Island Men Photography – A Fresh Start

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“Don't shoot what it looks like. Shoot what it feels like.”
— David A. Harvey

Island Men Photography – A Fresh Start

Over the years, I lost count of all the websites, domains, and projects I’ve created to share my passion for photography. This is yet another blog — this time, in English. I had one back in 2010 written in Portuguese, but it never really took off and didn’t have much content.

I've been into digital photography since 1998/99, starting with an HP Photosmart C618, which had just 2.1 megapixels. Back then, I had a friend whose father had a deep passion for optics, telescopes, and photography. He owned an impressive collection of both analog and digital cameras — some of which I had the chance to try. Today, that same man runs the Madeira Optics Museum in Funchal.

It was through that friend and those early cameras that I truly got bitten by the photography bug. A few years later — I can’t recall exactly when — that same friend got a Sony DSC-F717, and soon after, I got the next model, the DSC-F828. It was a very advanced camera for its time, but as DSLRs started to dominate the scene, it became clear that the limitations of the Sony were holding me back.

Eventually, my friend was gifted a Nikon D70, and I was blown away the first time I used it. That led me to buy my own DSLR in 2007 — a Nikon D80 with the 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5 lens. I can honestly say it was the camera that taught me the most and the one I used the longest.

That D80 accompanied me through travels, daily moments, and a lot of experimentation. I learned so much with it — more than I realized at the time. Around 2019, I stopped using it, and photography slowly faded into the background. Life got busier, and my phone became my main camera for a few years.

Then in 2021, my son was born — and with him, a renewed desire to capture memories, moments, and beauty. A couple of years passed, and I finally let go of my faithful old Nikon. In 2024, I got a great deal on a Sony A6400, and with it, new lenses, new tools, and new perspectives.

This marks a fresh chapter — not just in gear, but in how I see photography today.

Welcome to Island Men Photography.

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