Island Men Photography

  A down-to-earth look at the ups and downs of chasing a passion.  Photography, technology, and a long digital journey I've been photographing as a hobbyist for over 20 years, but I make a living from my 9-to-5 job in tech and IT. With my background in this field, I’ve ventured into the digital world in many ways over the years. I once had my own photography website and domain, with dynamic Flash content I created myself. I started blogs, participated in photography forums (where I learned a lot), and explored various platforms — always without much success or recognition. From motorbikes to Instagram I had a YouTube channel where I posted motovlogs, driven by my love of motorcycles, but eventually abandoned it due to low engagement. I shifted my focus to Instagram, where I’m more active today. My small account @luismsaguiar (with about 1100 followers) features photos and short videos — captured with my Insta360 — about life as a biker on the island. At the moment, i...

Last Sunday was Children's Day, and I took the chance to stroll through the centre of Machico. The weather was perfect, and while my kid enjoyed the inflatable playground, I finally found a quiet moment to shoot. I had the Zeiss 24mm with me — such a versatile lens, though its wide-open field of view can make framing quite a challenge at times. This set doesn't fully showcase the lens’s optical character, as most of the shots were treated with a film-inspired look, with a few leaning into a more vintage feel. Only one of the final images — the one with the plane tree and those sunstars — was left almost untouched in post. This last image, like the others shared here, didn’t make it into the Portfolio. If you’d like to see the selected work, check out the latest additions over there .    

  It’s been over 15 years now. Back in April 2010, my wife and I decided to take a short weekend break to the island of Porto Santo.     At the time, I was riding a humble Peugeot Geopolis 125, and my camera was the Nikon D80 — always by my side, ready to capture whatever moments our days might bring.   That early spring gave us a mix of weather: cool air, passing drizzles, and the occasional break of sunlight. Not quite the season for swimming, but perfect for slow walks and some memorable shots. Porto Santo, usually dry and golden in the summer, was unusually green — the kind of green only a generous winter can leave behind. We traveled with a group of friends who took to the island’s dirt tracks on quad bikes, but for us, the focus was rest, strolls, and sharing time together.  We wandered through the small town center, walked out to the old pier, and let the memories surface — childhood holidays, family trips, echoes of the past when our parents brough...