Play to hear the story behind the photograph.

I call this image Following Frida

At the time of the photograph, I had been in Lisbon for about a few months. I was out downtown running errands when I saw this woman in this denim jacket and this amazing Frida Kahlo print on the back of it, and I knew I wanted to get a picture.

And so I kind of followed her to try to frame up the shot. And when I got the shot, she had walked up the alleys into this area that I had been before, but I didn’t know where it was. It’s got this great mural of Fado music, and it was one of my favorite spots of Lisbon

But here I was, following woman at this random moment in time, and she walked right into the place that I had been wanting to go back and take a picture.  And so it’s those moments when everything coincides that I love.  The outfit was perfect. She’s kind of juxtaposed with this graffiti and art all around her, and it just. It’s one of my favorite pictures I’ve taken in Lisbon.

It reminded me of when the unfamiliar becomes familiar because I had really enjoyed this location but didn’t know where it was.  And here I was by chance circumstance finding myself right back in the same spot. And in this way, my photographs kind of became a map, of locations that I like in Lisbon. I’d find myself in future photographs, “Oh, yeah! I took something there”, and now I walked through here and and it printed where these places were.  And it kind of helped me remember and find my way throughout Lisbon and know how to navigate.

3 Replies to “32 – Following Frida”

Jon - September 10, 2025

I love the story behind taking this photo. I’m drawn towards gritty urban landscapes, and unique fashion choices… this photo contained all of that for me.

Nat - September 10, 2025

The image is so elegant with colors, desaturated and limited palette add to the vibe and draw the attention to the geometry of the street and the not-girl’s face.

Jon - September 10, 2025

Thank you so much for the kind words.

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