João Martins

João de Freitas Martins, better known as João Martins, was born on 23 October 1898 in Praia, on the island of Santiago, Cape Verde and he was involved in photography from 1916. He took part in competitions organised by Diário de Notícias and Kodak, winning several prizes, and collaborated with the magazines Ilustração and Magazine Bertrand. Until 1931, he worked as a reporter for O Século Ilustrado, Notícias Ilustrado and Flama. He also worked with Vida Mundial Ilustrada, Portugal Ilustrado, ABC Magazine and National Geographic Magazine. In 1931 he met Leitão de Barros and began his career as a stage photographer at Tobis, working with directors such as Jorge Brum do Canto, Leitão de Barros, Artur Duarte and Manuel Guimarães. He was cameraman on several films, including A Morgadinha dos Canaviais, directed by Caetano Bonucci and Amadeu Ferrari in 1949. According to Vitória Mesquita and José Pessoa, João Martins was “the person who put photography most at the service of Portuguese cinema”. (In: Fotografias de João Martins: Os putos. Lisbon: Portuguese Institute of Museums, 1997). In 1954 he was awarded the S.N.I. Prize for the best cinematography for his photograph in the film Episódio Pastoril and in 1958 he won a silver medal at the International Salon in Munich.