Photography with purpose. Connection with impact.
ASSOCIAÇÃO F/SOS – FOTOGRAFIA, SOLIDARIEDADE E OBRAS SOCIAIS
A non-profit association using photography as a tool for social and environmental impact.
The ASSOCIAÇÃO F/SOS – FOTOGRAFIA, SOLIDARIEDADE E OBRAS SOCIAIS is a non-profit cultural and social organization based in Portugal that uses photography as a tool for social, cultural, and environmental engagement.
At F/SOS, photography moves beyond aesthetics. Image-making becomes a space for care, participation, and shared responsibility, grounded in real communities and lived experience.
We believe photography can be a bridge, not a barrier.
Every image has the potential to listen, connect, and create understanding.
The association’s mission is to promote empathy, inclusion, and environmental awareness through visual storytelling, connecting artists, institutions, NGOs, and communities through ethical, long-term projects.
What We Do
F/SOS supports and celebrates photography that engages with social, emotional, and community-based themes.
We create space for stories that matter, stories of resilience, identity, and change.
Our work includes:
Collaborations with local and international NGOs, co-developing visual projects aligned with shared social and environmental missions
Workshops and visual storytelling programs for underserved communities, using photography as a tool for expression, agency, and inclusion
Exhibitions and public campaigns addressing themes such as social justice, climate, migration, aging, and human–animal connection
The F/SOS × Vital Impacts × OSSO Grant, a grant supporting photographers and projects focused on environmental and social impact through visual storytelling
F/SOS Causes, a solidarity funding mechanism that supports social and environmental projects through association-led initiatives, partnerships, and cultural programs
A Idade Importa
Photography project by João Carlos
A Idade Importa is a photographic project that reflects on aging, visibility, and dignity, challenging stereotypes around age and representation.
Developed in collaboration with the Municipality of Lisbon, the Rede de Bibliotecas de Lisboa, and the Junta de Freguesia da Misericórdia, the project unfolded as a series of four exhibitions presented across different public and cultural spaces, including Biblioteca Camões, Biblioteca de Campo de Ourique, Biblioteca de Alcântara, and the Espaço Cultural das Mercês.
Alongside the exhibitions, the project was published as a book dedicated to raising awareness around aging, extending the conversation beyond the exhibition spaces and reinforcing photography as a tool for reflection, visibility, and social dialogue.
Through intimate portraiture, A Idade Importa invites audiences to reconsider how older people are seen and valued in contemporary society, highlighting presence, experience, and humanity beyond numbers or labels.
F/SoS Causes
F/SOS Causes is the association’s solidarity funding mechanism, supporting one or more organizations or projects working in the fields of social justice, environmental conservation, and community resilience.
Support is activated through association-led initiatives, partnerships, cultural programs, and selected public activities, including the F/262 International Photography Festival.
2026 focus:
A project linked to water and the environment, such as the conservation of coastal ecosystems, marine research, or support for communities affected by drought and pollution.
Future cycles:
F/SOS Causes will alternate between social causes (human rights, inclusion, mental health) and environmental causes (reforestation, sustainability, climate action), ensuring a balanced and long-term commitment.
This transparent mechanism ensures that F/SOS not only presents stories of solidarity, but actively contributes to meaningful social and environmental action.
A Idade Importa
A photographic project by João Carlos exploring aging, visibility, and dignity.
Presented as four exhibitions across public cultural spaces in Lisbon and published as a book to raise awareness around aging.
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What We’ve Done Recently
Recent projects reflect how F/SOS works in practice, through long-term collaborations with social organizations, cultural institutions, and communities. These initiatives translate our mission into concrete action, visibility, and impact.
A Difference Matters
“A Difference Matters” is an exhibition developed by CERCI Braga, photographed by João Carlos, and co-produced by F/SOS – Stories of Solidarity as part of Braga Capital da Cultura 2025.
The project gives visibility to individuals whose stories are often overlooked, celebrating dignity, presence, and unique identities through portraiture.
Presented at the Museu dos Biscainhos, the exhibition invites audiences to reflect on inclusion, representation, and the power of photography to recognize the humanity and strength of each person portrayed.
Sonhos a Metro is a fundraising campaign by CERCI Braga aimed at building a new space for people with disabilities.
Photography for the campaign was created by João Carlos, supporting CERCI Braga’s communication and public engagement.
Who We Partner With
F/SOS works with a carefully selected network of local and international NGOs, cultural institutions, and grassroots organizations that share our values and commitment to social and environmental impact.
We actively collaborate with organizations working in:
Social inclusion and community development
Education through the arts and visual culture
Environmental and animal advocacy
Mental health and wellbeing
We believe in long-term, meaningful partnerships. Whether through an exhibition, a co-created campaign, a grant-supported project, or a community-based photography program, we are always open to building thoughtful collaborations that place people, ethics, and impact at the center.
Support the Mission
Photography can build empathy, but only if we give it the structure and space to do so.
If you believe in the power of image-making as a tool for change, we invite you to join Associação F/SOS – Fotografia, Solidariedade e Obras Sociais, whether as an artist, partner, organization, or supporter.
Produced by F/262 & Associação F/SOS
With the support of:
May 15 – September 25, 2026 Caldas da Rainha & Óbidos, Portugal · View map
About F/262
F/262 is an international photography festival rooted in Caldas da Rainha and Óbidos, Portugal.
Through exhibitions, talks, education, and public installations, the festival engages contemporary photography with place, community, and the world we share.
©2026 F/262 – Festival Internacional de Fotografia
Produced by Associação F/SOS – Fotografia, Solidariedade e Obras Sociais