Well, it’s ‘goodbye Lisbon’ to another super workshop weekend - this one was purely street photography.

I'm now back in the UK with great memories of a lovely workshop group and some enjoyable shooting and socialising together.

I have walked 55.46km, climbed so many steps I’m almost in heaven, drank 28 litres of Sagres, eaten 19 pastel de nata and significantly increased my Portuguese vocabulary (I can now say ‘obrigado’ as well as ‘ola’). I think it’s all made me feel quite healthy. I love this European lifestyle. However, my tummy now hurts: one of my workshop students was an obesity surgeon so I’ve been breathing in all weekend.

We visited a wide variety of subject-rich locations which gave us some very different shooting conditions and the opportunity to practice some street photography exercises. The weather was just right - in the mid-20s all weekend (someone told me it hasn't rained in Lisbon since April).

My hotel was at one of Lisbon's highest points: great in the morning with a relaxed walk downhill but a challenge at the end of the day! But what a fab spot - it's called Miradouro da Senhora do Monte which is in the Graca district, high above the city. I took the picture below whilst sitting on my bed!

There's a great vibe to Lisbon and I think it has a South American feel to it. Walking the streets at night feels very safe, even in parts of Mouraria you would probably be inclined to avoid. The locals are warm and friendly and we had no negative encounters with our street photography.

Whatever flavour of street photography interests you, there’s plenty in Lisbon to keep you engaged and it’s a city which lends itself to monochrome shooting as much as it does colour. I didn’t take many pictures myself this weekend (I tend not to when I’m running workshops) but I’m firming-up a plan for a black & white project for future visits.

Parts of the city (such as Alfama, the old town, and Bairro Alto have narrow streets and everything feels quite ‘compressed’ so I would recommend having a 28mm lens with you. In fact, if I could visit Lisbon with only one lens it would be the 28mm, which would be the perfect all-rounder here.

‘Must-see’ parts of the city, from a street photography perspective, include:

Alfama (the old town) - you’ll find tiny houses, women grilling sardines outside their front doors, great little bars, quaint corners and lots of opportunities to incorporate the famous yellow ‘No 28’ tram into your shots.
Bairro Alto (charming cobbled streets filled with locals and amazing at night when it comes alive with bars and clubs)
Chiado (including the famous Pink Street)
Graca (for the views)
Mouraria - this is probably my favourite area. It’s a real multicultural mix and it feels very ‘local’. There’s lots of graffiti and street art and some charming squares. It would be easy to feel intimidated walking round these streets but don’t be - Lisbon is one of the safest cities I know.
Parque das Nacoes - this is in the north of the city, by the river and is a short metro ride away (head for Oriente station). It’s a modern development with some great modern architecture, a cable car and a stunning aquarium complex. If you like clean lines and the ‘lightscape’ approach to street photography with shadows, silhouettes etc, head for here.

This is a city to walk around rather than use public transport but bear in mind the hills are steep and there lots of steps.

Travel into the city from the airport is easy. There’s a regular shuttle but I find the metro quicker, easier and cheaper (€1.5)

If you’ve never been to Lisbon, please GO!! It’s a truly amazing city. I’m running two street photography workshops in Lisbon in 2023 - please see here for details. For the TravelSnappers blend of landscape, street and travel photography, we’ll certainly be running more workshops in 2023 - dates TBA. Please contact us if you’d like to be notified when the dates are announced.

In the meantime, a few pictures from the weekend . . .