Off to Yemen!

[isaacc7]

I leave for Yemen on sunday for an extended trip, a year or more. A while back I had posted some questions on how best to bring/carry my 4x5 monorail and 5x7 view camera. I have since come to my senses and settled on some more portable equipment. I have a full Horeseman VHR set up with three lenses and a gaggle of 6x9 and 6x7 backs. That's my "big rig" and I think it'll do me well, roll film is so much more reasonable and I think that the trade in image quality will be worth the portability... I also have a couple of "miniature format" cameras too. A Hexar AF and a Yashica 2000fx or something like that. The yashica has a Zeiss 50mm f1.4 lens on it. I traded my Reis tripod for a new Gitzo 1298 set of legs and a ball head, much easier to fit into the luggage! I'm bring my Moscva 5,sony digital camera, and my zero 2000 pinhole cameras too, just for fun. All that stuff plus 275 rolls of film should keep me occupied... I will try to post images as I can to my flicker account, but I'm not sure what kind of delay there will be when it comes to processing time and shipping the cds back to me... In any case, I'm giddy with anticipation, it's going to be an adventure of a lifetime!

Isaac

 

[Pinholemaster]

Have fun. Be safe. Hope you find time to make pictures (grin).

 

[MattKing]

All the best - have a great adventure, and stay safe!.

And if you don't mind, I'd like to nominate this as most intriguing thread title!

Matt

 

[david b]

Have you seen this book?

 

[JLP]

Stay safe.. We look forward to see some outstanding pictures from a country so far away and a country with a lot of pictures to be taken.


jan

 

[poutnik]

Isaac, how did your trip to Yemen turn out in the end?

I'm asking because I intend to go to Yemen probably next February, for something like 2 to 3 (max) weeks. I'm contemplating what sort of photography gear to bring with me - I'll either take my Pentax 67II with 1 or 2 lenses (a 55mm and maybe a 135mm) if it would be safe (like they not stealing my camera) and BW film with a little color, or take my old Minolta A200 digital camera (that I don't like and would not mind that much loosing, if I keep the photos ).

What would your recommendation be? Am I safe with a my MF camera? (I should be traveling with a friend who reads Arabic and also speaks a bit, I would have to stick with English).

Also what do people say to being photographed - how do men react and how do women react?

How about buying roll film there? (I'm prepared to bring my supply though...)

Thanks a real lot, your answers would be appreciated

 

[isaacc7]

I am still there, well, I will be in another week. I'm actually in Beijing right now taking a bit of a break. Yemen is probably the safest place I have ever been to when it comes to crime. the incidence of crimes in general is very low, especially against westerners. I think everybody told me to "be safe" when I left, it's a huge joke, I was in much more danger back home.

I ended up not taking any film gear at all. I've got my whole Horseman 6x9 setup, 350 rolls of film, Hexar AF, and a Yashica something or other with a 50mm Zeiss lens on it sitting at home. Can't say as I miss the stuff all that much, I'm very glad I didn't take that stuff on the couple of trips i've been to in Yemen. I wouldn't worry about stuff being stolen, at all, but I would worry about carrying it. If you want to bring MF, I'd go with a RF, keep the weight as low as possible, I would consider a Pentax 67 crazy if you want to go anywhere. Portability is the key.

As far as taking pictures of people, the kids basicly demand that you take their pictures, the men don't seem to mind if you ask, but you should not, under any circumstances talk to, let alone photograph women. If people see you talking to a random veiled woman on the street, it could cause trouble. If you have a friend there, he may be able to work that out with someone, but he's just as likely to be offended by the suggestion.

Take a look at my blog and see the snapshots I've taken there (all done with my handy digital camera) at my site:

www.isaharr.com

Let me know if you have any questions.

Isaac

 

[Peter Schrager]

Yummy Yemen!!

thanks for Sharing Issac!! I still do not understand why you would not bring a camera for the "art" photos but to each their own...looks to me like a great place-hope to make it there one day and I have my sites set on Iran as well
Best, Peter

 

[isaacc7]

thanks for Sharing Issac!! I still do not understand why you would not bring a camera for the "art" photos but to each their own...looks to me like a great place-hope to make it there one day and I have my sites set on Iran as well
Best, Peter

I stopped doing "art" a long time ago. Photography served its purpose and I don't feel like I need to do it "seriously" anymore. I still enjoy shooting with film gear, but it isn't that important to me. I mostly document stuff. My mind has been on the lessons and getting my head around the culture, I'll need a lot more time for both. Good luck getting to Iran, are you an American? I understand that you can get to Iran, but that you don't much freedom to do waht you want and you need to be in a group as well. The people are supposed to be very hospitable, how's your Farsi?

Isaac

 

[poutnik]

Isaac, as you (and several other sources), I should not worry much about equipment theft, so I think I'll bring my Pentax 6x7cm along. Yes it's large, yes it's heavy, but I love shooting film, and the larger the film, the better (but it would be unpractical to bring my 4x5 ). The camera has already been with my high in the Italian Dolomites (and my photo bag is well over 10kg + non-photographic stuff). I still have not decided whether I'll also haul the tripod, or bring faster films (Fuji Pro 800Z for color and Ilford Delta 3200/ HP5+ for BW)...

I very much regret that I have not taken my P67 with me on my previous trip - the transsiberian railway from Minsk (Belarus) to Beijing and a bit further (Xian and so on). There was noone trying to rob us in the slightest, and the bag I was hauling was over 20kg anyway... (I had my Konica Minolta A200, I was admiring digital at the moment - what a stupid idea in retrospect )

So this time it'll be MF film.

 

[poutnik]

Oh, I meant faster films also, in addition to the slow ones...

As of Iran, my friend with whom I shall go to Yemen, has been to Iran 3 years ago. He was very pleased, very safe country, they traveled with his girlfriend freely anywhere they wanted with no restrictions, no one bothered them. And having the girl with him turned out to be a good point, as islamic women may not start a communication with a man, yet to fulfill their curiosity, they eagerly started speaking to the girl. Even if it was them speaking Farsi and my friends speaking English

 

[isaacc7]

Yeah, western woman have it good, they can speak to both the men and the women. I don't dare strike up a conversation with a woman. I'm surprised to hear about the freedom of movement in Iran, are your friends Americans? Good luck with the gear, I think you're nuts, but I am sure you'll get some great shots. If you don't already have a really wide angle lens, I would suggest getting one (or a tilt/shift) as the old city of Sana'a is really cramped. I'll be back there in 4 days, it's hard to believe this time has gone by so quickly...

Isaac

 

[poutnik]

Isaac, me and my friends are all European (from the Czech Republic), but for the majority of (domestic) people there in middle/far east we would be almost the same as Americans until specifically asked about nationality... (Well yes, we may speak worse english, but they might speak it even worse and also may be spending le$$)

And yes, I already do have a WA lens - a 55mm one, that could be something like 24/28mm in the 35mm terms. And I think I'm crazy enough to haul that beast of a camera with me...

 

[gr82bart]

I think everybody told me to "be safe" when I left, it's a huge joke, I was in much more danger back home.

Isn't that that the truth, eh? I have given up trying to tell many of us sheltered westerners who are inundated with fear via CNN and the like, that traveling to many, many countries around the world is very safe. Hmm ... rethink - for men that is. Now that's a shame.

Post images when you get back. I think we'd all love to see them.

Regards, Art.

 

[isaacc7]

Isaac, me and my friends are all European (from the Czech Republic), but for the majority of (domestic) people there in middle/far east we would be almost the same as Americans until specifically asked about nationality... (Well yes, we may speak worse english, but they might speak it even worse and also may be spending le$$)

And yes, I already do have a WA lens - a 55mm one, that could be something like 24/28mm in the 35mm terms. And I think I'm crazy enough to haul that beast of a camera with me...

Ah, that explains the freedom in Iran then. I've only heard nice things about the people, but the government treats Americans (and maybe British?) people much differently. Not sure if I blame them honestly, but I'm not sure what hassling regular people that want to visit will accomplish. Guess I should ask my government for clarification right?

Isaac

 

[isaacc7]

Isn't that that the truth, eh? I have given up trying to tell many of us sheltered westerners who are inundated with fear via CNN and the like, that traveling to many, many countries around the world is very safe. Hmm ... rethink - for men that is. Now that's a shame.

Post images when you get back. I think we'd all love to see them.

Regards, Art.

Well, I left all of my film gear home so all of my shots are done with a digital. Not suitable for this site... I have a bunch of snapshots, you can get to them by going to my website, clicking on my photos (on the right hand side) and then the button that says "The rest of them." It is a very photogenic place, I wish more people would get over the fear and check it out.

Isaac

 

[roteague]

It is a very photogenic place, I wish more people would get over the fear and check it out.

Isaac

I can't say I have any fear of the middle east. I've been to Jordan, and thought they were fine people. The middle east is like any other place I would imagine - good places and bad.