Brazil is a country of surfers and for surfers. Not only has the country brought forward some of the world’s top ones, it also is home to some of the best surf spots such as the famous Sao Francisco du Sul near São Paulo. Surf photographer and filmmaker Matheus Couto has lived and loved surfing as long as he can remember. Originally from Itacoatiara in Rio de Janeiro’s Niterói, known for its large barrels and slabs (short, heavy waves), Matheus started photographing waves and surfers at a young age.

“Surf photography is more than my work. It’s a passion that started in childhood when I took my first water shot with a GoPro,” remembers Matheus Couto and continues: “Surf photography deals with fear, mother nature’s conditions as well as frustration. Sometimes you see a perfect forecast for your chosen beach, but nature decides to bring you bad waves. It can be exhausting spending hours on end in the sand or in the water without getting a single great shot.”