Lucas Leoni is a Bolivian-Brazilian photographer and videographer, currently residing in São Paulo. He holds certifications as a drone operator granted by the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC), as well as an Open Water diving certification from the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI).
Born in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, a tropical city in eastern Bolivia, Leoni grew up in an artistic environment thanks to his parents, who are visual artists specialized in painting. From an early age, he showed an aptitude for expressing himself through images using drawing and painting techniques, inspired by his family's artistic legacy. As he grew older, his interest in the audiovisual world expanded, delving into the use of digital cameras.
After completing his secondary education, Leoni moved to Brazil, where he studied Audiovisual Production at the Faculdade Paulus Bueno de Comunicação (FAPCOM). He supplemented his education with additional courses, including Cinematography Direction at the International Film Academy (AIC), Camera Assistance at the Brazilian Society of Cinematography (ABC), and the course "Nature Through the Lens" taught by Stella Ditt, a renowned Brazilian filmmaker specializing in wildlife.
As part of his final thesis in Audiovisual Production, Leoni independently created a documentary short film about the black lion tamarin, a primate endemic to São Paulo. For this project, he collaborated with prominent institutions such as the São Paulo Zoo, the Primatology Laboratory (LAP) at São Paulo State University (UNESP), and the Institute for Ecological Research (IPÊ).
Currently, Lucas is dedicated to developing visual communication for various institutions and projects, actively participating in the creation of photographs, videos, and the definition of visual identities, including elements like logos, typography, color palettes, and graphics. He has extensive experience in handling programs such as Adobe Premiere, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom, and Da Vinci Resolve, and is also knowledgeable in Adobe After Effects, Adobe Illustrator, and Blender.
Photo: David Rochas
Awards and Achievements:
• 2025: The first exhibition of Behind a Primate is inaugurated at the Patiño Foundation, La Paz (Bolivia).
• 2024: One of the photographers selected for the "Primatas Do Cerrado" calendar (Brazil).
• 2024: The short film Black Lion Tamarin was one of the selected films to be presented at the Primate Film Showcase during the 46th meeting of the American Society of Primatology.
• 2023: Premiere of the short film "Black Lion Tamarin".
• 2022: 1st place in the Urban Fauna and Flora category, 2nd place in the Professional category of the Santa Cruz de la Sierra Photography Marathon (Bolivia).
• 2021: General direction, cinematography direction, and editing of the short film "El Ritual" (Bolivia).
• 2021: Selected among the 50 finalists of the CEFF Environmental Photography Contest (USA).
• 2020: Published on National Geographic's digital platform (Brazil).
• 2020: Virtual exhibition at "La Larga Noche de los Museos" (Bolivia).
• 2020: Participation in the conference "La mirada del Chiñi" (Bolivia).
• 2019: 1st place in the Bolivia Monument and Cultural Landscapes Photography Contest (Bolivia).
• 2019: Participation in the production of the feature film "Perdidos en Septiembre" (Bolivia).
• 2019: Participation in the production of the feature film "Perdidos en Septiembre" (Bolivia).
• 2018: 2nd place in the Photography Contest of the Concepción Orchid Festival (Bolivia).
• 2018: Group exhibition "Ideário" at the Plurinational Cultural Center Santa Cruz (Bolivia).
• 2018: Participation in the Collective +1 and 20 Photographers (Bolivia).
• 2017: Nomination for Creative Framing in the first Samaipata Photography Contest (Bolivia).
• 2024: One of the photographers selected for the "Primatas Do Cerrado" calendar (Brazil).
• 2024: The short film Black Lion Tamarin was one of the selected films to be presented at the Primate Film Showcase during the 46th meeting of the American Society of Primatology.
• 2023: Premiere of the short film "Black Lion Tamarin".
• 2022: 1st place in the Urban Fauna and Flora category, 2nd place in the Professional category of the Santa Cruz de la Sierra Photography Marathon (Bolivia).
• 2021: General direction, cinematography direction, and editing of the short film "El Ritual" (Bolivia).
• 2021: Selected among the 50 finalists of the CEFF Environmental Photography Contest (USA).
• 2020: Published on National Geographic's digital platform (Brazil).
• 2020: Virtual exhibition at "La Larga Noche de los Museos" (Bolivia).
• 2020: Participation in the conference "La mirada del Chiñi" (Bolivia).
• 2019: 1st place in the Bolivia Monument and Cultural Landscapes Photography Contest (Bolivia).
• 2019: Participation in the production of the feature film "Perdidos en Septiembre" (Bolivia).
• 2019: Participation in the production of the feature film "Perdidos en Septiembre" (Bolivia).
• 2018: 2nd place in the Photography Contest of the Concepción Orchid Festival (Bolivia).
• 2018: Group exhibition "Ideário" at the Plurinational Cultural Center Santa Cruz (Bolivia).
• 2018: Participation in the Collective +1 and 20 Photographers (Bolivia).
• 2017: Nomination for Creative Framing in the first Samaipata Photography Contest (Bolivia).
