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Istanbul photo do's and don'ts ?

Karl K

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I'll be on vacation in Istanbul during the third week of March. Any advice would be appreciated regarding proper photo etiquette. I'll be shooting with a Leica CLE, Voigtlander 15mm and 35mm lenses. I was thinking of bringing my Nikon N80 with the 24-120 Nikkor, but it's so darn big compared to the CLE. BTW, I'll be shooting strictly B+W 400 ISO. Any opinions?
 
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Hi Karl,

I was in Istanbul twice last year. It is one of the most beautiful places for B&W. Photography is usually OK but tripod is not allowed in Hagia Sophia. We had to leave our tripods in the entrance, pass our gear through the X-Ray machine and pick up our tripods on the way back.
My films were Fuji Acros and Delta 3200 (120). Could not get hand inspection of the films at the airport, but had no fogging on the Delta 3200.
You will experience very bright places and also dark. The film 400 in a rangefinder will be OK for most pictures, but it would be also good to have the N80 and some 100 film. Put comfortable shoes, there is a lot of walking and fun.

Have a good time,

DRZ
 
I lived in Istanbul two years (ten years ago) and had previously visited many times. For some places, Hagia Sophia as DrZ mentioned, Topkapi palace, the Blue Mosque, etc., you might have a tripod or flash restriction or have to pay a small fee to use a camera. Those are the only restrictions I know about, but the rules may have changed over time. Other than that, street and cityscape shooting is a lot of fun and unrestricted. You will probably get requests to provide a photo when people are in the image. If someone who doesn't want to be photographed waves you off, you need to be respectful of that. I'd leave the Nikon and zoomer at home unless you want to bring it as a backup to the CLE and leave it in your hotel room.

The hottest tourist sites are around Hagia Sophia, and include Topkapi Palace, the Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmet Camii), and the ancient underground cisterns (Yerebatan Sarinci). You can cover these 4 sites in one day. Dolmabahce Palace is worth a look also -- but it was all guided tours, about an hour or so per tour. There's good street shooting and shopping around Taksim Square and Istiklal Caddesi (along the tram lines). A bit off the beaten path is Kumkapi, an area with small cozy restaurants and roaming troubadours. I used to dine there with friends at Talep'in Yeri or Kor Agop. March may be a bit early, but they used to use ferry boats for tours up and down the Bosporus. The tour price was under $5, as I recall. If the tours are not running yet, you can still take ferry boats back and forth across the Bosporus to get some good scenery and shots. The Grand Bazaar is a lot of fun for shopping and photography as well. Also, the spice bazaar (Misir Carsisi or Egypt Bazaar) is interesting and fun to visit. Have fun, and feel free to ask any more questions.
 
Stay away from military zones and police stations. You can get into trouble if they think you've been photographing them.

Also, the flag, Ataturk and religion are sensitive issues. This does not mean you can't photograph things related to them. Just try to be respectful. Or better said, don't show open disrespect.

Otherwise, Istanbul has lots to offer for photographers. Enjoy exploring it.

If you have any specific questions send me a PM. I live in Istanbul and have been photographing it for years.

Cheers,
omar
 
I remember some years ago I was in Istanbul attending a conference. One day I decided to have a wander but got confused over how to get to a certain place. I asked a random person if they could speak English and not only did he take me to the bus stop, he waited to make sure I got on the right bus and insisted that he paid my bus fare!

I wonder if that would ever happen in London?

Les
 
It's been a while since I was there, but one thing I recall was that I had trouble finding EI400 black and white film. In the age of digital, I would expect that problem to be even worse today, so you may want to anticipate your film needs and bring it with you.

Others have mentioned the major tourist sites. I would add the souk, and street scenes in general. Istanbul is a fabulous city for walking, and intentionally getting lost may put you in areas with some tremendous potential for photography. And at the end of the day, just grab a taxi back to your hotel.
 
My wife and I were in Istanbul last summer, and Dolmabahce Palace was the only place where I recall having to pay a surcharge for a camera. (It was also one of the few places we didn't feel were worth going to.)
 
Might be too late, as it takes a bit of time, but the Turkish consulate can issue you a tripod permit valid at all the national sites. Took me several months to get one, but it allowed me to use a tripod where it was otherwise not allowed (Hagia Sophia, etc).

Other than that, use common sense and be respectful. Photographing in mosques is not a problem so long as you avoid prayer time, and Fridays (their sabbath), and just generally act respectful.

Here's some more info on etiquette in mosques that I have found helpful.

http://www.turkeytravelplanner.com/R...etiquette.html

Generally, everyone is very courteous and friendly and helpful. It's my favorite country to visit because of its people and its architecture.

Regarding tripods outside the main tourist areas, you shouldn't have any real problems. Like most countries, the cops may occasionally feel the urge to flex their egos and ask you to move along, but that's true just about anywhere.
 
Karl,
I am an Istanbulian. Don't hesitate to contact me for help of any kind. I'd be more than happy to meet a fellow APUGer. Cheers..
 
I am going to be in Istanbul for the first week of Aug. I'd be very interested in hearing your experiences when you get back. I have used flickr alot to scout out locations to photograph in Istanbul since it gives you a general idea.
 
kapro said:
Don't miss Grand Bazaar. Highly photogenic. I had Leica and Nikon F801 with me. Didn't use Nikon at all.
Here you can find couple of B&W from Istanbul and other cities:
http://flickr.com/photos/kapro/page4/
Click to expand...

Interesting set of photos which seem to have got very few comments which I find surprising and a great pity. Have you considered the APUG gallery? I think we could do better in terms of appreciating your work.

pentaxuser
 
Grand Bazaar can also be shot in color. But generally speaking, I find b&w more suitable for Istanbul, especially in the winter because the weather is usually quite crummy, resulting in lack of color.
 
My favorite photos from my last trip were:
[a] From the Galata bridge looking back over the commuters at the bus station with the mosques up the hill behind them
Every view of Suleymanie Camii (mosque)
[c] Buyuk Mecidiye Camii in Ortakoy (possibly my favorite building anywhere)
[d] For color, my favorite was in a district of hardware stores north of the east end of the Galata bridge, where I found an entire store of hoses. Just hoses. Of every possible color and hue. There were also all sorts of shops fabricating all sorts of metalwork for construction. And another entire store of just chainsaws. Yes, everyone thought I was crazy for photographing them, especially after explaining that, yes, I do know where the tourist sites are. But people have that reaction to me regardless of what country I'm in.

Admittedly, I'm a structural engineer, so I'm drawn to buildings, hardware, etc.
 
pentaxuser said:
Interesting set of photos which seem to have got very few comments which I find surprising and a great pity. Have you considered the APUG gallery? I think we could do better in terms of appreciating your work.

pentaxuser
Click to expand...

Yes, I did. These photos are little bit manipulated in Photoshop. I'll add some to APUG gallery after I print them in the darkroom...
 
Visit to Turkey

Allow me to add my several cents. The Turkish people were welcoming, and pleasant. Istanbul has too many photo opportunities for one life-time! Since I left my Leica home on my last trip, and used my Nikon digital, I think I should cut this response short ( :} ). However, little to no problems taking photos as long as one is respectful.....it really is all about The Golden Rule....remember what you would do in your own home Church or Synagogue, and simply ask one of the guards if in doubt. Be advised that the crowds at the traditional tourist sites were surprisingly large. Some-times it pays to engage a tour guide in order to save time and effort.

Have a wonderful and safe time....don't forget to take a trip on the Bosphorus...great photo opportunities...and, if you've even more time, consider a day trip to Ephesus or some other area with archeological sites. Let us know about the trip when you return.

Edwin
 
You guys are amazin' !

When I asked for some thoughts about my trip next month to Istanbul, I never expected such an amazing number of responses... and all helpful, without exception. Thanks to all who responded.

Now I am in need of more advice: we'll be staying for 7 nights and I'm not sure if there will be enough to see and photograph in Istanbul. Would you recommend staying fewer days in Istanbul and going somewhere else for one, two, or even three nights? Or will I be sorry that I couldn't spend even more time in Istanbul?

I was thinking of going to Sophia in Bulgaria, but I don't know if it's worth the round trip back to Istanbul for the flight home. Any opinions? I should mention that I'm really a street shooter and not too interested in tranquil mountain scenery.
 

I've yet to go to Turkey myself - but can understand your dilemma.

If I wanted one side trip (there are many, I'm sure) I would go here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Izmir

I read about it in the Travel section of the NY Times a few months ago and - well let's just say - this is certainly another side of Turkey!
 
I've been to Turkey four times and have never exhausted the possibilities of Istanbul. That said, I would definitely recommend a side trip for a couple of days. If you enjoy history, Ephesus is great. I'd say go spend a couple days down along the Mediterranean coast or up to the Black Sea coast and hit a bunch of the fishing villages, etc. If architecture appeals to you, Bursa has a great collection of mosques that shows the transition of styles over the centuries.

Izmir is much more of a modern city. It's more of a financial hub, and to me feels like any other financial district. Istanbul is a much more exciting blend of the modern European economy and the older Turkish lifestyle. The same is true of the architecture.
 
If you're in Turkey, then travel internally, I live on the west coast, and it's an amazing country. Don't think by visiting surrounding countries you'll see more, you won't, you'll just see the superficial.

I'm not the one to advise you where as I'm a meat and two archaeological sites person, and only shoot landscapes but then I am an archaeologist . But I'm sure our Turkish members can easily point you in the best directions.

Ian
 
Got to say this thread has been great for me too... I'm also off to Istanbul at the end of March. It has provided lot of answers to questions I wanted to ask.. but then Karl was quicker than me in asking them Many thanks to the OP and the people that responded.
Karl K said:
When I asked for some thoughts about my trip next month to Istanbul, I never expected such an amazing number of responses... and all helpful, without exception. Thanks to all who responded.
..........
Click to expand...
 
Ian Grant said:
I'm a meat and two archaeological sites person, and only shoot landscapes . . .
Click to expand...

Add beer and/or wine, and that's a good description of me as well. Might have to steal that.

Which reminds me, definitely try the local beers and wines. The red wine can be hit or miss. The whites are usually pretty solid. And the choice of Turkish beers grows by the year. Efes was the standard government produced stuff for years, but they're finally catching on to micro/craft brews, at least in the urban areas. Some good stuff actually.

I usually stay away from the raki, their anise-flavored national alcoholic beverage. The non-alcoholic national beverage seems to be ayran, a yogurt-based drink that takes some getting used to, but is great on a hot day once you do develop a taste for it. And the local Turki Cola is a great competitor for Coca Cola.
 

Hi Karl,
In one week you'll barely scratch the surface of Istanbul. It is a *big* city indeed. Generally, my preference is to concentrate and try to go deep, rather than cram too much into too little time. But that's me:rolleyes:

However, in case you feel you've had enough after several days, as per Ian's suggestion I'd prefer to travel within Turkey. The bus service is quite good and overnight buses run to almost anywhere.

Since you say you are a street shooter, here are a couple of good areas in Istanbul for a start:
- Eminonu
- Eyup
- Uskudar / Salacak
- Beyoglu / Istiklal Street

If you long for a quiter day then you may think about a daily excursion to the Princes' Islands, easily reached by ferry.

Finally, check out photography books by Ara Guler. We call him "The Eye of Istanbul". His B&W street pictures from the Istanbul of the 50's and 60's are classics. A good bookshop is "Homer" (as in the Greek Homer, not the Simpsons' Homer), midway of Istiklal Street. Alex Webb's recent "Istanbul" book is also great stuff.

Cheers,
omar
 
Wow. Just looked up Ara Guler. Verrrrry nice stuff. Thanks for THAT tip. Very much like photos of New York in 30s, 40s and 50s. Are there any preferred books on his older Istanbul work to look for?
 
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Yikes. His 1992 book on Sinan goes for about $350 used (second hand) . . .
 
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