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Showcase
May & June 2026
Portuguese Light
Portugal's Rugged Atlantic Coast
A portfolio of human-made imperfect images. Captured at real locations, using real light and film or digital sensor exposed to real photons. Real life experiences and lasting memories. No AI.
This was our first trip to Portugal and it also served as a kind of a test run to explore the photographic potential of Portugal's Atlantic coastline. On our way back to the USA we had scheduled a stopover in Lisbon. With only 10 days available to explore the country we had decided to focus on the coastline south of Lisbon.
April is not the month when most tourists visit Portugal, however for outdoor activities and landscape photography it turned out to be perfect. For a beach vacation it might be too early, the Atlantic is quite cold, though we saw quite a few people swimming in the ocean. I guess those were likely hardy Scandinavians or maybe folks from Canada 😊
We started our trip in Lisbon from were we headed west to the Sintra area to stay there for a couple days. From there we followed the coastline south with a few overnight stays along the way until we reached the Algarve and set up our basecamp in Lagos. After a few days in the Algarve we drove back to Lisbon were we stayed for two more nights before catching our flight back to the US.
We enjoyed this trip a lot and for sure we will return to explore the other parts of this amazing county.
I hope you enjoy the photos.
JMZ
Praia da Adraga
This was our first evening in Portugal, We arrived in Lisbon early afternoon, picked up the rental car and drove to Sintra. After checking in and a brief dinner we went to this amazing beach. When we arrived the sky was hazy with some thin clouds at the horizon and I wasn't quite sure what to expect for sunset. However I was already happy to have at least some clouds after I had learned during my research that Portugal is infamous for its cloudless clear skies, particular during the summer months. A landscape photographer's nightmare. Luckily this wasn't an issue that evening. After sunset the colors were absolutely stunning. I continued shooting until the last light faded and the incoming tide claimed more and more of the beach and threatened to block our way back.
Praia do Penedo do Guincho
The next afternoon we headed some 50km north to visit the small seaside town of Santa Cruz. The point of interest was a small beach with a distinctive rock formation called Penedo do Guicho. When we arrived it was too early for photography and we decided to kill some time in one of the street cafes. For dinner we found a nice place right next to the beach. From there I could overlook the location while enjoying dinner. When the light started to become interesting I grabbed my photo backpack and tripod and went down to the beach. I think I could get used to this convenient landscape photography approach!
Vila Nova de Milfontes
Next stop was Nova de Milfontes. This is a popular location amongst locals featuring a river flowing into the Atlantic surrounded by mostly sandy beaches. A very nice location but nothing that would attract me as a landscape photographer. If there wasn't that unique geological feature. A small section of the oceanward beach is covered by rocks, which were eroded over time to form web-like structures, which become only visible at low tide. Timing was everything. I needed a low tide at sunset, which per tide tables should occur that evening. At outgoing tide a large shallow pool forms and the structures start appearing, but to get this smooth mirror-like appearance of the water you need very calm air. I was lucky enough, it was a windy day but right at sunset the wind suddenly stopped. There was a lot of guesswork going into this planning, including not knowing where exactly the location was. At the end I was more than happy with the results.
However, now the best part comes: on the beach is a restaurant called "A Choupana", which means shack or a rustic hut and does describe it quite well. The seafood and vino verde were delicious, not to mention the opportunity to sit outside and watch the beach. When the time was right I got my camera and tripod and walked down the beach to take the shots. I took frames until the last light vanished, then we went back to the Choupana for a late sundowner before we walked back to our hotel.
Vicentine Coast
The next highlight was the Vincentine coast. Located in the southwest of Portugal Parque Natural do Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina is recognized as one of the last strongholds of the wild European coast. And sure enough some of the backroads to the beaches were unpaved and quite rugged, our small car was less than ideal to tackle them. But we made it!
What started out as a clear and sunny day turned into an almost November like weather. A thick fog bank pushed from the Atlantic towards the coastline. A very different atmosphere, but also a welcome variation, at least from a landscape photographer's perspective.
If you enlarge the second photo you can see the sea birds flying between the two rock formations.
The Algarve Coast
Our last stop was the Algrave coast located in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula. Tourism is the main economic factor and for sure it paid off that we visited the area outside of the main tourist season. It was still easy to find parking spots and no need for dinner reservations.
The first photo shows Praia da Marinha at dusk. The following frames feature the arguably most iconic landscape of the Algarve: Ponta da Piedade. Our hotel was within walking distance, which made it easy for late evening and early morning shootings.
The second frame was taken after sunset. I was at the cliff and rushed down the stairs when I saw the light was changing I was alone there and just packed up my camera gear when a young couple come down. He asked me if I would mind to take a picture of them with the scenery in the background, he just had proposed to his girlfriend. How could one turn down such a request, but I warned him that I am a landscape photographer and usually take photos of rocks, I assume he saw my camera with the tripod and thought I might know what I am doing (?). Long story short, I switched from a landscaper to an engagement photographer. I did my best and paid attention to the rules of composition like: rule of thirds, golden ratio, eyes open, don't cut off the feet, don't let the ocean's horizon flow "through" their ears, and so on.. We took an entire series of shots and I really hope they like them.
Lisboa
We had just one full day left to explore the capital of Portugal, by far not enough to do justice to this amazing city. Just enough time to explore a bit of Old Town. I am not a street photographer, but I could see myself spending a couple days there, staying at a hotel in Old Town and exploring and photographing Lisbon's street life.
Oh my gosh, where will this end, first engagement photography and now street photography? I guess we will see!
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