There is a particular light in Alagoas. It falls through banana leaves and across whitewashed walls, catches on the fruit piled high in open-air markets, and turns the Atlantic silver as the day begins to fade. It is the light Amanda Peixoto-Elkins grew up with, and after nearly three decades spent photographing the world, it is the light she returned home to find again. For years, Amanda was part of our world in Los Angeles, a photographer whose eye helped shape so much of what we created and whose presence became part of the BELLO family. There is something especially meaningful in watching her now turn her lens toward home, toward the place and the people that shaped her. Seeing an artist return to her source feels both intimate and inevitable, and we could not be happier to see her back where she belongs.
Photographed along the coast of Paripueira, the story marks a homecoming for the Brazilian-born photographer, who built her career far from home before returning to the landscape that made her. The images feel intimate and unhurried, allowing Alagoas to reveal itself through its colors, textures, people, and the work of local designers and artisans. At the center of the story is Isabeli, Amanda’s daughter, born in Los Angeles and shaped by both American and Brazilian cultures. Recently seen in a Nike Swim campaign, the young model moves naturally between the United States and Brazil, and that sense of belonging is visible throughout the images. There is an ease in the way she inhabits this place, something deeper than simply being there for a shoot. But that part of the story is Amanda’s to tell, and no one can tell it better than she can.
A note from the photographer:
Alagoas has always lived in me.
I left home at eighteen, following a calling I could not yet name, in search of the life my soul was reaching for. That journey took me far from Brazil and gave me more than I could have imagined, including a career built through photography and the privilege of seeing beauty in many forms around the world.
Now, twenty-eight years later, home has called me back.
This project, photographed in Paripueira, carries a meaning that is deeply personal. This is the city where my grandfather was born and where he also took his last breath. As a Deacon, the church here was part of his life, his service, and his legacy. To return to this place with my camera felt like honoring not only where I come from, but the people and stories that shaped me.
And to photograph my daughter here made it even more powerful. Through her, this homecoming became a bridge between generations, from my grandfather, to me, to her. She stands in these images carrying not only the beauty of the pieces she wears, but also the continuation of a story rooted in family, faith, art, and belonging.
With this shoot, I wanted to celebrate the beauty, talent, and soul of Alagoas. I wanted to show the world how extraordinary my people are, and to shine a light on the designers, artists, and makers whose work appears in these images. Every piece worn by my daughter carries the hands, vision, and creativity of people who deserve to be seen.
This is more than a photoshoot. It is a homecoming, an offering, and a love letter to my people, to Alagoas, and to the roots that never left me.
Beijos,
Amanda
Creative Director and Photographer Amanda Peixoto-Elkins @amandapeixotoelkins
Model Isabeli @isabelielkins
Stylist Michaele Ferreira @stymicha
Beauty Thiago Melo @thiagomelomakeup
Executive Producer Fellipe Jhonatas Mendes @fmendesmgt
Filmmaker Erick Walker @oierickwalker
