António Bernardino

ANTONIO BERBARDINO

CONCEPTUAL CATEGORY WINNER

My name is António Bernardino, I am Portuguese. My main profession is electrical engineer, but from a very young age I have had a passion for the arts, having started photographing with digital equipment since 2015. I have won several international competitions, with particular interest in the Sony Awards (Portugal National Awards 2018 and 2020), Xposure 2017, IPA, Siena Creative Awards, Bifa, Mifa, Tifa, etc.

This image, “Silence and Oppression,” is part of a series of about 15 images. The main idea of this small series is to address some current social issues. This image, in particular, refers to the theme of suffering, of forced silence, whether due to wars, rape, assaults, etc. I was inspired to create this image during the events in Iran in 2022.

The idea is to describe a burnout. The high pressure contrasts the surrounding environment with what’s going on in the mind. I used about 600 matches to draw a cerebral lobe on a polystyrene model. Red seemed like the ideal color to contrast with the black background.

Silence and oppression are the central themes of the image.

The post-production I do uses real images, and for me, it’s the crucial part for obtaining a pleasing and impactful result. Of course, everything has to start with a good photograph, or set of photographs. But good post-processing is the key to achieving a greater impact on the viewer.

I think that when creating a conceptual or advertising image, the idea or message has to be very explicit. There may be variations in its interpretation, often depending on culture, ideas, etc., but in the end there has to be a key aspect that is explicit.

Often that’s the real challenge; you don’t always get the best light, the best basic elements to create the image. For example, in this case, I wanted to create a brain with the correct dimensions, with a large number of matches glued together, that is, a tiring job, but one that paid off with the result obtained.

Whether you’re a conceptual photographer, working in advertising, or even in architecture (in an artistic way), my advice is simple: Start with simple ideas and test if what you want to present is feasible. Often, this difficulty can prevent you from showcasing the creativity you have stored in your mind. Then: Experiment!