Available for commissions from October 2026
I’m Makani, a documentary photographer based in Lisbon, working worldwide.
Quiet, long-form stories about people and places shaped by the wind — for magazines, NGOs and brands that care about the details.
01 — About
I photograph people and places shaped by the wind — fishing towns, island roads and cities in motion. For twelve years I have made long-form stories for magazines, NGOs and brands that care about the details.
Born in Honolulu and based in Lisbon since 2016, I work between the Atlantic islands, Southern Europe and wherever an assignment takes me. I believe the best images come from time spent, not time saved: I stay longer, return often and let the story set the pace.
Based in
Lisbon, Portugal
Working
Worldwide
Medium
Film & digital
Languages
English, Portuguese
02 — Portfolio
Selected work
Long Shadows
2025
Lisbon · 24 photographs
Salt & Wind
2025
Nazaré · 18 photographs
Way Out
2024
Porto · 16 photographs
Neighbours
2023
Alfama · 40 portraits
Island Roads
2023
Madeira · 32 photographs
Rooms with Light
2022
Hebrides · 15 photographs
03 — Latest series
Following the wind
March 2026 · 26 photographs
Twenty-six photographs from a slow journey south — from the tram lines of Lisbon to the dunes of the Sahara.
By ferry, bus and on foot, following the same wind across two continents: harbours at dawn, empty roads and the people who keep them alive.
04 — Services
How I can help
01
Editorial & documentary
Long-form stories and features for magazines, newspapers and NGOs. Research, access and sequencing are part of the job.
Assignments · Worldwide
02
Brand & campaign
Honest imagery for brands with a sense of place — hospitality, outdoor, craft and food. Shot on location, in natural light.
Campaigns · Lookbooks
03
Portraits
Environmental portraits of founders, artists and teams — at work, at home or outdoors.
Half day · Full day
04
Workshops
Small-group street and documentary workshops in Lisbon, Porto and the Azores. From first frame to a finished sequence.
4–8 people · Seasonal
05 — Recognition
Exhibitions & press
2026
Solo exhibition “Salt & Wind”
Galeria Maré, Lisbon
2025
European Documentary Award, shortlist
Amsterdam
2024
“Island Roads”, photobook
Self-published, 500 copies
2023
Group show “New Atlantic Documentary”
Porto
2021
Artist residency
São Miguel, Azores
Published in
Coastal Quarterly
Field Notes
The Slow Journal
Atlas Weekend
Northbound
Harbour Review
06 — Kind words
“Makani waited three days in Peniche for the right light. The story we ran is still the one our readers write to us about.”
Ana Ribeiro — Photo editor, Coastal Quarterly
07 — Journal
Notes from the road
08 — Contact
Have a story in mind?
Let’s make it together.
Booking editorial and brand work from October 2026.