Obsessed with “The Wild Ones” on Apple TV+. Nature doc that shows the incredible rigging work to photograph endangered species in remote landscapes. As a photographer, the behind-the-scenes technical setup is pure inspiration. Beautiful escape from reality.

Not making tomorrow’s rapture, but if you are, I’ll gladly safeguard your cameras, lenses, and crypto while you’re gone. Think of it as free earthly storage for the heaven-bound.

Walked to The Grove in the LA sun, melted accordingly. Waymo ride back with AC was pure comfort. Sometimes adulting is just admitting you need a robot to drive you home.

So lovely to meet @afonso.me in person! We had a great brunch at SoHo House and shared so many great stories. Turns out we lived very close to each other during my San Francisco era! It’s great to get out in LA and meet other creatives who love this place as much as I do. #LosAngeles #LA #creatives

Dario Lee lost his NBA future to wrongful accusation at 19. Years later: $5 ride to LA, rebuilding from nothing. My new piece for this ongoing documentary photography project is now published. I hope you enjoy it :) open.substack.com/pub/fonziela...

A ton of my friends are off to Burning Man once again. I’m skipping it this year 💅 Have fun in the dust 🔥

Just watched a screening of Weapons, and yup, I’m totally on-board. What a fun, creepy, unique entry to the world of horror. Incredibly entertaining 👏👏👏

Another week, another glimpse behind the scenes. Old friends from films I worked on keep me company during new animation challenges. Woody, Rex, and Kevin know about the work that happens one frame at a time. 📸🎬

Watched people mourn the loss of GPT-4o this week. Not the usual tech complaints, but actual grief for a digital personality they'd grown attached to. Made me think about impermanence, photography, and why we form bonds with things that see us as data points. open.substack.com/pub/fonziela...

Right place, right time at Fangirl Cafe in WeHo. Natural light, pink walls, and a good subject. Sometimes compositions just work out. Great coffee too. 📸

Portrait work slow since July, but September sessions look promising. Using downtime to research and develop skills. Between bouts of screaming and freaking out. Kidding. Or am I? 📸

🆕 Built a tariff dashboard for ButMyEggs.com! Current rates across 30+ countries, filterable by region/status, with plain English explanations. Been a while since my last update - hobby projects take time when you have a day job! 😅 butmyeggs.com/scenarios/trump2025

Sunset walk up Mt. Olympus near Laurel Canyon with the camera. Good light last night and these hillside streets always deliver something interesting. Sometimes the best shots are right in your own neighborhood.

Been thinking about how different spaces bring out different sides of people. Wrote about portrait sessions, my parents visiting LA, and learning to be okay with getting older. fonzieland.substack.com/p/spaces-of-becoming

Full day behind monitors = time for a WeHo hills walk. These winding canyon roads are the perfect screen detox. Just moving uphill, breathing real air, remembering the world exists beyond pixels. Essential reset ritual.

Love living close to Sunset Strip for golden hour walks. Even with challenges, the energy and history hit different. That perfect LA light makes every corner magical.

My boyfriend found this hidden gem Mexican restaurant (Sierra Vista) in Frazier Park, just off the Grapevine. But on the way there, the sunset started painting the sky behind Los Pinos in these incredible purples and golds. Sometimes the detour to your detour gives you the shot.

We just spent a beautiful weekend floating down the Kings River in California while camping. My heart is full (and covered in mosquito bites).

This is beyond insanity CBS announcing the cancellation of The Late Show.

After an intense week (when isn’t it these days?) I needed some serious self-care and relaxation. Dogsitting has been the perfect excuse to slow down with our pups (one recovering beautifully from surgery), their visiting fur cousin, meditate, read, and spend quality time with my partner.

We finished watching The Bear (Season 4) and it’s so great. What a beautiful journey of character development, with a ton of emotional depth as well. Another outstanding performance by the whole cast too. What a treat 🙏

Shot portraits of Andy Schmidt (TrollHunters, Wondla) in his LA office. Former Pixar colleague turned acclaimed director. Always inspiring to photograph fellow storytellers!📸 #portraits #filmmaker #animation

In today’s edition of Dogs Are The Best™️ one of our puppies just had surgery and she’s recovering really peacefully at home. 🐶

If you’re looking for some photography inspiration from an outstanding photographer from the UK, check out this video story about a portrait session with the amazing PJ Harvey by Harry Borden.

Mid-week moments of zen from a West Hollywood kind of vibe.

Almost two weeks ago I started learning how to make my own sourdough starter from scratch and now I just baked my first sourdough loaf. Can’t wait to dive in!

Photography just got way more expensive. Right after National Camera Day, Canon, Nikon, Sony all raised US prices due to tariffs. Brutal for working photographers trying to eventually upgrade their gear. Fun times!

I finally wrote about photographing the last AIDS/LifeCycle. 545 miles of radical joy. Sisters + strawberries. Thousands of finish line photos. But also: when to put the camera down. What happens when 2,000 strangers become family? The Love Bubble is real. I hope you enjoy the read.

SCOTUS: Parents can opt out of gay family books (burdens beliefs) Texas: Ten Commandments mandatory in all classrooms (no opt-outs) LGBTQ+ youth are 4x more likely to attempt suicide. School representation saves lives. Religious liberty or religious control? 🏳️‍🌈

The final AIDS LifeCycle is complete. 545+ miles, 7 days, thousands of images documenting history. From fog-covered cliffs to emotional finish lines. I captured it all as one of four official photographers. Complete galleries: afonso.me/alc2025 #AIDSLifeCycle #DocumentaryPhotography #sonyalpha

Day 6 to Ventura: From beach dance parties to silent vigils. 2,000+ cyclists walking to the ocean in silence to honor those lost to AIDS. The emotional range of this day, celebration and remembrance intertwined.

Red Dress Day: A ribbon of red flowing down the California coast. Thousands honoring those lost to AIDS through creativity, joy, and remembrance. One of the most visually stunning day of the ride. #aidslifecycle

Day 4: Halfway to LA! From foggy mountain celebrations to Pismo Beach cinnamon rolls - capturing the joy of reaching the midpoint of this incredible journey. Plus, a proposal that stopped everyone in their tracks. #aidslifecycle

Prepping for a million cyclist photos today! #AIDSLifeCycle

Day 3: King City to Paso Robles. Quad Buster challenge complete. From rolling hill climbs to Bradley School’s legendary burger fundraiser, a day capturing the grit and community spirit that defines this ride. #aidslifecycle #sonyalpha

Day 2 complete: Santa Cruz to King City. 110 miles of Central California farmland. From rest stop recovery to Cookie Lady energy, capturing the full spectrum of what it takes to push through the longest day. #aidslifecycle

Day 1 complete: SF to Santa Cruz. From ceremony to coastline - capturing the start of this historic final ride. The joy and determination in these faces tells the whole story. Documentary photography at its finest. 📸

Day 0: AIDS LifeCycle check-in at Cow Palace. Capturing the anticipation before 3,000+ riders begin their 7-day journey tomorrow. From crowd dynamics to individual moments - documentary photography is about telling the complete story. 📸

Day at the Getty with my parents. Living twenty minutes from world-class art and architecture like this never stops feeling like a privilege. LA has its challenges, but the access to culture and inspiration here is extraordinary. #sonyalpha

Lovely day for an early morning walk in the city that was my home for so many years of my life. Hello, San Francisco 🥰

It’s happening. I’m about to land in San Francisco, with my camping gear, some clothes, and a bag full of my favorite @sonyalpha gear. It will be my first time photographing an event of this magnitude over 7 days, but I’m excited to document something so important and emotional. #AIDSLifeCycle

I wish I could bring these two little love nuggets on assignment with me. Dogs are the best 🥰

Gear packed for AIDS LifeCycle! Flying to SF tomorrow to photograph the final-ever ALC. One of four photographers covering this historic 7-day ride to LA. Grateful to #SonyAlpha for a lens loan. Ready to capture some incredible stories! 🚴‍♂️📸

Playing at the Academy Museum with my parents in Los Angeles - they've been teaching me to find wonder in everything since I was little. The curiosity never gets old. Still learning from them how to see the world with fresh eyes.

Walking LA with my parents, caught this reflection by chance. It's the random quiet moments between destinations that stick with you. Time moves fast, but sometimes a camera lets you hold onto the fragments that matter.

Today we lost Sebastião Salgado (1944-2025). His images revealed humanity's struggles and Earth's beauty with profound reverence. Grateful I saw him speak in SF and treasure an autographed book from when he met my parents in Portugal. A true giant. 🙏

Recent portraits for Danie Beukman’s consulting rebrand, shot entirely at his Santa Monica home. Created this versatile set balancing authority with approachability, from dramatic B&W to bright coastal light. Grateful for my #sonyalpha and #profoto combo on this rainy day.

I absolutely love Richard Linklater, one of my favorite directors of all time, and I can’t wait for his new film, Nouvelle Vague. First trailer below. youtu.be/795BXtBR2u4?...

Grateful for these jacaranda blooms creating purple tunnels on our West Hollywood street today. Even on overcast days, they offer a quiet reminder of the cycle of things. Sometimes the world feels impossibly heavy, and then nature gives you this moment to breathe. 🧘

This weekend is all about starting to pack my camping gear for the AIDS LifeCycle event I’m photographing and double checking my photo gear setup. Oh, and playing with our two dogs.