There’s usually one or two things that pull me toward a new city to photograph. For Lisbon, it was the tram cars—and the caramel tones.
Most of my photos, especially from New York and Paris, lean toward cooler palettes. New York gives you glass and shadows, that layered, steel-blue grit. Paris, especially in spring, often carries a moody, soft chill in its light. I was craving something warmer—visually and emotionally.
Also, Anthony Bourdain’s episode of No Reservations in Lisbon gave me the final push. Watching him eat, walk, and talk through the city made it feel human and soulful. A city that’s been rebuilt multiple times after devastating disasters (three times, if memory serves), Lisbon felt like a place where the past wasn’t just preserved—it was lived in. A city with texture.
The moment I landed, I dropped my bags and hit the streets. Sleeping off jet lag at 10 a.m. never sat right with me. And immediately, I felt at home. Narrow alleys, tiled facades, and those iconic yellow trams—they all felt like part of a film I already knew the scenes to.
What followed was a week of wandering, shooting, and soaking in the warmth. The city slowly revealed itself in layers: reflections in old windows, cracked paint on pastel walls, rusted balconies catching the last bit of sunlight. The tones that emerged straight out of the camera, warm, buttery, almost toasted, made it feel like the whole city had been dipped and glazed over in caramel.
I got lucky with the weather—75 and sunny almost every day. That kind of light is a gift. It wraps the city in glow and turns even ordinary moments into something cinematic. What surprised me most was how the trip shifted my mindset. For the first time in a long while, I found myself enjoying the process more than obsessing over the results. I wasn’t chasing the “perfect shot.” I was just there. Present.
The food helped too. Fresh seafood pulled straight from the Atlantic, grilled sardines, local wine, port in the late afternoon. Lisbon isn’t just photogenic, it’s a place you feel in your body. Slow, rich, satisfying.
From the timeless tram cars gliding through the streets to the aging tiles and worn churches, Lisbon is a city that invites you to pause. To notice. To shoot with feeling rather than formula.
If you’re looking for a city to photograph that doesn’t need dressing up, Lisbon delivers. And if you’re lucky enough to catch it in golden hour, you’ll understand why I call it caramel.
