Field notes from a life in transit ●  currently: Portugal

Sofia Costa

I photograph slow mornings, long light, and the places in between.

June 2026
Two glasses of port wine on a wooden barrel table inside a dim Vila Nova de Gaia cellar, warm amber light filtering between stacked oak barrels.
Sofia Costa · 35mm№32 → Portugal

№ 32  ·  Portugal  ·  3 June 2026

Port Wine in Gaia: An Evening in Porto's Dim Cellars

Inside a Vila Nova de Gaia wine cave - oak barrels, amber light, two glasses of port. A slow evening in Porto, shot on 35mm film.

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View from Dom Luís I bridge over the Douro river and red-tiled Ribeira rooftops in Porto, soft early morning light, hand holding a small espresso cup.
Sofia Costa · 35mm№31 → Portugal

№ 31  ·  Portugal  ·  3 June 2026

Early Morning on Dom Luís I Bridge: Porto Through a Film Lens

Standing on the Dom Luís I bridge at dawn with a bica in hand, watching Porto's red rooftops catch the first light. A slow-travel moment on 35mm film.

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Colorful façades along Porto's Ribeira waterfront at dusk with Dom Luís bridge reflected in the Douro river, warm amber light fading.
Walking Porto's Ribeira waterfront as the light turns amber. № 30 · place study · 2 June 2026
Ornate wooden staircase inside Livraria Lello bookshop in Porto, colored light streaming through stained glass ceiling onto carved banisters, early morning.
Sofia Costa · 35mm№29 → Portugal

№ 29  ·  Portugal  ·  2 June 2026

Inside Livraria Lello at Opening: Porto's Quiet Morning Light

Livraria Lello just after opening. Stained glass light on wood, no crowds yet. A slow-travel moment inside Porto's most beautiful bookshop, shot on 35mm film.

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Woman sitting on stone steps at a Miragaia viewpoint in Porto, wine glass beside her, golden sunset light reflecting off the Douro river below, tiled facades in background.
Sofia Costa · 35mm№28 → Portugal

№ 28  ·  Portugal  ·  1 June 2026

Sunset in Miragaia: Porto's Golden River Hour on Film

Sitting on the Miragaia steps as the Douro turns gold. A slow evening in Porto with wine, tilework, and a 35mm camera. No plans, no rush.

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Open notebook and cooling coffee on a small café table against a blue azulejo-tiled wall in Bonfim, Porto, soft morning light.
Sofia Costa · 35mm№27 → Portugal

№ 27  ·  Portugal  ·  1 June 2026

Breakfast in Bonfim: A Slow Morning in Porto's Tiled Cafés

A francesinha going cold, a notebook filling up, and the bluest azulejo wall in Bonfim. What a slow breakfast in Porto actually looks like.

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May 2026
Two glasses of tawny port wine on a wooden barrel table inside a dim Vila Nova de Gaia wine cellar, warm amber light filtering between stacked oak barrels.
Sofia Costa · 35mm№26 → Portugal

№ 26  ·  Portugal  ·  31 May 2026

Port Wine in Gaia: An Evening in Porto's Dim Cellars

Oak barrels stacked to the ceiling, amber light, two glasses of tawny. An evening tasting port in Vila Nova de Gaia, Porto, shot on 35mm film.

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View from Dom Luís I bridge over the Douro river and red-tiled Ribeira rooftops in Porto, soft early morning light, hand holding a small espresso cup.
Standing on the Dom Luís I bridge at dawn, watching Porto wake up over the Douro. № 25 · place study · 31 May 2026
Woman sitting on orange sandstone cliff edge at Ponta da Piedade, Lagos, holding a 35mm film camera, golden hour light warming the rock arches above turquoise sea.
Sofia Costa · 35mm№24 → Portugal

№ 24  ·  Portugal  ·  30 May 2026

Ponta da Piedade at Golden Hour: Lagos on 35mm Film

Orange sandstone, turquoise sea, and the last roll of film. Sitting on the cliff edge at Ponta da Piedade in Lagos, Algarve, watching the light do its slow work.

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View from ochre sandstone cliffs above Praia Dona Ana in Lagos, Algarve, legs dangling over the edge, turquoise water below, soft early morning light.
Sofia Costa · 35mm№23 → Portugal

№ 23  ·  Portugal  ·  30 May 2026

Cliffside Morning in Lagos: Slow Travel on the Algarve Coast

Sitting on the ochre cliffs above Praia Dona Ana at sunrise, coffee in hand, watching early swimmers. A slow morning in Lagos, Algarve, on 35mm film.

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Narrow white-walled street in Lagos old town at dusk, terracotta rooftops catching warm golden light, film camera hanging from a leather strap.
Sofia Costa · 35mm№22 → Portugal

№ 22  ·  Portugal  ·  29 May 2026

Dusk in Lagos: Walking the Old Town with a Glass of Wine

White-walled streets, terracotta roofs, and a glass of wine at golden hour. A slow evening walk through Lagos old town in the Algarve, shot on 35mm film.

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Barefoot footprints trailing across wet sand on Meia Praia beach in Lagos, Algarve, warm golden morning light low on the horizon.
Sofia Costa · 35mm№21 → Portugal

№ 21  ·  Portugal  ·  29 May 2026

Meia Praia at Dawn: Barefoot Film Photography in Lagos

Early light on Meia Praia, empty sand, a 35mm camera at hip height. A slow morning in Lagos, Algarve, before anyone else shows up.

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Where the film has been
"I travel slowly, shoot on film, and write down what the light was doing. This journal is where the frames land, two a day, wherever I happen to wake up."

Sofia Costa · film photographer · permanently in transit

Follow on Instagram → @sofia.costa.traveler