First Impressions

Aug 08 2016

7 First Impressions of Hyderabad, India
(From a Street Photography Perspective)

After Bangalore, I took a short train ride, in India terms, up to Hyderabad. This royal city is famous for its rich history, culture, cuisine, architecture, sites and more. While it’s another one of India’s big cities, it has its own atmosphere and look that distinguishes it. The old architecture really sets it apart, but it also has its booming tech industry that gives it an interesting juxtaposition. It’s a place that takes you back in time as well as any, all within one of the country’s fastest growing cities.

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

Jul 25 2016

7 First Impressions of Bangalore, India
(From a Street Photography Perspective)

After Chennai, I took a train over to Bangalore, India. Now, like many of India’s cities, the name has recently been changed. I understand the reasoning, but names like Bombay, Madras, Calcutta and Bangalore were seriously such good names. So since Bangalore’s change is much more recent and I didn’t meet one local that referred to their city with the new name, Bengaluru, we’re still going to refer to it as Bangalore for this article :)

In a country full of rapidly developing cities, Bangalore is at the front. One of India’s more cosmopolitan big cities, it brings comforts to visitors that you don’t find yet in most of India, from hip hangouts to its more temperate climate. There’s still multiple sides to the city, though, if you want to find the more chaotic India of old.

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

Jul 13 2016

7 First Impressions of Chennai, India
(From a Street Photography Perspective)

Last time I visited India, I spent most of my time in the north. So on my recent trip to India, I decided to check out some of the bigger cities in the south, starting in Chennai. Previously known as Madras, Chennai is one of the biggest cities in India at over 8 million people.

Chennai brings the chaos that India is known for, but adds to it with its old world atmosphere, the most impressive urban beach you’ll find anywhere, and much more. So here are my first impressions of Chennai, from my personal Street Photographer perspective…

Jun 29 2016

7 First Impressions of Galle, Sri Lanka
(From a Street Photography Perspective)

After Colombo, I took a train down to Galle in the southwest corner of Sri Lanka. Galle is a major city in Sri Lanka, but is best known for its Dutch influence and walled fort city where locals still live. It’s also nearby some of the most popular beaches and become one of the top spots to visit in Sri Lanka.

Galle was only a quick train ride from Colombo so I decided to give it a few days during my time in Sri Lanka. Here are my first impressions of Galle, from my personal Street Photographer perspective…

Jun 13 2016

7 First Impressions of Colombo, Sri Lanka
(From a Street Photography Perspective)

Colombo is the commercial capital and largest city in Sri Lanka, but most people don’t come to the island for city life, they come for the beautiful beaches, nature, and “Cultural Triangle.”

Before coming to Sri Lanka, I talked to some photographers who found Colombo had plenty to offer itself, though. Maybe it’s more worth it for street photographers, but I ended up staying almost a week in Colombo because of how much I liked it. If you enjoy cities in India, then Colombo shouldn’t be disappointing, but it also has its own character that makes it different too.

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

Jun 01 2016

7 First Impressions of Casablanca, Morocco
(From a Street Photography Perspective)

While Casablanca is the largest city in Morocco, it doesn’t get much love. People might fly in and out of the city, but it’s hard to find anyone recommending staying here longer than that. I wanted to find out if there was a good reason for this so I made sure to spend a few days here before flying out at the end of my visit to Morocco.

The truth is, after exploring the city, I can understand why people don’t love it compared to Morocco’s other attractions, but for street photography, I found many reasons that made me happy I gave it a chance.

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

May 16 2016

7 First Impressions of Chefchaouen, Morocco
(From a Street Photography Perspective)

Chefchaouen is a small town up in the Rif Mountains of Morocco. It used to be controlled by Spain so it has more of a spanish influence than french, like much of Morocco. But this isn’t why people make the long trip up through the mountains to visit Chefchaouen today.

I’ll go into some of the reasons this small city has become a popular destination recently, but one is obvious once you see any photos. Much of Chechaouen’s buildings, houses, walls, stairs and even ground are painted blue. This helps give it a unique atmosphere for photography, but there’s plenty more that makes Chefchaouen a city to visit for some Street Photography, and relaxation.

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

May 02 2016

7 First Impressions of Fes, Morocco
(From a Street Photography Perspective)

When it comes to Moroccan cities, Fes gets compared a lot to Marrakech. Online, you’ll find endless articles and forum topics covering the Marrakech vs Fes debate for visitors. Overall, there seems to be more people who love Marrakech, but also more that leave never wanting to return, while Fes is a little less polarizing. For me, I definitely left Marrakech loving it, but I can see why it’s not for everybody. Fes is much more relaxed with less hassle, tourist traps and chaos.

I don’t feel Fes provides the variety of life, colors, and scenery for Street Photography that Marrakech does, but that’s mostly because Marrakech is one of the best cities I’ve been to yet for that. Saying this, Fes is still a very unique city with the oldest, most elaborate and local medina you’ll visit anywhere. For many, this, plus the more relaxing vibe, will appeal more. Just like cities are different, so are photographers, so here are my first impressions of Fes, from my personal Street Photographer perspective…

Apr 18 2016

7 First Impressions of Marrakech, Morocco
(From a Street Photography Perspective)

Marrakech was my first stop in Morocco and a city I had wanted to visit for a while. Luckily, it didn’t disappoint at all. Marrakech is a mix of so many things that you have to experience it yourself to really understand how special it is. It’s not all perfect here, but I knew it would be a city I’d want to return to after only the first day. Although it comes with challenges, Marrakech is definitely made for photographers too.

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

Apr 06 2016

7 First Impressions of Berlin
(From a Street Photography Perspective)

Back before I started my Eastern European Street Photography trip, I first had to stop in Berlin to drop my Leica M9 off for sensor replacement (A whole other story). After being told via email that this would be a 10 day fix, when I got to the Leica store, that quickly changed to an 8 week fix.

So I ended up shortening my stay in Berlin since I’d have to come back anyway. Another reason for the shortened stay was the Berlin weather. I was blessed with one nice day, but the rest were dark, grey and very rainy. So my Street Photography plans for Berlin didn’t go as I’d hoped. I wasn’t going to post about Berlin until my next visit, but I decided to at least write one of my Street Photography First Impressions posts for Berlin so it wasn’t a total waste.

So here are 7 first impressions on Berlin, from my Street Photographer perspective.