[EN]
she/her
Maíra Erlich is a Brazilian documentary photographer with a focus on social issues, human rights, politics, and culture. For eight years she was dedicated to wedding photography, having won more than 50 awards and ranking among the best photographers, according to Fearless Photographers and ISPWP. In 2018, Maíra won the second season of the photography competition Arte Na Fotografia, on the Brazilian TV channel Arte1.
Currently works as an independent photographer, collaborating with international media outlets and organizations such as Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal, El País, Reuters, The Nature Conservancy, Conservation International, among others.
In 2023, Maíra became a National Geographic Explorer, earning a grant to work on her project “Undermined: A Sinking City”, which explores the world’s largest urban mining disaster.
Member of Women Photograph, Diversify Photo, and The Everyday Projects.
[PT]
ela/dela
Maíra Erlich é uma fotógrafa documental de Recife, Pernambuco, com interesse em questões sociais, direitos humanos, política e cultura. Por 8 anos se dedicou à fotografia de casamentos, onde conquistou mais de 50 prêmios e ocupou o ranking de melhores fotógrafes do mundo nos diretórios Fearless Photographers e ISPWP. Em 2018 venceu a segunda temporada do reality show Arte Na Fotografia, do canal Arte1.
Atualmente trabalha de forma independente, colaborando com veículos e organizações internacionais como Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal, El País, Reuters, The Nature Conservancy, Conservation International, entre outros.
Em 2023, Maíra se tornou uma National Geographic Explorer, ganhando uma bolsa para realizar o projeto "Undermined: A Sinking City", que explora o maior desastre urbano de mineração do mundo.
Membro das organizações Women Photograph, Diversify Photo e The Everyday Projects.
awards & recognition.
2024 Nominated for the Joop Swart Masterclass | World Press Photo
2024 Diversify Photo - Photos of the Year | link
2023 National Geographic Explorer Grant
2023 Vital Impacts Mentorship Program | link
2023 Diversify Photo - 50 Best of the Year Photos | link
2023 Women Photograph Year in 100 Pictures | link
2022 Diversify Photo - 50 Best of the Year Photos | link
2022 Women Photograph Year in 100 Pictures | link
2022 Finalist Portfolio Award | Solar Foto Festival | Fortaleza, Brazil
2020 Women Photograph Year in 100 Pictures | link
2020 Finalist FotoFest Brazil / LensCulture Call
2019 Nominated for the Joop Swart Masterclass | World Press Photo
2018 Winner on TV competition Arte na Fotografia 2 | Arte1 Channel | Brazil
2018 3rd Best wedding story in 12 photos | 12 The Story Award
2016 Top 30 Best Wedding Photographers of the Year | Fearless Photographers
2016 Top 20 Best Wedding Photographers of the Year | Inspiration Photographers
2016 Top 100 Best Wedding Photographers of the Year | ISPWP
2016 Top 150 Best International Wedding Photographers | SLR Lounge
2016 Nominated for Photographer of the Year | Inspiration Photographers
2016 Nominated for Wedding of the Year | Inspiration Photographers
2014 Top 10 Best Wedding Photographers of the Quarter - Winter | ISPWP
2014 Top 20 Best Wedding Photographers of the Quarter - Fall | ISPWP
2014 Top 30 Best Wedding Photographers of the Year | Fearless Photographers
2014 Top 100 Best Wedding Photos | Canon Wedding Photographers Contest
exhibits.
2024 A História Que Eu Imaginei Pra Você (The Story I Envisioned For You) | Museu da Imagem e do Som | São Paulo, Brazil
2024 Resiliência - Habitar na Emergência Climática (Collective) | Festival Foto BSB | Brasília, Brazil
2023 Vital Impacts (Collective) | Festival della Fotografia Etica | Lodi, Italy
2023 Nida.Meeting Photography (Collective) | Nida, Lithuania
2021 Rituels Photographiques, Rituels de Resistance - Un regard sur le Brésil (Collective) | Arles, France
2021 Onde Mora a Esperança (Collective) | Habitat para a Humanidade | São Paulo, Brazil
2021 Presença (Collective) | Mulheres Luz | São Paulo, Brazil
2020 Retratos de Mulheres por Mulheres (Collective) | São Paulo, Brazil
interviews.
2022 Digital Brazil Project, San Diego State University | english | link
2022 Musée Magazine | english | link
2021 Podcast Consumarte | portuguese | link
2019 Festival de Fotografia de Paranapiacaba | portuguese | link
2019 Fotografe Melhor #269 | portuguese | link
2016 Podcast Papo de Fotógrafo | portuguese | link
2014 Matéria: Como eu fiz a foto | IPhoto Channel | portuguese | link
2012 Revista Continente | portuguese | link
event curating.
2020 Event co-curator Festival de Fotografia de Tiradentes online
2019 Event and exhibit co-curator Festival de Fotografia de Paranapiacaba
contest jury.
2023 Jury member The Nature Conservancy Photo Contest
2021 Jury member Fearless Photographers Collection 60
2021 Jury member Amarelos Family Photography Contest
2020 Jury member Amarelos Family Photography Contest
2019 Award coordinator 8º Prêmio Wedding Best
2019 Jury member Fearless Photographers Collection 47
2018 Jury member 7º Prêmio Wedding Best
2018 Jury member Amarelos Family Photography Contest
2016 Jury member Fearless Photographers Collection 34
2015 Jury member MyWed Award
talks & presentations.
2025 National Geographic Storytellers Summit | Washington, USA
2024 Festival Foto BSB | Brasília, Brazil
2024 Foto em Pauta | Belo Horizonte, Brazil
2024 Photoville Festival | online
2023 ImageCon | São Paulo, Brazil
2019 Eye N' Art Experience | Natal, Brazil
2019 Conferência Lampião | Campos dos Goytacazes, Brazil
2019 Recife Image | Recife, Brazil
2019 Webinar Senac: Mercado de fotografia | online
2018 Congresso Capixaba de Fotografia | Vitória, Brazil
2018 Festival de Fotografia de Paranapiacaba | Brazil
2018 Fearless Conference | Split, Croatia
2018 Wedding Brasil | São Paulo, Brazil
2018 Photos&Imagens Conference | Belo Horizonte, Brazil
2018 RaiTai Meeting | Uberlândia, Brazil
2018 Papo do Bem | São Paulo, Brazil
2017 Congresso Fotografar | São Paulo, Brazil
2017 Faculdade AESO Barros Melo | Olinda, Brazil
2016 Wedding Brasil | São Paulo, Brazil
2016 Fhox On the Road | Recife, Brazil
2015 Fhox On the Road | Recife, Brazil
2012 Pensando Fotografia - Faculdade AESO | Recife, Brazil
teaching.
2015-ongoing PhotoMentoring, a program focused on photographers development process
2014-2018 Workshop “That thing you felt was missing but didn't know what it was” (Aquilo que você sentia que faltava mas não sabia o que era) | 10 editions in Recife, Maceió, São Paulo, Belo Horizonte, Campo Grande, Porto Alegre, Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil
2011 Image workflow and toning | Instituto Candela | Recife, Brazil
education.
2022 VII Academy Seminar: Photojournalism and Documentary Photography Seminar, Level 1 | online
2022 Natalie Keyssar + Daniella Zalcman's Intensive Editing Workshop | online
2021 Women Photograph Workshop | online
2018 Visual Storytelling workshop with VII Photo Agency | Spain
2017 Foundry Photojournalism Workshop | Mexico
2010 Design, Bachelor's Degree | Universidade Federal de Pernambuco | Brazil
2008 Exchange Undergraduate program on Advertising | Universidad de Valladolid | Spain