"Hi fellow ocean lovers!
I'm Helio Antonio and I was born and raised in Europe’s West Coast, Portugal. Being a native to Nazare, I grew up witnessing the extraordinary beauty of Praia do Norte and began capturing images along Portugal’s silver coast.
I remember being attracted to the ocean since a very young age and when I started surfing I was just obsessed with waves.
Nowadays my goal is to create images that carry emotion and that make people have a strong desire to be near the sea."
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Helio is the winner of the first edition of Praia do Norte Photography Awards. He's worked with world renowned brands like National Geographic, Esquire, HBO, Redbull, Monster Energy, Porsche and Mercedes Benz. He's also a regular contributor to surf media such as Surfline, Magicseaweed and Surfer's Journal.
Helio is a co-author of the book Salitre, the only surf publication in Portugal, currently on its second volume.
Testimonials
“I’ve been a huge fan of Helio's photos for many years. Not only does he continually capture the most dramatic and iconic surf action images up and down the Portuguese coast year on year, he also brings a fresh and unique vision for the environment around him which really makes his work stand out.”
- Andrew Cotton, Professional Surfer
“Hélio and I have worked together for almost a decade. During that time, he has been responsible for some of the most iconic imagery out of surfing in Portugal, ever. Humble with amazing attention to detail – there’s very few other photographers and videographers who go the distance like this legend.”
- Jason Lock, Senior Editorial Manager at Surfline
“I met Helio while on tour with The Lumineers in Portugal. We went up to the massive waves of Nazaré and he showed me his photography. I thought it was breathtaking how he was able to capture the ocean in such an arresting way. He also came backstage at our show and took some amazing, intimate shots of us warming up and rehearsing. He has a natural talent and recognizable touch with his photography”
- Jeremiah Fraites, Musician and Co-Founder of The Lumineers
“Hélio has captured some of the most amazing big wave shots at Nazaré that truly capture the weight of the entire Atlantic unloading onto the shore. Some of my best rides ever have been best captured by him.”
- Kai Lenny, Professional Water Athlete
“Helio is the silent killer. He’s always at the right place at the right time, always doing his thing, getting the right angles. He’s an amazing photographer, one of the best Portuguese surf photographers, the most complete, shooting drone, land and water. He’s also a very nice guy, very pleasant and helps me a lot.”
- Nic von Rupp, Professional Surfer