Photographs from Nazaré
My final stop in Portugal before heading home was Nazaré. Conveniently located between Porto and Lisbon, it seemed like the perfect place to spend a slower, more relaxed few days before leaving the country.
Nazaré is a coastal town that’s easy to explore, and it’s also easy to find accommodation close to the beach. While many people visit as a day trip or for a single overnight stay, I spent three nights there. That was probably more time than I needed, but it gave me the chance to slow down, explore at an easy pace, and return to my Airbnb whenever I wanted. And I’m glad I had the extra time.
After the heat of Lisbon and the humidity of Porto, Nazaré’s weather was a pleasant surprise. I expected it to be cooler by the coast, and the daily temperature hovered around 18 degrees Celsius, making walking much more comfortable.
There was some cloud cover rolling in from the ocean, along with a bit of fog, but the evening light was beautiful. The sunsets were mesmerizing, and there were plenty of other photo opportunities. Here are some of my favourite images from my time in Nazaré.
To give you some background on the approach, I was using a Portra 800 recipe for my time in Nazaré. Portra recipes, in general, are highly popular, as they have a pretty deep history in the film world. Portra has never been my go-to; however, I do like this recipe. It’s pretty rich in warm colours while subduing the blues quite a bit. Also, I never thought I’d want as much grain in the photos as this recipe provides, but I see why this Portra 800 recipe includes it: it does add a lot to the aesthetic. I’ll share the settings at the end of this post.
Photo 1 - Sunset Over the Beach
I remember stepping out of the alley onto the beachfront, turning to my right, and taking in the scene. The beach itself is expansive, but I had the advantage of being near its far end, where the cliff rises to the Fort of São Miguel Arcanjo. That’s the vantage point for the famous big waves, which are at their peak during the winter months.
Even without heading up there, the experience down on the beach is just as memorable. Atlantic waves roll in steadily, people stroll along the shoreline, and the sound of seagulls is in the air overhead.
I spent about 45 minutes walking back and forth, taking in different perspectives and capturing a variety of scenes. For this shot, I deliberately chose to tilt the frame. I rarely shoot landscapes at an angle since it often feels like an oversight that should have been corrected in Lightroom. In this case, though, the tilt adds energy and enhances the composition. The horizon acts almost like a leading line, guiding the eye toward the rocks, up along the cliffside, and into the setting sun. The two figures in the frame provide a sense of scale, while the seagull adds a subtle touch of life to the center of the image.
Photo 2 - The Dress
Along Nazaré’s waterfront, numerous restaurants and shops offer great photo opportunities, especially when the sun is low. At that time of day, reflections and silhouettes become much more dynamic, and in this shot, I captured both in a single frame.
For this image, I was focused on finding an interesting way to use reflections while waiting for the right subject to pass by. As people moved along the street, I was looking for a strong silhouette. After scanning a few windows, I settled on this one because of its unique display, particularly the dress. With so many people walking past, it didn’t take long to capture the moment I was after.
Photo 3 - Window
Nazare’s beachfront is dotted with shops like this one, some with interior, glassed-in areas which catch the light in their own unique way as the day winds down. This particular spot sat at a corner, its glass panels perfectly positioned to catch the late-afternoon sun, which hovered low in the sky just off to the right. The angle of the light turned the glass into more than a reflective surface. As people passed by, they formed soft silhouettes through the glass.
I found myself drawn to that effect during my time in Nazare, capturing moments where people were present but not defined. There’s something about low, golden sunlight that naturally pulls me toward silhouettes. The way it simplifies a scene, stripping it down to contrast and form, in those moments.
Photo 4 - Car and People
I was travelling through Portugal during the World Cup, and the sport there is, unsurprisingly, immense. At certain moments, simply walking through town meant passing one bar after another, each filled with TV screens and people completely absorbed in the action. It was pretty exciting to see and experience that level of passion firsthand, especially in Portugal, which added a deeper cultural layer to the trip.
This particular photo was taken later in the evening, as the day began to wind down. I cannot say for certain whether a match was on at that exact time, but the setting still carried that same social rhythm. Just outside a bar or restaurant, two people stood casually, leaning against an older car with drinks on the hood. I had my camera held low when I took the shot, and just before I pressed the shutter, they glanced in my direction. That subtle acknowledgment added a human connection to the frame; even as a silhouette, it’s quite obvious where their attention is directed.
Photo 5 - Beachfront
I never take travel for granted. There’s always this awareness that the moment I’m standing in, in that exact place, might be the only time I ever experience it. There’s no guarantee I’ll return, and that uncertainty gives everything a deeper weight. It’s part of why travel means so much to me; the idea that a single experience can stay with you indefinitely, precisely because it may never happen again.
This was one of my last photos from Nazaré, and by this point, the sunsets had completely pulled me in. Each evening felt unreal, like something you couldn’t quite replicate anywhere else. I can still remember how it felt standing there. Not long before this, I had been down by the shoreline, listening to the waves and taking it all in. On the walk back, a thought lingered; would I ever find myself here again, or was this it?
Lately, I’ve been making more of an effort to include myself in my photos. Often it’s subtle, just a silhouette or a partial presence, but it adds something meaningful. Looking back at older images is one thing, but these feel different. They place me within the scene, not just as the observer, but as part of the moment itself.
Conclusion
Nazaré was a wonderful surprise. I knew very little about it beforehand, but it made for an easy stop between Porto and Lisbon. Portugal has so much to offer beyond its two biggest destinations, and I’m glad I had the chance to visit several different places on this trip. The direct route from Halifax to Lisbon is especially convenient for me, and I hope it continues next year. If it does, I’d love to return and explore farther south, as well as visit some of the islands off the coast, like the Azores and Madeira.
This is the recipe used for Nazaré:
Classic Chrome
Dynamic Range: DR400
Grain Effect: Strong, Large
Colour Chrome Effect: Strong
Colour Chrome FX Blue: Weak
White Balance: 6600K, -1 Red & -3 Blue
Highlight: -2
Shadow: -0.5
Colour: +3
Sharpness: -2
High ISO NR: -4
Clarity: -3
ISO: Auto, up to ISO 6400