Samuel Martins
Hi, I'm Sam! Born and raised in Portugal, my young adult years were spent living in Australia. It was there that I met my Kiwi wife. We eventually settled down with our kids in her home city, Auckland.
In 2023 and 2024, I had the opportunity to enrol full-time in an institute of technology and graduate with a NZQA recognized Level 5 & 6 Diplomas in Photography. This turned my long-time hobby into a qualified skill.
Sports
My passion for sports was ignited during my childhood, fuelled by endless school football matches.
As a teenager, I followed the family's cycling enthusiasm, racing in Portugal for four seasons (U17 and U19).
In 2003, I traded cleats for wrenches and became a bike mechanic in Sydney. After a moving to Brisbane in 2011, the competitive fire reignited, and I started competing in club crits and other events. Around that time, I picked up a DSLR camera. Five years of experimentation later, the urge to develop deeper knowledge led me to pursue full-time photography studies.
With children in our life now, competitive sports has taken a back seat. My focus is on nurturing my family needs and growing Alvor Photography.
As a teenager, I followed the family's cycling enthusiasm, racing in Portugal for four seasons (U17 and U19).
In 2003, I traded cleats for wrenches and became a bike mechanic in Sydney. After a moving to Brisbane in 2011, the competitive fire reignited, and I started competing in club crits and other events. Around that time, I picked up a DSLR camera. Five years of experimentation later, the urge to develop deeper knowledge led me to pursue full-time photography studies.
With children in our life now, competitive sports has taken a back seat. My focus is on nurturing my family needs and growing Alvor Photography.
Alvor
"Alvor" means dawn or first light in Portuguese, but it also holds other special meanings for us. This is also the name of a charming seaside township on Portugal's Algarve coast. It's a place my wife and I love to visit whenever we're in the country.