First Impressions

Dec 19 2017

7 First Impressions of Bogota, Colombia
(From a Street Photography Perspective)

After photographing Quito, next up during my 100 City Project was an extended stay in Colombia starting in City #47 Bogota.

Bogota is the capital and largest city in Colombia. With all of Colombia’s sunny 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 urban atmosphere. It’s a little chilly 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 are my first impressions of Bogota, from my personal Street Photographer perspective…

Nov 27 2017

7 First Impressions of Quito, Ecuador
(From a Street Photography Perspective)

For the first South American city during my 100 City Project, I started in City #46 Quito, Ecuador.

Quito is the capital of Ecuador and the first city to ever be designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Sitting up high in the Andes Mountains since 1535, you have a city full of history, culture and character surrounded by a beautiful backdrop of mountains. The Old Town is one of the more interesting and scenic old towns I’ve experienced anywhere. Quito has a mix of city and mountain not only in its scenery, but also its people and life, making it a good place for some photography.

So here are my first impressions of Quito, from my personal Street Photographer perspective…

Oct 31 2017

7 First Impressions of Havana, Cuba
(From a Street Photography Perspective)

We’re coming up on another return to Havana, Cuba to teach a 7-day workshop, but last year it was City #43 during my 100 City Project. So, it’s time for my favorite city’s edition of first impressions.

For many photographers, Havana is a dream destination. Not many cities have been photographed like Havana, providing everyone a picture and feeling of the city even if you’ve never been. Havana more than deserves its reputation as one of the best cities around for photography, though. For me, it’s almost like if you created the perfect city for street photography in your mind, it would be Havana. It has it all going for it, but it’s also much more than the cliché you might see in many of the same photos of the city. It’s made for walking everywhere, and I do mean everywhere. So that’s what I did this trip, with just under a month devoted to this city on my last visit.

So here are my first impressions of Havana, from my personal Street Photographer perspective…

Sep 05 2017

7 First Impressions of Jerusalem, Israel
(From a Street Photography Perspective)

After exploring and photographing Tel Aviv, Israel, next up was a short bus ride to the holy capital of Jerusalem for City #41 during my 100 City Project.

It doesn’t get more famous than Jerusalem. This holy city brings visitors and pilgrimages from all over the world. In the Old City, you have its quarters devoted to the Jewish, Christian and Muslim religions, with so much history it almost doesn’t seem real. But the city doesn’t end there, with plenty more to explore and see outside the walls. Jerusalem is a full experience and truly a city unlike any other.

So here are my first impressions of Jerusalem, from my personal Street Photographer perspective…

Aug 16 2017

7 First Impressions of Tel Aviv, Israel
(From a Street Photography Perspective)

After spending some time in Odessa, Ukraine, I took a quick flight to Tel Aviv, Israel for City #40 during my 100 City Project.

Tel Aviv is Israel’s modern cosmopolitan city on the sea. Lined with beaches full of life, packed with a vibrant urban center and topped off with the historic port of Jaffa, there’s a lot going on here for a city well under a million people. Life is lived under the sun, but doesn’t stop at sunset in Tel Aviv, making it a city much different from the rest of the country. It’s trendy and chic, but still possessing a mix of the past and future, with a vibrant multicultural feel throughout the city. It’s a compact, intimate city making it great for walking and exploring with your camera too.

So here are my first impressions of Tel Aviv, from my personal Street Photographer perspective…

Jul 27 2017

7 First Impressions of Odessa, Ukraine
(From a Street Photography Perspective)

After a few busy months around Western Europe focusing on 9 cities during my 100 Cities project, I took a flight from Barcelona to Odessa, Ukraine for my 10th and final stop before leaving the continent. In 2015, Ukraine had been a great surprise and I fell in love with the country. After spending time in citie like Kiev and Lviv, I made sure to come back this trip and decided Odessa would be the spot. It was also time to slow down after the more fast paced and crowded cities of Western Europe, so Ukraine was perfect timing.

Odessa is Ukraine’s third largest city by population and its most popular summer destination. A major seaport, it also has a long stretch of beaches along the Black Sea that attract people from all over. Sometimes called the “Pearl of the Black Sea,” or even the “South Capital” in its Soviet Union days, Odessa was all I missed about Ukraine and more. The authenticity, mood, character, raw beauty mixed with a little roughness, and slightly surreal atmosphere that is unique to the country. For street photography, it’s a lot of what I look for in a place. Mix all this with some beach life that possesses even more of that distinct character, and you get a city that’s hard to beat.

So here are my first impressions of Odessa, from my personal Street Photographer perspective…

Jul 04 2017

7 First Impressions of Barcelona, Spain
(From a Street Photography Perspective)

After spending a week in Lisbon, Portugal, I flew across Spain to capture Barcelona for City #38 during my 100 Cities project.

I’d been to Barcelona many years ago, as it was actually the first city I ever visited outside of North America. While I had distant, but good memories of the city, most of it was from the night. One, because I was extremely unlucky with rain pouring the whole trip and two, I was young and focused more on having fun. In Barcelona, that means coming home at 7am and sleeping through the day. But now, many years later, I was ready to focus on photography and make sure to experience all I could of Barcelona with my camera during the day.

Barcelona is one of the most popular destinations in Europe. People come for the beach, gothic and Gaudi architecture, rich culture, and vibrant life of the largest metropolis on the Mediterranean Sea. With so much to attract visitors, Barcelona has changed over the years with all the tourism. For some, it’s not the city it used to be, but for most, it still has plenty deserving of being a top visited city in Europe. And that includes for street photography.

So here are my first impressions of Barcelona, from my personal Street Photographer perspective…

Jun 12 2017

7 First Impressions of Lisbon, Portugal
(From a Street Photography Perspective)

I’ve never met anyone that didn’t enjoy Lisbon, but being secluded where it is as mainland Europe’s westernmost capital keeps it from being visited as often as it should. While that’s probably a good thing, it was time for me to add it to the 100 Cities project. So I took a flight from London to Lisbon to experience all I’d heard about.

Lisbon is full of charm. The hills with their steep, winding cobblestone streets. The views of the city around every bend. The tiled, slightly deteriorating homes. Even in how it’s slightly run down brings a charm. Compared to much of Europe, Lisbon is still able to keep a “lost in time” feeling. It’s scenic, authentic and has soul. When most of Europe’s summer season takes a sharp turn for the worse, Lisbon stays sunny and warm. But the temperature isn’t the only thing that feels warm here. Walking around the city with your camera is an enjoyable experience that makes you never want to leave. Even with all those hills.

So here are my first impressions of Lisbon, from my personal Street Photographer perspective…

May 24 2017

7 First Impressions of London, England
(From a Street Photography Perspective)

London regularly tops the list as the most visited city in the world, but even with all my travel, I had yet to be one of those many visitors. I made sure to change that in 2016 so during the summer I gave London an extended stay to get to know the city as much as possible. With so many street photographers in London, and the power of social media and this blog, I was able to meet up with more locals than any city to date. One of them, talented local photographer Dmitry Stepanenko, was especially kind enough to show me all over his city multiple days. London is packed with things to see and places to explore for street photography so it was great having some local guidance to maximize my time here.

From the West End to the East End, London has something for everyone. The city is filled with familiar landmarks, but it’s also filled with a variety of neighborhoods, each with their own character. It’s a diverse, multicultural working city with a blend of the past and present. As large and populated as it is, it doesn’t have the overwhelming feeling of a New York or Tokyo, yet has just as much to see and experience. London is immersed in history and antiquity mixed with a young, urban vibe. It’s London and there’s no place like it.

So here are my first impressions of London, from my personal Street Photographer perspective…

May 02 2017

7 First Impressions of Paris, France
(From a Street Photography Perspective)

After a week in Amsterdam, next on the 100 city project list was a train down to Paris, France. After an easy 3 hour ride, I was in the middle of the most romanticized city of all. For many, Paris is the ultimate city. Full of beauty, history, culture, romance and style. For some, though, finding out that Paris isn’t always the beautiful city they imagine can give different impressions. For me, I appreciate that edgier side of Paris mixed in with its famous atmosphere. It is touristy, crowded and as photographed as any city in the world, but all that Paris brings more than makes up for it. Long been a center for artists and writers, in addition to tourists, it draws people in for a reason and is a city everyone must visit, including photographers.

Paris is also considered the birthplace of street photography, conjuring the classic black & white street photos of the past. With so much timeless and recognizable scenery in the city, you do have to watch out for the cliché. But luckily, Paris is so rich visually with street photo opportunities that there’s still plenty to capture. And beyond the romantic exterior, there’s a different side to the city that provides even more opportunity for something different.

So here are my first impressions of Paris, from my personal Street Photographer perspective…