Brasil

In the summer of 2025, I traveled to Brasil immediately following my semester abroad in Cairo. Thanks to the Wesleyan Summer Grant, I was able to spend a life-changing time volunteering at Iracambi’s Forest Research Center in the heart of the Atlantic Rainforest in Minas Gerais, Brasil. During my time there, I helped with day to day maintenance, served as a research assistant for other international students, and helped create content for the NGO’s social media page. I think the constant practice of taking of pictures and videos in often difficult-to-navigate environments really helped hone my craft. The experience ended up influencing my decision to shoot most of my senior thesis film in different forests around Connecticut. During my time in Brasil, I had the pleasure of taking trips with the friends I made there (several of whom can be seen in my pictures) to wonderful places such as Paraty, Ouro Preto, Viçosa, and Rio De Janeiro.

A woman with curly dark hair and glasses is holding a jar while crouched among trees and plants in a forest or wooded area.
Person climbing in a dense wooded area with many branches and green leaves.
A person's arm with tattoos and bracelets is reaching through leaves and branches in a natural outdoor setting.
A person with curly dark hair and a beard, wearing a denim jacket and red t-shirt, covers their face with both hands in a dense forest with tall trees and green foliage.
A rustic wooden shed with a corrugated metal roof is situated in a green grassy field, surrounded by a wooden fence. Hills covered with trees are visible in the background under a clear blue sky.
A person picking a yellow apple from an apple tree surrounded by green leaves.
A plastic bag filled with yellow and green fruit, a green and gray backpack, and a piece of clothing on the ground in a grassy outdoor area.
Three hikers trekking through a lush, green hillside trail with a mountainous landscape and partly cloudy sky in the background.
Three hikers walking on a trail in a grassy open field under a blue sky with clouds, with hills and mountains in the distance.
A man with short dark hair and a beard standing in a lush forest, touching a tree with his right hand, wearing a beige t-shirt with a colorful circle design, and a tool attached to his waistband.
People standing outside a small building in a rural area, surrounded by trees and under a partly cloudy sky.
A woman with brown hair, wearing a white shirt, sitting on the forest floor surrounded by leaves and plants, writing in a notebook. A gray backpack and an orange machete are on the ground nearby.
A person partly obscured by dense foliage and small tree trunks in a wooded area.
People exploring a dense jungle or forest with thick green foliage and vines
A white vintage Volkswagen Beetle parked on a grassy area surrounded by green trees and plants, with a partly cloudy sky above.
A group of four people standing near a small waterfall in a lush green forest with tall trees and a partly cloudy sky.
A rural scene with a small black and white dog standing on a dirt path next to an old rustic building with distressed walls and wooden beams. Green leafy plants and banana trees grow alongside the path under a partly cloudy sky.
A dirt path running alongside a body of water, with a wooden and wire fence on either side, green hills and trees in the background, and two people walking along the path under a blue sky with scattered clouds.
Silhouette of a person with bun hairstyle, standing against a vibrant sunset sky with orange and purple clouds, overlooking the ocean with trees in the foreground.
Three people standing on a mountain overlook, gazing at a vast landscape of rolling hills and mountains under a clear blue sky.
A person with curly hair wearing a hoodie and green shorts stands on a rocky ledge, overlooking a mountain landscape at sunset with a sky filled with clouds.
Silhouettes of people around a campfire during sunset, with a tent and trees in the background.
Close-up of pink and orange pom-pom shaped flowers on a green leafy shrub.
A two-story house with a tiled roof, surrounded by palm trees and greenery, under a clear blue sky.
View of a rustic outdoor area with sand ground, potted plants in the foreground, stacked clay tiles, a wheelbarrow, and lush green trees and shrubs in the background. Mountain peaks are visible in the distance under a cloudy sky.
A historic church or cathedral with Baroque architecture, featuring ornate details, large columns, a green door, white walls with pink trim, and small windows, set against a bright blue sky.
A historic church situated on a sloped street in a small town, with a clear blue sky overhead.
Hilly residential neighborhood with houses, trees, and a church with twin towers in the foreground.
Close-up of a historic church with weathered stone architecture, topped with a cross, against a blue sky with the moon visible.
A woman with black hair sitting on a bus, wearing a purple sweater and looking out the window. Other passengers are visible, including a person with a colorful backpack and another with a hoodie, and a yellow vertical pole in the foreground.
View of a shop window display featuring wooden Pinocchio puppets hanging in front of the window, with a mannequin head draped in a white sweater on the left, and a colorful tablecloth with a cityscape pattern on the window sill.
Two people sitting on a windowsill overlooking a neighborhood with colorful houses and a hill in the background, inside a kitchen with a pineapple-shaped container and kitchen appliances on the counter.
A historic white church with a dome and cross at the top, set against a cloudy sky.
A man with glasses working on a colorful decorative vase at an outdoor market, with plush toys and fabrics in the background.
Open skylight window with view of a cloudy sky and cityscape below.
An elderly man wearing a pink hat with colorful ribbons and round sunglasses on top, playing a tambourine during a cultural celebration or festival. Several other people in festive attire and stage decorations are visible in the background.
People creating a mural on a brick wall, with some individuals painting and others observing, behind a metal barricade.
A park with a small round gazebo with a red-tiled roof surrounded by trees and foliage, with the Christ the Redeemer statue atop Corcovado Mountain in the background.
A small black animal, possibly a squirrel, climbing a tree trunk in a forest with the background of blurred leaves and light.
A black and gray monkey sitting on a branch among green leaves in a forest.
A small marmoset monkey perched on a tree branch surrounded by green leaves.
Entrance to a greenhouse or conservatory named 'Orquideario' with white arched architecture and people inside, including a woman in a colorful dress standing at the entrance.
Aerial view of a cityscape with a stadium, water bodies, and mountains in the distance.
View of Sugarloaf Mountain with a cable car, boats in the harbor, and a sandy beach with people, under a clear blue sky.
People sitting and standing on a sandy beach at sunset, looking at the ocean waves, with a cityscape and mountains in the background.
Neon sign for 'Cargo Point Drinks' with illustrations of martini glasses, set against a busy crowd scene at night under a canopy with graffiti and colorful decorations.