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Visiting Turkey

Mahler_one

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Hello to all: I will be visiting Istanbul and Dalaman ( Turkey )in October of 07. Do we have any members who reside there, and who might want to offer suggestions for photo opportunites, security, or any other factor deemed to be important?

Thanks.

Edwin
 
I think there are a few. I have visited twice and my sister lived there a number of years. When I was there, you could photo inside the Blue Mosque or Sophia. For Sophia you could get a tripod permit, but you had to write to someone months in advance and the permit was for either afternoon or morning on a specific day. It would be worth it if you could schedule it. However, there are many other Mosques that allow tripods and no flash.

There have been some interesting posts from photographers that have photographed there. If the sites weren't listed here, they were at Large Format.

I hand carried my film and just let them xray it. No problems. Within the country, I never felt threatened or in danger.

--LG--
 
I lived in Istanbul 2 years, have visited many times over the past 30 years, and have lived in Turkey a total of 15 years. I don't know about the current photo taking restrictions, but you can get a lot of good information and links on the government tourism ministry.

Istanbul -- If you put in a long day, you can visit 4 interesting sites in the same area: Topkapi Palace Museum (Topkapi Sarayi), the Aya Sofia Museum, the Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmet Camii), and the underground cistern (Yerebatan Saranci). Topkapi (Gun Gate) is a different area in Istanbul, so be sure to tell the taxi driver you want the "Topkapi Saray" or better yet, just ask for "Sultan Ahmet" or "Aya Sofia" to get you in the general area (I learned this the hard way). Another interesting palace is the "Dolmabache" palace on the Bosphorus, worth a half day guided tour.

If you are interested in christian heritage and history, you can visit the Orthodox Patriarch facilities and chapel in "Fener". Ask for "Patriark Hane".

The passenger ferries that work the Bosphorous have very cheap fares, and provide good photo opportunities. Sometimes, there are inexpensive cruises up and down the Bosphoros on these boats. You can also get ferry boats to/from the islands in the Sea of Marmara. They are worth a visit.

I also found a couple of train stations rather interesting. The "Sirkeci" station near the Galata Bridge on the European side was the terminal for the Orient Express when it was still running Paris-Istanbul. On the Asian side, Haydar Pasha (also a passenger ferry stop, easy to get to) is of rather interesting historical architecture.

Shopping areas. The Grand Bazaar is the largest and most famous; and is excellent for photos. I also like the Egypt Bazaar (Misir Charshisi), full of spices, candies, and other tasty foods. If you walk between these two, there are a lot of street vendors and small shops providing more photo ops. The main shopping area in Istanbul is Galatasaray. There's a tram that runs through the area from Taksim Square (center of town with all the 5 star hotels).

Dalaman -- I've not traveled that area very much, but have spent considerable time in Marmaris. It's a nice city with a beautiful harbor.

I have a number of photos posted on my Turkey Expo Gallery . You may find them interesting. Turkey is a fascinating country and I'm sure you will enjoy your stay. Email me if you have any questions.
 
That reminds me... I spent a very pleasant day on the Princess Islands. We took a ferry from Istanbul. The island had no cars and we rode around in little horse drawn carriages. Very pleasant.

If you haven't seen these, be sure to:

http://www.nuribilgeceylan.com/turkeycinemascope1.php?sid=1

and Bruce has many Turkey photos here:

http://www.brucegcollier.com/galleries/turkey/level2_lf.htm

A very big site.

The first site makes me want to go to Urfa, but it is hard to get the weather right there I'm told. Hot in the summer and cold in the winter. October might be good. My sister tells me Mardin is very interesting to see. However, if you are going to Kurdish areas I'd check with the state department or somebody about general safety. Things sound a bit tense over there, but that could just be the media.

--LG--
 


Get in touch with Loris Medici. Loris lives in Istanbul and corresponds to this list, so you should be able to contact him through pm.

I was in Istanbul last October, hosted by an organization called IFSAK that Loris is associated with.


Sandy
 
I visited Istanbul for about a week three years ago, and it was so much fun. As far as the photo opportunities go, pretty much anywhere, but just be polite on some occasions and situations because of the traditions and religions, etc of the people there. However, generally speaking, it is likely that you will have less trouble taking pictures of people there than you normally would in the U.S., and so forth. And that will make you wanna stay there longer.

And if you have a spare time, I highly recommend you take a long-distance bus and visit Kappadokya, which is a half way across the country, but you can get there and come back pretty quickly. I went there for a few days, and that was a very pleasing experience. You can take a night bus, so you will save some time, and their bus services are nothing like Greyhound. You will have a very comfortable trip.
 
Thanks to all who have taken the time and trouble to respond. I'll follow up on many of the suggestions. I will almost certainly leave the 4x5 home and opt for convenience with the Leica. The big decision will be the choice of film: Black and White and do my own processing as usual ( will be a pain to develop and proof lots of rolls, let alone make prints of those I like ) vs. color negative film which one can just drop off and pick up in a day. I hate to say it, but some times a digital would be the most convenient....a few large memory cards, charger with the correction for the current in Turkey...no bombs please!

More suggestions are certainly very much welcomed.

Edwin
 
Type of Film

Turkey is a much more colorful country than most people realize. And there are many indoor or low light situations. If it were me, I'd load up with Kodak Portra 160NC, a film I tried recently and liked. If you are comfortable with an ISO 400 film, that would be even better. Personally, I haven't found a 400 film I liked; they are all too grainy for me. Slide film is nice in many situations, but generally not enough dynamic range for universal use.

You can always convert an image to B&W in Photoshop, but can't go the opposite direction. I've been in situations where I saw a scene mentally in B&W, but had color film in the camera. I snapped the shutter anyway, and manipulated the image in PS. It worked out ok.

And I'd be sure to take my 50 mm f1.4 Summilux with the Leica for the low light situations. Also, the little Leica minipod would be useful.
 
Agreed about the wonderful newly formulated 50/1.4....a great lens...

I have, in the past, used NPH400 for all of my color print negatives. Generally, no compalints at all.

Edwin
 
Beyond what the others have said (and with which I agree), if you are into architecture, look up Sinan. Suleymaniye Camii (Mosque) is not far from Sultanahmet Square, and is, in my opinion, more impressive than the Blue Mosque.

If you end up anywhere near Bursa, the msoques their are some of the finest examples of the transition to Ottoman architecture from Seljuk.

I'll second Marmaris if you're already in Dalaman. Saklikent Gorge near there is a fantastic way to spend a day, as well. Basically you're walking up a stream at the bottom of a huge gorge. Might not be much water by that time of year, but I could be wrong. The restaurant at the start is a nice place to wind down at the end of the day, with decks extending out over the rushing water.
 
Hi Edwin,

I live in Istanbul and would be pleased to help via pm if you have any particular question. All recommendations so far are good. As a general rule, try not to photograph anything related to the military/police and you should be fine. Don't be afraid to photograph people, most wouldn't mind as long as you are polite and calm.

Cheers,
omar
 
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