Born in Portugal in 1953, Rui Palha picked up a camera at the age of 14 and never looked back. Today, he is regarded as one of the most respected voices in street photography worldwide. His book Street Photography earned the SPA (Portuguese Society of Authors) “Best Work of Photography” award in 2011, and he has been named among the top street photographers in the world by publications such as “Street Hunters” blog and Top Teny – Top ten of the best. His work has been widely exhibited and featured on the Leica Camera Blog, 121 Clicks, and numerous international platforms. Rui’s work is heavily publicized on social networks, particularly through his Facebook page with more than 330,000 followers. 

Rui’s photography is deeply human. He thrives in Lisbon’s streets, connecting with people from all walks of life with warmth and sincerity. “I like low light, rainy days and troublesome places,” he says, “but first and foremost I like people; authentic people.”

For Rui, photography is more than image-making—it is discovery, empathy, and freedom. His approach to teaching reflects that same philosophy: he encourages students not only to master technique, but to see with their hearts.

“Photography is a very important part of my space… it is to discover, it is to capture giving flow to what the heart feels and sees in a certain moment, it is being in the street, experiencing, understanding, learning and, essentially, practicing the freedom of being, of living, of thinking.”

Rui has been using Leica cameras for many years and currently owns the Q2, M10, M Monochrom, Summilux 35mm, Super-Elmar 21mm and a Voigtländer 15mm. Says Palha, “For me the Leica cameras are a perfect tool for street photography. They are compact, discreet and of unsurpassed image quality. The Leica Q is great for situations where you need to focus quickly or there isn’t time enough to change the hyperfocal range. The Leica M is a fantastic camera, allowing the use of different focal lengths with unbeatable image quality. I think I must refer that I loved to use the new Leica M-D, I felt I was transported to the good old days when I only used film”

Palha loves to be in the midst of the people he meets in the streets, alleys and neighborhoods of Lisbon. His friendly and frank posture helps him to gain friendships in the most diverse places. The warmth that emanates from them fills his soul and is the real compensation for his art because it is palpable and lasting, while other awards are ephemeral.