what do you mean by that?
While I see the crews of girls increasing, I feel that the part of the women who create the content (in fashion or skateboard), compete more with each other than collaborate. When I did the exhibition “GRRRL” here in São Paulo of women skate photography, it was to represent a broader view of the large number of women who produce audio visual content. Honestly my biggest dream is to be able to work with as many women as possible by my side and not make them my competitors. I love giving opportunities, but I miss women who call you to produce together. I think it lacks this maturity to understand that feminism is also about women being united and I breathe and mentor a lot for this improvement.
Who is your favorite photographer?
I do not currently have a favorite photographer, I am connected to several, nowadays we receive new content every day. But I am always in love with photographers who work with photographs closer to our reality, cruder images. I really like Juergen Teller's fashion work. The first woman in skateboarding that I was fan of was Zorah Olivia, i think she is so amazing!!!!
What advise would you give someone starting out in photography?
Photographing women skaters is a way to leverage our feminine strength. I think skateboarding is very strong as a representation of women's strength. I find it so beautiful, so poetic and inspiring. Skateboarding is challenging and can inspire women to be whatever they want. Currently my biggest dream is to be able to put my documentary into practice, to bring female skate reference to the new generation. There are thousands of girls, who walk A LOT but have no idea who Lyz Adams or Elissa Steamer are. I feel that female skateboarding needs more cultural references, movies, music and more messages from the huge past generation that I sometimes feel forgotten.
For those just starting out, my advice is to be unique. Create your identity, use your daily life as inspiration. You do not need the best equipment. You need willpower. I started by clicking my friends at sunrise, I was a long time assistant to a photographer who was photographing pregnant women. I had a photo studio and was constantly experimenting until I created my style that people could identify. You cannot stop experimenting. There is a lot to happen ahead. You just have to believe it and i always be curious.