Street Photography Tips, Interaction, Travel, Guides
*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!
After making a project detour in Harar, I took a bus to Dire Dawa, Ethiopia for another major city on my 100 City project.
I hadn’t originally planned on spending time in Dire Dawa, but decided to fly out of Ethiopia here and include it on the recommendation of friend and photographer, Yves Vernin. I’m glad and thankful for that too because Dire Dawa quickly became one of the best surprises of the year. Even though it’s now the second largest city in Ethiopia, you won’t find much information about it online. So, it was mostly just step out the door and start exploring for this city. Luckily, the city center alone was enough to spend days here with your camera. With some of the most beautifully colorful streets in the world, a mix of influences and charm, and a one-of-a-kind atmosphere different from the rest of Ethiopia, I have to pass on my recommendation to you all too. If you’re in Ethiopia, include Dire Dawa.
So here are my first impressions of Dire Dawa, from my personal Street Photographer perspective…
*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!
After photographing Addis Abba, I took a bus to Harar. While not a major city in my 100 City project, it was a city I still had to come photograph while in Ethiopia.
Harar is a special place and the best of what people might imagine of the more traditional and historic side of Ethiopia. It’s considered Islam’s fourth holiest city and probably my favorite walled city I’ve been to anywhere, and the least touristy. The Unesco World Heritage city takes you back in time and while it might not be the independent kingdom it once was, it still provides a rare glimpse of that past combined with a very authentic and local feeling today. Mixed in with the history, is a very active and friendly local community that makes the experience photographing here even better. While the walled city is packed with interest and life, there’s another side to the city outside of the walls worth exploring too.
So here are my first impressions of Harar, from my personal Street Photographer perspective…
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*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!
After finishing a couple major cities in South Africa, I took a flight to Addis Abba, major city #48 on the 100 City project.
Ethiopia has become one of the more popular destinations for travelers to explore in Africa. For good reason too. It’s welcoming, safer in comparison to much of Africa, beautiful and full of unique interest and life. Addis Ababa tends to be included as nothing more than Ethiopia’s big city transit destination, though. While most come for the more rural side of Ethiopia, this chaotic, traffic-filled sprawl can be overlooked. Underneath that less pretty urban exterior is much more than first meets the eye, though. My project focuses on big cities and one of the many reasons for that focus is to see, and show, how much more major cities offer than their stereotypical first impressions. The truth is there is color and beauty to be found, and much more. And as Africa’s fourth-largest city and its diplomatic capital, it’s by far the country’s largest and most influential city. It’s a very complex city that mixes the urban atmosphere with Ethiopia’s rich traditions and history. With the largest and craziest open air market in all of Africa, you already have enough reason to bring your camera for some street photography, but that’s just the start if you really explore this active city.
So here are my first impressions of Addis Ababa, from my personal Street Photographer perspective…
*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!
After starting South Africa in Cape Town on my 100 City Project, next came the country’s largest city, Johannesburg.
Johannesburg, commonly shortened to Joburg, is not only the largest city in South Africa, but also an economic center of Africa. While it brings a reputation of crime and danger, it also provides a vibrant, rapidly changing city. Within some of its danger and edginess, you’ll find a friendly and trendy heart to the city. It’s a big city with plenty to see and hip neighborhoods to explore. While it might be the city I felt I needed to worry about safety more than most any other during my project yet, it’s also one of the friendliest and warmest big, urban cities I’ve experienced yet.
I always try to be honest and not your typical travel fluff making every destination look like the perfect dream. So, I will be open about the dangers here, but I will also try to provide tips that can help because I truly feel Joburg is worth it, with more than enough positives to outweigh the warnings.
So here are my first impressions of Johannesburg, from my personal Street Photographer perspective…
*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!
After teaching a workshop in London with Dmitry Stepanenko, it was back to the project with a city that had been on my list for a long time. So, for City #50 during my 100 City Project I took the longest direct flight in my life down to Cape Town, South Africa.
Situated in one of the most picturesque spots you’ll find anywhere for a city its size, there’s no denying Cape Town is a good-looking city. Nicknamed the “Mother City,” sitting below Table Mountain next to endless beaches, you’ll also find one of the most multi-cultural cities in the world. With all of its natural beauty, it’s not surprising there’s a very outdoorsy feeling here. Mix all that with its urban atmosphere, history and mix of cultures, it makes for one of the more unique cities yet during my project. Cape Town has a lot to love about it, all with some beautiful light and stunning backgrounds that make it a great city for some street photography too.
So, here are my first impressions of Cape Town, from my personal Street Photographer perspective…
