Shooting on holiday: Istanbul

Last week I was in Istanbul with my camera.  I pressed the shutter close to 1000 times in 6.5 days of wandering the city,  the most I’ve used a camera in months.  Initially I found myself out of practice.  I had to refamiliarize myself with the mechanics of the camera, with which buttons controlled which functions.  I then had to remind myself to slow down and think through my situation, what I was attempting to capture, and how I might best achieve this.  It was in many ways a frightening experience – My god, look at what I’ve lost!  On reflection, though, it was also inspiring – Look at how much I’ve learned and how much comes back with just a little thought and application!

I found I have a better time photographing on my own.  I can compare this Istanbul trip with my summer solo visit to Vienna.  Travelling with someone means having to consider the other’s interests, pace, and energy.  You can’t stop every time you find something of interest because your partner may become exhausted (or exasperated) with having to wait so often.  It’s a bit like going shopping with someone who isn’t the least interested in buying anything.

Shooting while on holiday means taking what you can get.  Much as I would like the perfect shot of the Hagia Sophia, I had only an hour at most at this location.  There was no chance to wait for better lighting, or to come back in a few months after the restoration work is done and the scaffolding removed.  You do the best with what you are presented.  In many ways, this is good exercise as it requires consideration of methods to maximize opportunity.  

Shooting holiday on something other than Auto mode requires constant fiddling with settings.  You’re in the light, out of light, something interesting runs across your path, the sun comes out from behind the clouds, you want to shoot into an interior from outside.  The complications are many.  I envied those shooting on their phones – point and click.  I went with Program mode, adjusting primarily ISO to the amount of available light.  On the few occasions when I wanted to shoot people or animals in motion, I stayed in Program and upped shutter.

Shooting people in unfamiliar surroundings is easier than shooting them in familiar.  I don’t know to whom to attribute it, but it is certainly true that the traveler knows no shame.  At home you are likely to worry about reputation as you may meet your subjects again someday, especially if you are shooting your neighborhood.  In the UAE I also worry about trouble with the authorities.  In Turkey I felt free to point my camera pretty much anywhere I wanted, though good manners prevents me from ever getting in someone’s face without permission.

Istanbul photos can be seen at Flickr:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/80283129@N03/

Now I’m back to Dubai and afraid I’m still stuck.  How to get beyond this?