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I'm Lucas Miguel, a Brazilian visual artist based in New York City, working primarily with analog photography — 35mm and medium format. My work is driven by a desire to document humans, how we relate to each other, ourselves, and the natural world. Photography, for me, is as much about connection as it is about image-making. It’s a way of bonding, of paying attention, and creating a bit of magic in the process. I’m grateful to Clube dos 35 for the chance to share more about my experience with this medium
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What are you currently working on? Is there any project you would like to share with us?
Absolutely! I’m working on a documentary project where I invite specific people I’ve connected with along the way to spend a “creative day” together – talking, sharing thoughts, and making images. These are individuals who’ve left a strong impression on me through their presence and groundedness. It’s less about a specific niche and more about a common way of being.
Alongside the photographs, I’ve also been writing about these encounters, capturing the atmosphere of each meeting and reflecting on what unfolds beyond the frame. It’s a slow and evolving process, but one that’s helping me deepen my practice as both an image-maker and a storyteller.
If yes, what inspired the creation of this project?
It started with a desire to spend more meaningful time with these people while also sharing their particularities with the world in a special way.
How did you first get introduced to photography?
It was a mix of having artsy siblings around and a self-driven urge to document life in any way I could. My journey with photography — especially analog — has been deeply intuitive and shaped by trial and error. I’m grateful for that, because it taught me to embrace the “imperfections” in certain images and to think beyond traditional ideas of framing, exposure, or subject.
Can you describe your creative process?
It really depends on the project or idea I’m working on, but one thing I know for sure is that I’m not very fond of overplanning. Most of the work I’m proudest of has come from about 10% planning and 90% intuition: responding to the moment, working with the circumstances, and staying open to whatever unfolds.
I find that approach much more enjoyable because it guarantees some level of surprise — good or bad. Over-tailoring a final outcome can block us from taking unexpected paths that might be more exciting or meaningful. Of course, I don’t always operate this way — especially not in commercial work, where more structure is often demanded. But the times when clients have agreed to embrace experimentation with me is when the most original work was created.
Tell us about the equipment you use. Where did it come from, and what does the camera you use represent to you?
I’ve got three analog babies right now. First, there’s the Canon AE-1, my go-to for 35mm projects that need more manual control. Then there’s the Olympus Stylus Zoom 115 (point & shoot and currently my favorite) for quick everyday snapshots. And finally, the Pentax 6x7 for some medium format magic.
More important than having the “right camera” is learning to really understand whatever gear you’ve got. For a long time, the Canon AE-1 was all I had, and while it has its limitations in terms of sharpness and image quality, it challenged me to develop an aesthetic that worked within those constraints and get the most out of it.
Are there any artists, not necessarily in the realm of photography, who have left a significant impact on your life and work? This could be someone from the past or someone currently influential.
Artists from different mediums have shaped me, both through their work and their way of living. I’m especially drawn to multidisciplinary creators with a kind of irreverent playfulness — a comfort with being misunderstood and a refusal to over-explain. A few that come to mind: Letrux (Brazil), Ren Hang (China), Efe Godoy (Brazil), and Grace Jones (Jamaica).
But maybe the person who’s inspired me most to actually consider being an artist is my brother, LEAAN (@euleaan). He’s a multi-artist himself, and watching him create so passionately and doing most of it independently, has pushed me to do the same.
And of course, I have to mention my pop divas (because why not lol). There’s something about their boldness and confidence that has always been a motivation to trust my own journey, especially growing up. If you’ve been in the studio with me, chances are we’ve played Madonna or Beyoncé at some point haha