*A series of guides on shooting Street Photography in cities around the world. Find the best spots to shoot, things to capture, street walks, street tips, safety concerns, and more for cities around the world. I have personally researched, explored and shot Street Photography in every city that I create a guide for. So you can be ready to capture the streets as soon as you step outside with your camera!
Bogota
Overview:
Bogota is Colombia’s capital and largest city, making it also one of the largest cities in South America. With all of Colombia’s hot destinations, this big urban metropolis up in the Andes might not be a long stay for most, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t packed with gritty character and a lively city atmosphere. It’s a little chillier here compared to the rest of Colombia, but it makes up for that in vibrance, culture and a coolness of its own. While it doesn’t always feel safe, it’s always filled with character and edge in this big historic city.
So here’s a Street Photography guide so you can be ready to capture all that Bogota has to offer before you even arrive!
Map:
- Carrera Séptima
- La Candelaria
- Plaza de Bolivar / Plaza de San Victorino
- Simón Bolívar Metropolitan Park
- Parque de la 93 (Chapinero)
Bonus: Sunday at Usaquén
Top 5 Street Spots:
1. Carrera Séptima
Carrera Septima (Seventh Street) is a main thoroughfare in Bogota. It’s also easily my favorite street for a street photography walk in the city, for a variety of reasons. For one, it covers endless area, as it crosses south/north through La Candelaria, Santa Fe, Chapinero and Usaquén, which also happen to be some of the city’s most interesting neighborhoods. Much of it is pedestrian-only too, which makes it perfect for walking with your camera. It passes through important sites of Bogota, from history and culture to economy and recreation, while always being busy and full of life. And to top it off, it’s one of the safest streets you can walk in Bogota.
I walk this street every day when in Bogota. No where else has such guaranteed life with a variety of interest. Its location also puts you right in the middle of many nearby areas to hit up for street photography. So, you can always walk back to Carrera Septima throughout the day. While every day is a good day to walk the street, Sundays are the best and most active, as the city closes sections of the road for everyone to come enjoy their day off outside.
2. La Candelaria
La Candelaria is the “Old City” of Bogota and the most popular neighborhood for visitors. This historic area is filled with churches and Spanish colonial buildings. There’s an artistic vibe here with colorful graffiti mixed in with old character, architecture, museums and universities. You’ll also find more tourists here than anywhere else due to the interesting atmosphere and number of places to stay. La Candelaria is on a steep climb, giving it some nice views of the city too, but going to the very top isn’t recommended by locals due some sketchier areas.
Although touristy, La Candelaria is a great area to explore with your camera due to all the colorful and interesting backgrounds. You’ll find some local life mixed in with tourism in many spots too. Plaza del Chorro de Quevedo is a popular square to come to for activity and people watching.
3. Plaza de Bolivar / Plaza de San Victorino
Plaza de Bolivar is the main square in Bogota. Its location in the heart of the city makes it a great center point to come for street photography. The square is large and open with the city’s first public monument in the center, a statue of Simón Bolívar. There’s always people here and plenty of pigeons waiting to be fed. After Monseratte, it’s the city’s most famous landmark so there’s always tourists here, but it’s a popular spot for events and protests too. You can come check it out to see what’s going on before heading down the adjoining Carrera Séptima. Because of its prime location, I usually stop here multiple times during a day’s street photography walk.
Although not tourist famous, Plaza de San Victorino is a nearby square with even more activity. It’s another open square, but with a more edgy character. One street connects to a street market, while the rest is surrounded by restaurants and shopping, with large buildings covered in some interesting street art. I say it has a more edgy character because there’s always a police van parked in the middle and plenty of prostitutes walking the area. But for street photography, it provides more variety of character than maybe any other square in the city. Its central location also makes in a center of pedestrian activity.
4. Simón Bolívar Metropolitan Park
Simón Bolívar Metropolitan Park is a gigantic green space in the middle of the city bigger than Central Park in New York. At just under 400 acres that includes 5 smaller parks, you’ll find lakes with boating, beaches, an outside gym, food carts, the Colosseum and more. If you want a change of scenery from the urban metropolis, this is the place to go when it’s nice out. Events like “Rock al parque” are also held here. You’ll find mostly locals here enjoying the nature and recreation.
5. Parque de la 93 (Chapinero)
Parque de la 93 is a small grassy park in the center of the popular 93rd street. It’s one of the most popular shopping and restaurant streets in the city, while being a center of nightlife too. This location is also one of the more upscale in Bogota, making it one of the safest and modern areas to walk in the city. Chapinero is the name of the district here, which is worth exploring outside of 93rd street too for street photography. You’ll find a nice mix of character with plenty of restaurants, bars, art galleries, and shops to bring the people.
Bonus: Sunday at Usaquén
Usaquén is the northernmost district of Bogotá. It has a nice colonial center with a peaceful atmosphere, but the main reason to come here is the flea market on Sundays. While it technically is a flea market, the feeling is more upscale than others. The Usaquen Sunday market has become arguably the most popular market for visitors due to its beautiful scenery, safety and all-around experience with colonial streets dressed in flowers, stalls selling high quality crafts and clothing, and plenty of restaurants and bars. The prices match the atmosphere, higher than the rest of the city, but it’s definitely nice for a Sunday walk. While it’s a little too “nice” for my street photography market taste, for others it will be a highlight of Bogota.
Sample Street Walk:
For a full day of Street Photography, covering some of the best spots, you can follow this sample street walk for Bogota:
- Start your morning walking around La Candelaria (2)
- Head west to Plaza de Bolivar (3), where you can continue west to a nearby street market
- Then walk north to Plaza de San Victorino (3)
- Head back east to Carrera Séptima (1) and walk north along this busy street
- From here, you can either take an uber to Chapinero (5) or walk back south on Carrera Séptima (1) and check La Candelaria (2) again
3 Things I’ll Remember Most about Photographing Bogota:
1. Sketchy areas
La Candelaria is the main tourist area and contains a lot of older character mixed with color. It’s where many places to stay, eat and drink are located too so you’ll find plenty of tourists here. But it’s also located near some sketchy areas they tell you not to go. Unfortunately, this is true for much of Bogota. I’ve been stopped multiple times by police while exploring outside of La Candelaria. Each time they treated me like I was crazy walking around by myself with my camera and told me I to get back home before something happens to me. Many locals treated me the same. Now, locals seem to always exaggerate danger of their own cities, but there was a clear reason for it here. It definitely can feel sketchy exploring Bogota freely. You have to constantly read your surroundings to stay away from danger.
For the safest area to explore activity, Parque 93 can be good. This commercial and recreational park is located in an upscale neighborhood and is one of Bogota’s most popular shopping, night club and restaurant areas. Here, you can feel pretty safe exploring, but definitely gives a different, more polished atmosphere. Later in the guide, I’ll share tips on how to explore some of the other areas of the city more safely.
2. Police everywhere
I already went over safety problems in Bogota, but it’s clear the city knows about them. Police are everywhere in Bogota. Not just one or two here and there, but all over the city you’ll see trucks and crowds of police. I don’t think I’ve seen it to this degree anywhere else. In many areas, you’ll find them stationed on corners too, which is one thing I really appreciate and take advantage of when out shooting. And then on some of the more popular squares, whole trucks will be stationed for the day and night with a team of police. Plaza de San Victorino is one busy square that always has a truck where police and prostitutes mingle amongst each other in the center. Not your average scene.
All this police doesn’t stop crime by any means, but it is a deterrent and makes busier foot traffic areas a bit safer, while adding an interesting element for your street photography experience. You might see some action too, as I’ve seen countless arrests. This policing comes with its protests too, as I’ve walked through multiple anti-police parades walking the city.
3. Cooler climate with Edgy vibe, grafitti and character
While imagining Colombia probably brings up images of the scorching sun, that’s far from the case in Bogota. At its hottest, the monthly average high tops out at 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit), and that’s only for 3 months. Bogota is located 8661 feet above sea level, giving it a cool climate, especially for Colombia. You’ll also have less sunny days here compared to the rest of the country, so it’s something to consider when visiting. For both your clothing and photography.
At the same time, this comes with a few pluses. For one, it gives a change of scenery in Colombia. Not only do you have its biggest city to explore, but the climate gives a very different atmosphere. With all of Colombia’s hot weather destinations, it also means many visitors skip Bogota, other than maybe as a quick transit city. Without crowds of tourism everywhere, you get an authentically local feeling city. And even though you don’t always have the sun lighting up the city, you do have some of the most vibrant and impressive graffiti I’ve seen to help make up for it. All over Bogota, you’ll find world-class graffiti murals. For people who like photographing graffiti, Bogota, especially with its size, would give you endless street art to capture.
Bicycles
They love cycling in Bogota. Not only did they start Bogota Ciclovía every Sunday, but every day you can see people cycling outside. Bogota also has some very large parks, specifically Simón Bolívar Metropolitan Park, where you can see a variety of outdoor activities. It doesn’t get too hot here in the mountains compared to most of Colombia, making it a nice climate for outdoor recreation that gets used plenty by the locals.
What To Do For a Street Photography Break?:
Monseratte view
I learned a while ago not to ask locals where to go for street photography. No matter how well you explain exactly what this entails, they still can only tell you the same tourist spots you’d find in a guide-book. In Bogota, you don’t even need to ask, though, everyone tells you to go to Monserrate, anyway. This mountain not only overlooks the city, but towers over it. No matter where you are, you can see it, and its bright white church that sits atop. I usually don’t do tourist things in cities so I can focus completely on shooting and exploring different parts of the city for street photography, but its worth it to make a trip up here for the view.
While not a place to necessarily come for street photography, you possibly could get something out of the long cable car journey or the little tourist market up top. My favorite part of Monserrate is how it shows you how truly massive Bogota is. At over 10 million people, it’s one of the five largest cities in South America, but you don’t feel it down below like you do from as high up as Monseratte takes you. The view shows this metropolis going on forever. For street photography, it would take a long time to really explore this city.
People’s Reaction Score: 7
Colombians in general are some of the friendlier people you will meet. When it comes to photo friendliness, they’re pretty friendly too, Bogota included. Many locals might say Bogota isn’t as friendly as the rest of Colombia, but I don’t find it noticeable. The biggest thing to watch out for with photos here is who and where you are shooting. Traveling the world shooting candid photography, the number one reason someone really doesn’t want to be photographed is because they are involved in illegal activity of some sort. That could be as little as a flea market selling stolen goods or a drug dealer working the corner. Luckily, it’s usually pretty easy to see who you shouldn’t photograph. Other than that, you shouldn’t have any out of the ordinary problems shooting street photography in Bogota.
Street Safety Score: 4
*As always, no place is completely safe! So when I talk about safety, I’m speaking in general comparison to other places. Always take precaution, be smart, observe your surroundings and trust your instincts anywhere you go!
This can be a touchy section, but I try to keep it honest and I know most locals will agree with me. Bogota isn’t the safest city. There’s a local saying here, “No dar papaya,” which translates to “Don’t give the papaya” and means don’t make yourself a target. And that’s exactly how the locals act and advise visitors to act. Don’t go to certain areas, don’t carry valuables, don’t make yourself noticed, don’t trust strangers and if it’s dark, get home quick. Bogota is one of the biggest cities in South America and has more than its fair share of crime, corruption and no-go zones. Muggings are common and you have to be careful, especially depending where you are.
But don’t let this scare you off from exploring the city with your camera, it just means you have to be aware of your surroundings and keep your street smarts fully alert. I’ve seen danger, but never had anything happen because of this. Sometimes being extra alert in a dangerous place can even make you safer than when you relax too much in a safer place. Of course, there are areas where it’s not so bad, while others aren’t advised for the casual visitor. And they definitely fill the city with police, so many areas will have policemen watching the corner. But for specific tips on overcoming dangers in Bogota while out shooting street photographer, scroll down to my Street Tips below…
Street Tips:
Be careful where you go
You’ll bump into sketchy areas wherever you go if you explore Bogota, but generally speaking, the north and east are comparatively safer sections of Bogota. Heading far west, and especially south, is when it can get pretty dangerous feeling. I’ve been all over the north and east, but have spent time exploring the west and south too. There’s a lot of edgy urban character here. It’s not something I’d probably recommend, but if you’re like me at all, I don’t regret checking it out. It’s not without plenty of precautions, though, while continually walking. It can be an adrenaline rush at times, but here’s a few street smart tips I use that definitely help the risk.
Street Smart Safety Tips
- Constantly scan and read your surroundings. Remember faces.
- Keep a distance from people, especially in quieter areas. Watch if someone is moving towards you and move away in advance.
- Walk on the outer side of the side walk, not against the wall, so you won’t be easily cornered or surprised.
- Look for police. Shoot longer at street corners with security/police. On some busy streets, they set up on the corner for safety.
- Trust no one. Don’t ever stop to talk to strangers. Be polite, but continue moving. This might be the number one reason tourists get in trouble. They want to be nice and trust, but that’s exactly what will be used against you.
- Don’t look like an easy target. Walk confidently and with a purpose. Don’t look lost.
- Know where you are and where you can get to quickly if needed.
- And don’t photograph guys standing on corners, while constantly looking around. They’re likely up to something.
Sundays are the best days in Bogota
If you’re in Bogota on a Sunday, you’re in luck. This is when Bogota really comes alive and makes for the best day for street photography. Every Sunday, the city shuts down streets, turning them into bicycle and pedestrian roads for miles of activity. Street markets spill out onto the streets, taking advantage of the crowds of people coming to enjoy a leisurely day out in the city, and security and police are everywhere making sure it’s safer than normal to walk Bogota.
They call this Bogota Ciclovía because of all the bicyclists, skaters, and runners this was originally set up for. From 7am to 2pm, you’ll see bicycles everywhere, but it’s become much more than just that now. While this has also become a Sunday/holiday tradition in Colombia’s other big cities, Bogota is credited for the inspiration and is where it’s done the biggest. There’s so much going on everywhere that it makes for a very interesting enjoyable street photography walk. It’s also the best day to walk Carerra 7, which goes on forever with pedestrian activity the whole way on Sundays.
Take Uber, Not Taxis (local advice). Bus can be good too, if convenient.
Taxis aren’t very trustworthy in Bogota, but luckily you have Uber. Even locals advise to call Uber instead of taxis. I’ve taken a taxi once in Bogota due to having no service for Uber and it confirmed what I’ve been told. In-between trying to sell me cocaine and hookers, the driver would secretly push a button raising the fare faster. Things can be worse than that too when dealing with taxis, but Ubers are all fully checked, professional, trustworthy and usually even cheaper. Bogota does have a decent bus/metro system, for South America, that can come in useful too. I’d recommend using it in the more convenient and busy road lines, though.
Inspiration:
I focus on covering every region of the world during my 100 city project to provide full coverage of life, but also to cover places that haven’t been seen as much for street photography. Probably for safety concerns, Latin America is one of these regions so there’s not a lot of strong Bogota street photography for inspiration, unfortunately. But you can always check Flickr or 33 of my photos taken in Bogota.
Conclusion:
While Bogota has its fair share of danger, you’ll also find a trendy city with an artistic and historic side mixed into a gritty working class metropolis. Even with all the police everywhere, Bogota might not always make for a carefree walking experience with your camera, but it will always be an experience with plenty of character and interest to capture in this massive South American city.
I hope this guide can give you an idea of the city from a street photographer’s perspective and maybe even help you prepare to experience Bogota yourself. So grab your camera and capture all that Bogota has to offer for Street Photography!
If you still have any questions about shooting in Bogota, feel free to comment below or email me!
(I want to make these guides as valuable as possible for all of you so add any ideas on improvements, including addition requests, in the comment section!)
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