*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!

Addis Ababa

Overview:

Ethiopia is one of the best countries in Africa to both experience and photograph, in my opinion. When people come to Ethiopia, though, they usually only use Addis Ababa as the big city transit destination. And while I can’t blame them for wanting to rush to some of Ethiopia’s more rural spots, they’re missing out on more than first meets the eye. Addis Ababa is Africa’s fourth-largest city and its diplomatic capital. It might be chaotic, messy and filled with traffic at first impression, but it’s full of life and a unique mix of urban atmosphere meets rich traditions and history that you won’t find anywhere else in the country. There’s beauty and color to be found too, along with the largest open air market in all of Africa. If that’s not enough to make you stay longer with your camera, it also makes for Ethiopia’s best city for a street photography break when it comes to their famous cuisine.

So here’s a Street Photography guide so you can be ready to capture all that Addis Ababa has to offer before you even arrive!

Map:

1. Addis Mercato
2. Piassa (Menelik II Square / Ethiopian Cinema)
3. Meskel Square
4. Bole

Top 4 Street Spots:

1. Addis Mercato

The Addis Merkato, normally shortened to Merkato, is the largest open air market in all of Africa, which should tell you something about its size. They estimate that over 13,000 people work here in over 7,000 different businesses. Honestly, all this doesn’t really help describe the sheer size felt when it exploring it, though. You could spend all day getting lost in its endless, crowded streets. There’s a mix of everything found here, especially produce and other locally grown products, along with specific items sometimes sectioned onto streets. 

Other than size, I don’t know many markets that could match it for chaos, either. It’s crowded, dirty, and probably overwhelming for most, but that also makes it packed with interest. It’s not as pretty as most markets, but if you like action, you’ll find here in guaranteed abundance. I do have to mention, though, recommending shooting here does come with caution. The Merkato is very known for its pick pockets and brings many warnings from the locals. You shouldn’t have to worry too much about personal safety, but not everyone is the friendliest, especially when it comes to photos. You have to bring some confidence and watch your pockets, but you can’t miss visiting Africa’s largest outside market if you’re in Addis, especially if you’re interested in street photography.

2. Piassa (Menelik II Square / Ethiopian Cinema)

The Piassa neighborhood is probably my favorite area to explore for street photography in the city, especially towards the end of the day. It’s the old town of the city, yesterday’s economic heart of Addis Ababa. Today, it’s mostly shopping, budget hotels and restaurants, but it’s still filled with character from the past. For street photography, it has to be the most picturesque part of the city, colorful old buildings influenced by a variety of cultures. There’s the Italian Occupation’s influence, but you’ll also see Greek, Armenian, Indian and of course, Ethiopian in the mix of flavor here. Cinema Ethiopia is one of the run down landmarks you’ll find here, but all the streets contain similar character.

In addition to the interest and color, you’ll also find a ton of activity here. My favorite time is around 5pm when people are getting off work. The large bus station and streets of shared vans get chaotic around this time, while the street markets and businesses continue their activity. Combine that with the great light here at this time and the colorful, character filled backgrounds, and you have a spot made for street photography in Piassa.

3. Meskel Square

Meskel Square is the city’s most popular spot for public gatherings, demonstrations and festivals. It’s actually named after the Meskel Festival, which has been celebrated for over 1,600 years. While it is one of Addis’ main squares, it doesn’t really resemble your average square. The first thing you’ll notice is the crazy, chaotic intersection of traffic that crowds the area. There’s no traffic lights or round about to direct this busy intersection so what you get is a mess of cars going in every direction. The actual square is made up of a large parking lot followed by a wide hill of dirt and grass steps. At the top, you’ll find a popular area for events, but if nothing is going on, you’ll still find plenty of activity along the hill outside of the hotter hours. In the evening it can get pretty busy with locals hanging out and even exercising along the narrow step lanes. In addition to all the activity that gathers here, it’s also a prime spot to catching a shared van elsewhere in the city. 

4. Bole

For the more modern side of the city, and what many locals call the nicest part, you can explore Bole. This section of Addis Ababa goes from the airport, with the same name, all the way to Meskel Square. You can feel things changing fast here as construction keeps building it up. There’s no shortage of cafes, restaurants, shops and business buildings along its main street, along with plenty of pedestrians. It’s also a prime spot for nightlife. Addis Ababa has a strong Chinese influence right now, with China investing in property and businesses everywhere. You’ll see it all over the constructions sites and newer buildings. Bole is where a lot of the expats moving to work in these new businesses stay. I wouldn’t call Bole beautiful or filled with character, it’s more of a concrete jungle, but it does provide life and a different, modern atmosphere. This is where you can feel how much the city is changing. Some of the busier spots are near the Friendship Mall or by the many shared van stops along the main street, especially when people get off work.

Sample Street Walk:

For a full day of Street Photography, covering some of the best spots, you can follow this sample street walk for Addis Ababa:

• Start your morning walking around Meskel Square (3)
• Then take a shared van over by Addis Mercato (2)
• Spend multiple hours exploring Africa’s largest outside market with your camera 
• Then walk northeast to Piassa (2) and walk this colorful neighborhood with your camera, especially around Ethiopian Cinema and Menelik II Square
• Finish your day in Piassa (2) around all the chaos of shared vans, where the sunlight ends beautifully

3 Things I’ll Remember Most About Photographing Addis Ababa:

1. Craziest, biggest market around 

I already went over Addis Mercado, the largest open market in Africa, but a description can’t do it justice. It’s different from any other market experience you’ve had before. While many might find it too overwhelming or intimidating, no one can say it’s not an experience. No matter the street you turn, you’ll be weaving through bodies and crowds moving in every direction, while dodging carpets and crafts being carried on their backs. It’s a constant sensory overload where you have to always watch where you’re going. It’s not always friendly and you can run into some strange characters and pick pockets at its most chaotic, but you just have to be confident and careful when you’re here shooting. If you are, you’ll be rewarded with one uniquely active and large area for street photography. Piassa is my favorite spot in the city for street photography, but Mercado is definitely the craziest. So if you like endless crazy chaos, this is the place for you.

2. They don’t love photos here, suspicious compared to the rest of Ethiopia

I was warned about Ethiopia many times by other photographers when it came to photo reactions. I was told how I’ll hear non-stop “no photos” walking around with my camera, especially in Addis Ababa. Well, there’s some truth to that. “No photos, forbidden” was the most common thing I heard here, just walking around. I’ve been to my fair share of places where unpaid public photography isn’t openly welcomed, but have learned how to deal with it without much trouble anymore. The same was true here, although, Addis Ababa is towards the top of the list for most hassle when it comes to photos, especially around the main market. Locals have talked to me about it and explained that the city has become very suspicious of others, especially when it comes to cameras. I did notice some difference between areas within the city, though, as Piassa and Bole seemed to give me the least hassle, while the areas around the Mercato gave me the most. 

I still make photos as I normally do here, though, so it’s nothing to deter you. I just deal with the no’s and hassle, which most of the time are just said without any real seriousness, like it’s just something to say. When someone does come at you, talking to them with a smile is usually enough. At times, it can get frustrating, but it’s just something you have to be ok with if you really want to shoot freely in Addis Ababa (fortunately, the rest of the country isn’t to the same level). 

3. Chinese influence. Construction everywhere.

There’s a lot of construction going on in Addis Ababa and it’s almost all from China. If you talk to the locals, their city is being bought by China, and you can see why they might feel that way. With all the outside Chinese investing, this is starting to bring some influence too. It will be interesting to see how much change comes with this outside growth. 

4. Piassa’s old character

Piassa isn’t very big, but it packs a lot of interest and character. It’s undoubtedly my best memory of the city when it comes to shooting. The colors, the old character, the influences, the light and more make it perfect for street photography.

3 Non-Street Photography Things To Do in Addis Ababa:

• Eat: Injera, Bayenetu, Shiro and Tibs
• Drink: Coffee, Tej and beer
• Visit: National Museum of Ethiopia and Red Terror Martyrs’ Memorial Museum

Street Safety Score: 7

*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!

When it comes to violent crime, Addis Ababa is relatively safe for a large city, especially in Africa. When it comes to petty crime, though, you should be more alert than usual. Around Addis Mercado is a hotspot for pickpocketing so you should definitely watch your belongings there. This market area can be intimidating for many in general, as you can run into some less friendly situations compared to the rest of the city. All in all, though, Addis Ababa is one of the safest big cities in Africa for street photography. 

People’s Reaction Score: 4

Africa can be difficult for many street photographers when it comes to reactions and Addis Ababa is probably not an exception. It depends where you are, but in general I find it to be less photo friendly compared to the rest of the country too, which was echoed by locals and other photographers. Still, as long as you’re willing to work through a decent amount of “no photos,” you shouldn’t have much more problem than that.

Street Tips:

Shared vans are your friend

They’re popular all over Ethiopia, but in Addis Ababa, shared vans run the streets. Nicknamed “Blue Donkeys,” these minibus/vans are like shared taxis working different routes and destinations within the city. They’re much cheaper than regular taxis, while being surprisingly efficient, fast and easy. You’ll see people grouped by the street all over the city, while vans continually slow down or stop, with a man hanging out yelling their destination direction. I don’t speak a bit of the language, but have no problem using them everyday to get back and forth. With a cost of 2-5 birr (10-25 cents) a trip, it’s impossible to beat.

Funny enough, most locals are very surprised to see a foreigner using them, though. I repeatedly get asked why I don’t take a taxi like other foreigners, while receiving surprised looks and smiles as I cram into the van. They do pack them like sardines, but I don’t mind this, as long as it gets me where I need to go quickly enough. While a light rail is in the works, I really don’t miss it with these blue donkeys working as well as they do in Addis Ababa.

Get to Piassa later in the day, around rush hour

Piassa around rush hour is my favorite spot and time in Addis Ababa. First off, the light is amazing here around that time. If you’re here an hour before sunset, especially along the main street running southeast from Minilik Square towards Cinema Ethiopia, you get some beautiful sunlight shining down at the perfect angle. The old stores and cafes are colorful too, providing great backdrops to work with that light. And secondly, it gets extremely busy here around rush hours, as it’s one of the city’s main bus stations and areas for shared vans. You can just walk back and forth through the constantly changing activity and perfect light. It’s a great time for street photography.

Watch your pockets!

Violent crime isn’t big in Addis Ababa, but pick pocketing is. Most big cities are places where pick pocketing is a danger, but Addis Ababa does stand out in my experience. For one, locals warned me here maybe more than any place I’ve been, but their warnings were also validated. I’ve only had pick pocketing attempted on me a couple of times in my life elsewhere, but it’s been tried multiple times here. All places aren’t equal, though, and Addis Mercado is definitely the spot to watch your pockets. It gets insanely packed and there are plenty of people looking to take advantage of the close quarters for some bump and grab. So, make sure your belongings are somewhere safe while navigating the crowded market streets.

Inspiration:

For some more inspiration, you can follow the instagram feed of Addis Ababa street photographer Amanuel Tsegaye (@aman_rebel) and look through some of the work done in Ethiopia by photographers Graciela Magnoni and Yves Vernin. And as always, you can check out 33 of my photos taken in Addis Ababa.

Conclusion:

I highly recommend Ethiopia, as a whole, to come experience and photograph, but I’d also highly recommend giving some time to Addis Ababa too, especially for street photography. While other cities in Ethiopia can be more “love at first walk” for street photography, Addis Ababa demands a little more time and exploration. But that’s what I love about big cities, there’s almost always more than first meets the eye and Addis Ababa is a shining example. It brings that unique mix of chaotic urban life meets old, African traditions, and if you want to find the interest and colors that the rest of Ethiopia supplies, you can find it here too.

I hope this guide can help you better experience Addis Ababa. So, grab your camera and capture all that Addis Ababa has to offer for Street Photography!

If you still have any questions about shooting in Addis Ababa, 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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