Fernando was born in Montevideo, Uruguay to a teenage seamstress and an airport ramp agent. He spent his childhood roaming his town, Shangri La, asking local fisherman for advice and riding through Uruguay’s flat country roads as one of four passengers on his dad’s moped. In an effort to escape Uruguay’s military dictatorship, the Decillis family set out for the United States. At ten years old, sp
eaking no English, Fernando attended public school in what is known today as the Dekalb International Corridor of Atlanta, or Buford Highway. His love of fútbol was an inroad to making friends with other immigrant children from Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia, who were simultaneously assimilating to life in the U.S. Fernando quickly learned to rely on nonverbal communication to foster a sense of oneness on the field with teammates who all spoke different languages. Fernando translates this skillset fluidly to photograph people from all walks of life. His award-winning photography teases a humanistic beauty out of common situations. His photographs are extraordinary in ex*****on and subtle in imposition. Fernando has worked on campaigns for Coca-Cola, Reebok, Wild Turkey Bourbon, and many more. His work has been featured in publications such as AdWeek, Smithsonian Magazine, CNN and Bloomberg Businessweek. In 2015 Fernando was honored by the International Photography Awards with the title of Advertising Photographer of the Year and won a Communication Arts Award of Excellence. He was nominated for International Photographer of the Year for the 2015 Lucie Awards. He is fluent in English and Spanish.