A Guide To Street Photography In Porto
Tucked away in the northern part of Portugal is the wonderful city of Porto. Having spent the last 2 weeks here, I am convinced that this is one of the best spots in Europe for street and travel photography. So in this blog I will share with you the perfect 3 day plan for photographers.
Porto Overview
Porto is the second largest city in Portugal and is easily reached from anywhere in Europe. Coupled with the fact that it is very small and walkable it makes for a fantastic weekend photography getaway. In the summer it is warm with mostly sunny days. I’ve not yet visited in the winter but from what I see and hear, if you’re into moody fog shots, this is the spot.
Overall it is safe and having walked miles around the centre I have never felt threatened nor had any issues. Of course this is a major city so use your common sense. What also helps is that pretty much everyone speaks English and people are friendly. The attitude to photographers is also very positive. Out of all the places I’ve been to, this is one of the most relaxed spots. Like in the rest of Europe, taking photos of strangers in public is somewhat of a grey area. The general feedback is that for artistic and personal reasons it’s ok but for commercial purposes you need permission first. However this is not legal advice so do your own research.
In recent years porto has become a huge tourist hot spot so if you wish to visit in the summer and get minimal images, you will have to shoot early in the morning. Porto is generally affordable with plenty of places serving healthy yet affordable food. I will suggest one of them later on. Finally although this guide is for 3 days, if you can stretch to 5, it will make the whole experience a bit more relaxed and enjoyable in my opinion.
Camera Gear
I found that my 50mm prime to be by far the most useful one. This city really works well with a 50mm and I have always found myself at the right distance from what I want to shoot. Another lens that I have used a lot is the 28mm prime and the 24-70mm zoom. I did bring the 70-200 and 12-24 as they are part of my travel kit but I barely touched them here.
Day 1
The first day starts by catching the sunrise on the riverside. Walk up and down, get up up high to get a birds eye view and spend good time exploring this small area. Also make sure to get on top of the Dom Luis Bridge for some nice golden hour photos. For this I found the 24-70 zoom to be the most useful. Spend a couple more hours working this area and re-visiting the same spots to see how the light has changed. After that head into the tight streets just behind the first row of houses for some awesome light.
At this point grab some lunch and coffee and jump in a TukTuk for a quick tour round the city. Not only is it fun, but you will learn some of the history, get a better sense of the city and grab some unique shots out of the back. After that take some time to chill before heading into the late afternoon. At around 4pm start making your way to Casa da Musica. It is a concert hall but is beautifully simple and can make for some fantastic minimal shots. At around 5-6pm the light there should be nice too. Once you’re done with that, head down towards the water and walk back along the Ruo Do Ouro. Keep going till you’re back at Dom Luis Bridge. Get on top of the bridge and enjoy a spectacular summer sunset.
Day 2
The second day is hectic and is solely dedicated to street photography and exploring all the narrow streets and alleyways. For this we will stay north of the river and focus on staying within the old city centre. There is no specific route or plan. Literally just walk around, follow the light and go towards what peaks your interest. Every street and alleyway in this historic old part has something photo worthy and now I will show you some of my favourite spots that I have come across. Personally I just walked around until I was tired. There is so much to see here and it all changes as the day goes on so be sure to re-visit the same spots later in the day as the light might be even better.
Day 3
After a crazy hectic day we will start our final day with a chill walk along the river all the way to the Atlantic Ocean also known as the Foz. It is about 4 miles each way from the centre but is well worth it. You can get public transport there but trust me walking is the best as you will find some great photo spots along the way. When you get to the end you will see a long pier going into the ocean. Here you can get some great shots of the waves coming over and the spray However be careful.. I have heard that the waves can be quite dangerous. This is also where I got probably my favourite shot from the trip. After exploring this area, head back into the city centre. By the time you’re back and have had lunch it is time to cross the river and explore the south side a little. Now the riverfront is very commercial and full of restaurants but if you just go one to three streets back, you will have plenty to explore and shoot. Finally as the sun is starting to set, either grab the cable car or walk up to the top and all the way to the Mosteiro da Serra do Pillar From here chill and enjoy yet another amazing sunset.
Food / coffee
Of course no photo guide would be complete without a few food spots. For breakfast and lunch I suggest either Manna Porto or Nola Kitchen. Both are super healthy with plenty of choices. The atmosphere is great and you will not be disappointed. For lunch and dinner I would go to Ribs if you like meat. Even though I’m not a big meat person, I thoroughly enjoyed it. If you don’t eat meat, then head to DaTerra Vegan. It is an all you can eat vegan buffet and is by far the place where I’ve been to the most. Also it is very cheap at just 11 euros per person. For coffee go to the C’alma Speciality Coffee Room. It’s tucked away but a beautiful place to chill and great coffee too.