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A Walk along the Tejo

Most people know Lisbon is situated on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean; it is not so widely known, though, that the longest river of the Iberian peninsula floats through the city (technically, on the side of it). While definitely not a recommendable place to swim, a walk at the Tejo (or Tajo, as the Spanish say) has its merits – particularly for modern architecture enthusiasts. The Vasco da Gama tower (1,10, last picture) is a prime example. But the most exciting sight, majestic and intriguing simultaneously, is the Vasco da Gama bridge (2, 6, 8, 9, 11, 14). Spanning over 17 km, it is the longest bridge in Europe. The slight couverture of the structure allows for interesting photographic angles. I’ll invite you for a walk.

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Perspectives of Lisbon

A couple of weeks ago I left Portugal. Although I knew my time was limited, Lisbon did not make it easy for me to leave as the sun was shining and the city once more soared in bright colors. Portugal seems still very close as I am curating all the photography I did back there. So, the chapter may be closed in my personal life (for now), but it is definitely not closed in terms of the blog. In other words, There is more to come, and updates will be more frequent 🙂

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Streets of Lisbon

The fascinating thing about Lisbon is that it is a very old and a very modern city at the same time. Very few towns seem to be able to combine these two qualities as well as Lisbon does. Barcelona, on the other side of the Iberian peninsula, springs to my mind. The end product is a lively yet beautiful metropolis with much character. Also, there are cute yellow trams; everybody loves these trams.

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Lisbon in Focus

When people ask me about the craft of photography – and by no means do I want to claim to be an expert – they usually first ask about my gear. I get it; the gear is essential. Of course you want to have a DSLR to get a good quality shot and have a lens with a wide spectrum to catch it all. Post-processing is part of it, too, as are some lighting improvements and tone adjustments. But that’s not what it is really about. You can get good equipment nowadays for less and less money, and that’s cool because it allows more and more people to express themselves creatively. But what I like about photography is getting to look closely, finding interesting subjects, and uncovering the hidden things in daily street life. Basically, photography – or the kind of photography I like – is focusing, finding beauty in common things, and following their geometry. The gear helps, but the work is done by the eyes. The result is joy and maybe some exciting shots (among many many hundreds).

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Discovering Lisboa

I have been living in Lisbon since November, there are a couple more months to come. But inevitably, I will have to take my flight back as my stay here is limited. What will I miss? A beautiful city, that’s for sure. And the Portuguese winter. Of course, there are rainy days, but when the sun is out, the city shines, and the people smile (the last one is a cliche ;)). So, what I like to do is seize the day (off), focus on certain parts of the city, and take my time. The beautiful thing about staying in a city for a longer period of time is precisely the luxury of being able to do this kind of “salami tourism.” It allows me to discover hidden streets and uncover interesting artifacts of urbanity (like street art) of the well-traveled routes. Tough a post titled “Discovering Lisboa” has to start with a known and beloved view, I guess, so here we go:

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