cabinda: heat haze and hard shadows

i'm perched on a wobbly stool at a roadside bar in cabinda, the humidity clinging like a second skin. a bottle of warm coke sweats in my hand, and my camera bag feels like it's full of bricks. i've been here a few days and i'm already drenched in light and sweat. the streets are a mess of dust and diesel, but the light? the light is pure magic. i just checked my phone's weather thing-27.8°C, but it feels like 29.37, humidity at 62%, pressure 1011 hPa-just to confirm it's exactly the sauna i'm in right now. hope that's your jam. if you're bored, the drc border is a rattling two hours down a broken road, and luanda's skyscrapers are a six-hour drive on a strip that thinks it's a giant massage chair. here's where i'm at:

the quality of light here is insane-late afternoon, the sun slants low and orange, painting the corrugated roofs in gold. i've been shooting with my nikon d750 and a 35mm prime lens wide open. the heat makes the lens flare unpredictable, but i kinda love it. the mercado municipal is a riot of colors and smells. fish on ice, bananas piled high, women in bright capulanas haggling.

someone told me that the best grilled fish is at the stall by the port, but you have to keep an eye on your gear-pickpockets love distracted photographers. i heard that the sunset at the baía de cabinda is breathtaking, but the tide sometimes floods the path, so you better wear boots. if you're planning a trip, check out TripAdvisor's Cabinda page for recent reviews. i also found some handy tips on the Angola subreddit. for local eats, Yelp's list of top restaurants in Cabinda is surprisingly accurate. don't forget to read the Lonely Planet guide for off-the-beaten-path spots. i'm shooting mostly digital, but i brought a roll of portra 400 for the golden hour. the humidity at 62% is worrying me-film can get brittle. we'll see. the other day i was trying to get a low angle shot of a fisherman mending nets, and a goat decided my lens cap was a snack. lost a cap but gained a laugh.

. the waves crash against rusted hulls of old fishing boats. it's haunting. i've been trying to figure out the best spots for sunrise. the lighthouse at ponta do banderim is supposed to be epic, but i've overslept every day because the night air is so sticky you can't sleep. maybe tomorrow. there's a rawness to cabinda-it's not polished, it's not trying to be anything but itself. as a photographer, that's gold. i'm leaving with a memory card full of textures and a head full of stories. i'll be heading north to the dundo region next, but i'll miss the way the light here feels like it's hugging you. if you ever get the chance, bring your camera, some water, and a healthy respect for humidity. and don't forget to ask about the goats.