10 Days with M9 in Cairo

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nksyoon

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Just back from 10 days in Cairo, exploring the back streets of Islamic Cairo with M9, Elmarit 21 and Summilux 35 ASPH (sometimes carried an E43 Summilux 50 too).

It's a fascinating place, but not easy for people photography as many do not like being photographed (a North African thing?). The only people welcoming pictures are kids who unfortunately strike totally unnatural poses and then some of them ask for tips. But otherwise people were friendly, responding to nods, always saying "Welcome" and asking where I came from.

In these less touristic areas there are also less people looking to hustle you into carpet/papyrus/souvenir shops or wanting to show you around in exchange for tips.

I found it overwhelming and intimidating at the start but totally enjoyed my time there and would definitely go again.


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Great job! I like your results, Nick.
I may get the chance to spend 4 weeks in Cairo in 2010.
Being by birth a Middle Eastern man, I will be able to blend in with the people there.
I expect to have weekends available for walking around and taking photos.
I may have each evening also available.


Do you have tips on places that are maybe not mentioned in tourist guides that are great for photography?

I will use film.
 
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Raid, if you speak Arabic you may find it much easier to interact with the people. Interesting places to visit are the back streets of Islamic Cairo (link in first post). If you're in the main bazaar areas around Khan al Khalili try to wander down as many alleys as possible, always something interesting to see. Also look for the alleys with the spice traders in this area.

There are also the various cemeteries around the Citadel area where some people have been living ever since the last big earthquake made many older buildings unsafe.

The less glitzy areas between Downtown and Islamic Cairo also look interesting.

See also http://wikitravel.org/en/Cairo
 
Nick,

Wow, love all of these - you're the most convincing argument for an m9 I've seen so far. Wonderful pictures.

If you would post more I would definitely be looking!
 
nksyoon said:
Raid, if you speak Arabic you may find it much easier to interact with the people. Interesting places to visit are the back streets of Islamic Cairo (link in first post). If you're in the main bazaar areas around Khan al Khalili try to wander down as many alleys as possible, always something interesting to see. Also look for the alleys with the spice traders in this area.

There are also the various cemeteries around the Citadel area where some people have been living ever since the last big earthquake made many older buildings unsafe.

The less glitzy areas between Downtown and Islamic Cairo also look interesting.

See also http://wikitravel.org/en/Cairo
Click to expand...

Nick,
I usually blend in well with the locals since there are millions of Iraqis who left Iraq to other Arab countries due to the hardship in Iraq. I will ask around when I [hopefully] get there.

Did you enter any of the mosques there?
 
I like the first one. Good comosition and really great tones. For sure it is very difficult to take photos in the northern-african muslim world.
 
Hi Nick,

I'll post similar comments to those I posted elsewhere in regards to these (your) images.

You've have some very lovely shots and it's always a pleasure when one can peak into another corner of the "everyday" world thats different than the one they live in. "Play of light" and sharp contrasts certainly add to the mood. I especially enjoyed #'s 1,4,5 (of the ones you posted so far) just for the very reasons I mentioned as well as the subject matter. The compositions in some, certainly strengthen the image considerably. I haven't had a chance to look at the rest you posted elsewhere but look forward to do so when time permits. Thanks for posting!

Dave (D&A)
 
raid said:
Did you enter any of the mosques there?
Click to expand...

Yes, I did. If you don't want dirty socks, try to find some canvas or plastic shoe covers (like those used in cleanroom facilities).

The mosque in the Citadel is quite magnificient, very much in the Ottoman style like the big mosques in Istanbul. Others are the Al-Azhar, next to the famous university and the Sultan Hassan. These you can find in guide books.

Also visit the Coptic churches and the Ben Ezra synagogue.
 
nksyoon said:
Yes, I did. If you don't want dirty socks, try to find some canvas or plastic shoe covers (like those used in cleanroom facilities).

The mosque in the Citadel is quite magnificient, very much in the Ottoman style like the big mosques in Istanbul. Others are the Al-Azhar, next to the famous university and the Sultan Hassan. These you can find in guide books.

Also visit the Coptic churches and the Ben Ezra synagogue.
Click to expand...


Thanks for the tips. I will do my best trying to visit these places. I will remove my shoes when entering any place of worship. I am used to remove my shows at home too.
 
Nick - absolutely stunning!

The first pic has such a massive 3-dimensional impression.

I'm not a digital M fan right from the start, most to reliability issues, but here are results, fantastic!
All the best for 2010!
Bernd
 
[FONT=&quot]Yeah, I really like the color rendition and the exposures. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]How were the exposures arrived at? In auto mode or manual? Any EV correction?[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Very nice set of pics.[/FONT]
 
Beautiful pictures. Thanks for sharing. I was fortunate to get to Cairo when i was younger, it's an amazing place.
 
These are some of the best M9 images that I have seen. Lovely colour rendition not over saturated. I like the painted plaster work back drops and I love the motion captured in several images. The lock and door image is begging for a monochrome conversion!!
Really good stuff!
Best wishes
Richard
 
Great captures!

I am from Turkey and I would like to visit Egypt too. I am just worried as it is immensely crowded. Robberies must be very common. I would imagine walking on crowded streets, one must be very cautious, like the same in Istanbul...
 
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