You want sunglasses? I got sunglasses. No way, it’s not too dark to wear them. You can still see everything with the street lights!
| Aperture | ƒ/1.8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 75mm |
| ISO | 12800 |
| Shutter speed | 1/500s |
MOSTLY FALSE REPORTS
A few days ago, I received my copy of MOSTLY FALSE REPORTS. It’s a book I funded through Kickstarter by Stephen Leslie.
It’s a book of street photography, but if that genre doesn’t interest you, you’ll probably still be interested in this book. Stephen has included a story alongside each photo. They’re inspired by the accompanying photo, and some are hilarious. I love the ones about the hedge animals. You’ll find a few more of his photos on this page. Stephen is on Instagram too.
The question prompted by the photo above is one I think about a lot. “Do people mind you taking their photos?”
The Kickstarter campaign is over but, Stephen has a few extra copies and I can recommend buying a copy for the photographer in your life, or indulge in a copy for yourself.
While you’re here, have a look at Stephen’s website for several galleries full of photos, including a few from the book.
Dreaming of Handstands
Wandering around Lisbon I came across this bus stop in the middle of the city. The guy pictured in the back of the bus stop caught my attention, contrasting nicely with the people waiting at the stop.
When I got home, I looked up the text, “O SONHO NÃO PARA, ARRANCA”, it says, “THE DREAM DOESN’T STOP, IT STARTS”. I guess his dream was to do handstands?
| Aperture | ƒ/2.8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 1/800s |
The Tram in the Window
We took a trip around Lisbon on a tourist tram. It’s probably not worth it unless you’re obsessed with taking photos, so I loved it.You do get to see a lot of the city, and it is relaxing. It is cheaper to get an ordinary tram, say route 28, and sight see that way, but you’ll be bumping into annoyed locals then.
This is sort of a selfie as I can be seen sitting at one of the windows of the tram reflected in this mirrored window.
| Aperture | ƒ/2.8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 400 |
| Shutter speed | 1/500s |
In Ler Devagar
Ler Devagar is a bookshop in the LX Factory in Lisbon. Books line the walls on shelves too far up to reach, and of course, most of them are in Portuguese. There are a few in English, and even a few photography books. Unfortunately, many of them concentrate on architecture, but there was a really nice book on shopfronts in Paris.
A dog in a bookshop! Try that in Ireland and the staff will chase you out of the shop. It was lovely to see dogs allowed in shops and some restaurants.
When in a bookshop, look at your phone. Oh, here’s a fire extinguisher too!
| Aperture | ƒ/2.2 |
| Camera | Galaxy S23 Ultra |
| Focal length | 2.2mm |
| ISO | 800 |
| Shutter speed | 1/25s |
Look into my eyes
Sometimes I’m making photos on the street, or in this case, photographing from a moving tram, and someone will make eye contact. They’ll stand out from the crowd because they are different and made a connection.
| Aperture | ƒ/2.8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 1250 |
| Shutter speed | 1/500s |
Cobbles, Light and Shadow
I visited the Igreja Paroquial da Graça (Church of Our Lady of Grace) in Lisbon early one morning. There’s a beautiful view of the city, but if you look behind and around you’ll find these lovely cobbles. In the early morning, the houses opposite cast a shadow on the street and on the wall of the church, and I loved it.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 400 |
| Shutter speed | 1/500s |
Motion Around the Eiffel Tower
Life is all around beneath the Eiffel Tower. Most people are walking but the people selling mini Eiffel Towers and other knick knacks to tourists are the only ones stationary.
| Aperture | ƒ/8 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 16mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 1/6s |
Hey Gorgeous
A fire extinguisher takes pride of place in a café we visited in Lisbon, Portugal.
| Aperture | ƒ/1.7 |
| Camera | Galaxy S23 Ultra |
| Focal length | 6.3mm |
| ISO | 160 |
| Shutter speed | 1/100s |
A VW bus at the Arc de Triomphe
We had just come out of the metro with our suitcases from the airport when I saw this VW bus, or as I’ve just found out, a Volkswagen Type 2, pulled over to the side of the road on the busy roundabout at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
It was a lovely August day and this vintage vehicle was a perfect foreground to the magnificent monument in the background.
The man in the hat looking out the sunroof had a nice view of everything. I’m glad they stopped there. 🙂
| Aperture | ƒ/2.2 |
| Camera | Galaxy S23 Ultra |
| Focal length | 2.2mm |
| ISO | 50 |
| Shutter speed | 1/3600s |
Red and Blue and a Bike
In the back of a taxi, looking out through a window laden with drops. The warm red and orange lights from street lighting and the rear brakes of a Tesla win against the cold, almost blue headlights of a passing car.
A bike in the background belongs to someone who isn’t home yet.
| Aperture | ƒ/1.7 |
| Camera | Galaxy S23 Ultra |
| Focal length | 6.3mm |
| ISO | 1600 |
| Shutter speed | 1/17s |
Lisbon Tram 28
A tram on the world-famous route 28 in Lisbon rumbled past me as I walked up Rua da Graça. Many of the streets are very narrow, and the footpath is too, meaning the tram gets quite close as you walk along.
| Aperture | ƒ/1.7 |
| Camera | Galaxy S23 Ultra |
| Focal length | 6.3mm |
| ISO | 50 |
| Shutter speed | 1/500s |