europe

Lisbon, Portugal

Sunny Day for Street Photography in Lisbon, Portugal

Do you ever find yourself in a photography situation where everything clicks?

The light is just right, the weather is perfect, and all the conditions snap into place for a great day of photo making?

That was me in Lisbon, Portugal, on our trip.

After we landed from our tuk tuk tour of the city, we wandered the streets of the Baixa de Lisboa neighborhood

Think of Baixa as a easily-navigable shopping district. The busy neighborhood follows a clean grid layout, making it feel open, orderly, and walkable.

There were a few hills, but none of the steep ones we had just toured around in the Alfama district.

And in the middle of the day, the bright sun lit up the place, casting perfect shadows on the buildings and pedestrians as we walked around.

All of this – the buildings, the sunlight, and people wandering around – made for perfect street photography conditions. It fit my style, and I took full advantage.

After taking some of these photos, I caught my breath. I was in picture heaven. 

Lisbon, Portugal

This lady, watching me take photos on the busy walkway, came up to me and started singing. Lovely!

We made our way down to the Rua Augusta to the Arco da Rua Augusta, in view of the Tagus River, then back up to the Hotel do Chiado, where we grabbed lunch at their rooftop bar. 

It was here that I grabbed what might be my favorite photo series from the whole trip.

Across from our table was this very animated Frenchman talking business with a local. The way the shadows and light fell across him made for a beautiful scene – so much so that I couldn’t stop making photos. Luckily, he didn’t seem to notice.

That night, we finished up our trip with a sailboat ride on the Tagus River. 

Shot on the Canon EOS M6 and (mostly) the EF-M 32mm f/1.4.


Cabo de Roca, Portugal

Sintra, Portugal Photography

Heading out from our home base of Caparica, we took a day to visit Sintra, Portugal, along the Atlantic coast and a short drive from Lisbon.

We arranged an Airbnb tour and travelled with a mother/daughter pair from Mexico. As the day started, rain clouds moved in, misting over the landscape as we came into Sintra. 

The first stop was the Pena Palace, one of the seven wonders of Portugal. Seeing it was like visiting a real-life Disney castle, but with colors and personality that made it a unique experience. 

We climbed a short way up the mountain, through a grand entry archway, and stepped up to the bi-colored palace with tons of other visitors. 

From up here, we had a great view of the surrounding area – and we could even spot Lisbon off to the East. 

Next, we took a short drive to the Quinta da Regaleira, a 19th-century estate sprawling with chapels, statues, grottoes, and an initiation well that spiraled down into a cave system beneath the grounds. 

We could have spent an entire day here, exploring the property. In between the rain, we climbed up the estate hillside and climbed down the well – over and under and through everything. 

I thought back to what it must’ve been like to live here, especially as a child, and be able to wander around the estate day after day.

From the Quinta da Regaleira, we headed to the seaside and Cabo de Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe. 

After grabbing lunch, we stopped at the cliffside, 100 meters above the Atlantic Ocean, to see the lighthouse and marker noting the end of the Eurasian landmass. To the East were rolling hills and natural meadows. To the west? A long dive into the ocean. 

With a good tour guide (shout-out to our own Giovana!), these kinds of tours are a great way to efficiently explore parts of a new country. 

And even with the rain and inconsistent lighting, the Canon EOS M6 and stock zoom lens were all I needed to capture the day.