Going to Lisbon for the first time and staying there very briefly I was worried I will get overwhelmed by all the possibilities and miss on seeing the city from the eye of a local, So, I decided to book a photography tour! I have never done one before and I am so glad I did.
After a quick google search and reading some reviews, I contacted Miguel Helfrich -also known as- Lisbon Photo to ask about the available options. He was very responsive and helpful. We settled on Lisbon Photo Lisbon Photo Tour: Around Castelo and Alfama. The tour started at 8am and lasted until 12pm with half an hour break. It was an interesting experience because we got to see the city quietly before all the tourists woke up. We didn't even run into anyone until the last half an hour. It felt like we were alone in the city because Miguel knew the best routes to avoid the crowd.
From the first moment we met Miguel, we started talking about photography. Miguel is a professional photographer who is certified from the Portuguese Photography Institute. He has very cool photography experiences. He was very helpful in directing us on the best angles and the nicest compositions. We also got to hear few fun stories about Lisbon and the areas we passed by.
Five Photography Tips from Lisbon Photo
- Kis: Keep it Simple
No need to complicate things and include too many elements. Just keep the composition simple and focus on specific things rather than fitting everything you see in the frame. - Follow the Lines
The amazing thing about many buildings and windows in Lisbon is their sharp, obvious lines, so focus on one line when taking the photo to create interesting geometric compositions. - Colours the Camera loves
There are a few tones that the camera loves especially grey ones and when you find such compositions take time to explore how the camera react to those colours. We found one spot like that and all the photos from there were absolutely gorgeous. - Level up
I did this mistake a few times, where I found a subject and just took a picture without moving, but if you want a truly great photo, get close and personal to level yourself up with the subject to get great results. - Add depth to your images
Having layers in your image makes their impact stronger. Have a few angles one in the front and another in the back.
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Below are some of the photos that were taken on the tour and more information about the tour options.
Other photography tour options:
Of course you can go to Lisbon Photo's website and see all the options for yourself, but here are a few that I thought some of you might be interested in:
- Day tours in specific neighbourhoods in Lisbon like Alfama (which is the one I did) or a Night tour to play with light and different compositions.
- Honeymoon/Hen Do/Personal Photoshoot and photography tour: I get the feeling most of you would love this! So you don't only get to photograph the city, but you have a professional photographer with you to take photos of you!! I think that will be so much fun if you were on your own, on a hen do with the girls or of course a honeymoon!
- VIP Tour: If you want to go all out to see and photograph Lisbon from sea, land or air, you can book this on. Miguel will book a private helicopter without doors for you!
- Family photo challenge (Amazing for kids!!)
This one might be great for the parents who are looking for something creative for their kids to do because the kids get to solve some challenges then get to shoot them!
To book your photography tour, workshop or experience, go to Lisbon Photo and book directly!
Disclaimer: This tour was purchased with a media rate, but all opinions are my own!