A Sunny Sunday in Machico – Children's Day

-

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.

 














 



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why APS-C is the Choice for Hobbyists and Professional Starters

-
Image
  Over the past few years, I started feeling the limitations of my old Nikon D80 — even the smartphones I got eventually outperformed it in several areas. Mainly in portability, dynamic range, and ISO performance. Taking photos in low light was always a challenge. In fact, I had trouble getting good results in less favorable conditions because I stubbornly kept using low ISOs to avoid noise, and also due to the limited aperture of my Nikon 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G kit lens. The simplicity of use of smartphones in the last 5 or 6 years clearly surpassed my camera. The Full-Frame Temptation Full-frame was always a dream ever since Nikon released the D600. But I never took the leap within the brand because even back then, a full-frame body was expensive — and I still had to invest in lenses. Years passed, I was out of the market for a while, and when I started looking again in 2024 with a typical hobbyist budget, reality hit me: jumping to full-frame had become even more prohib...
Read more

When Glass Has Soul - First Impressions with the Zeiss Sonnar 24mm f/1.8

-
Image
  For a long time, I searched for the right lens to match my vision of photography — something wide enough for street shots, yet intimate enough to feel personal. Many go for the modern Sigma 23mm f/1.4 DC DN or the Viltrox Pro 27mm f/1.2. But I had my eyes set on something older, rarer, and full of character: the Zeiss Sonnar 24mm f/1.8. A Golden Find After months of scanning used listings across Europe, I finally found one in excellent condition — boxed, with all accessories — for 399€. For a lens this well-built and optically unique, I couldn't be happier. The Zeiss doesn't have optical stabilization (OSS), but that was never a dealbreaker for me. What it does have is soul.   First Light The first test shot I took wasn't glamorous — just a fire hydrant near my work place. But the light was soft and filtered through leaves, falling perfectly on the subject. I shot it wide open at f/2.5 , ISO 100 , shutter 1/2500 on my Sony A6400 , and the result stunned me. Ev...
Read more

Between Mistakes, Photos, & Algorithms

-
Image
  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...
Read more