Going to Istanbul! questions

[thafred]

Hi
After a Year without serious vacation we´ve finaly booked 4 days in Istanbul in February!! I´m soo happy and looking forward to photograph in a more exotic place!

I´ve got a bunch of travel related questions:
Have any of you allready been there?
any tips on places I shouldn´t miss?
Is there a problem when shooting street or candids in Istanbul?

The thing that puzzles me the most is (naturaly) the equipment question. Currently I´m leaning towards the Idea of simplicity wich means only taking along my M6 with a bunch of lenses (21/28/40) and be done with it....otoh I feel that taking my BessaR with me too and including the 50/1.5 to the kit would not be too much weight on my shoulders but maybe too much for my mind....It´s a bad thing for me when too much choices are available...
then again having a body with B&w and a body with color would sure be nice but the different mounts make lens swapping not easy and concentrating on the film at hand is maybe better still than loosing that one spice shop shot...

my film choice is narrowed down to alot of TriX and some rolls of Sensia 400 (maybe I´d put some rolls of Press800 in there too but for now I´m thinking slide)

As you see I´m quite in a dilemma....(it´s one of the nicer problems one encounters thou)

I´d appreciate your thoughts!
thanks
friedrich


Edit: I competely forgot! Any Members in Istanbul!?!?

 

[micromontenegro]

Other then the staple (St Sophia, Blue Mosque, Grand Bazaar et al), IMHO one should always visit Chora. The most wonderful frescoes I have ever seen.
I am a card-carrying BW fan, but Istambul is a place where everything seems to be about color.

 

[Richard Black]

Friedrich,
I passed through Istanbul in the early 70's, so what I say is quite dated. I had no problems taking tourist-type photos, but I was respectful that some of the inhabitants did not want their pictures taken. The typical places are wonderful, and the Covered Bazar is excellent. I don't know today if they allow photos with all the security and stuff.

Great trip, my recommendation on equipment take as little as you can. 28/40 or 21/40 makes you focus, no pun intended on your photography.

 

[thafred]

I am a card-carrying BW fan, but Istambul is a place where everything seems to be about color.

uh oh-- maybe I should overthink my film choice again...thanks for your advice on Chora..I´ll look into it!

Great trip, my recommendation on equipment take as little as you can. 28/40 or 21/40 makes you focus, no pun intended on your photography.

Thanks for your great suggestion Richard! I was thinking along this lines too...
then this tiny devil appears on my shoulder sceaming Nokton,second body, more speed..ect.... :bang:

 

[Mike Richards]

Friedrich,

I lived in Istanbul for 2 years and also visited many times. Topkapi museum was my favorite, and I recommend a full day to see it all. You may have to pay a small fee to photograph inside, but it's worth it. I believe the fee is meant to discourage point and shoot tourists from ruining others' tours with incessant flash operation. Best photos are with natural light anyway, so iso 400 film and a reasonably fast lens are the best bet. The same idea applies to Aya Sofia and Sultan Ahmet Mosque (Blue Mosque). The ancient cistern (Yerebatan Sarinci) is nearby to Aya Sofia, and worth a half hour it takes to see it. On the Bosphorous is the Dolmabahce palace, also worth a visit.

The bosphorous also produces excellent photo opportunities. If you take the ferries back and forth, they are cheap and provide a platform for good photos, especially at sunset. I also like bazaar and market action photos in Turkey. The Grand Bazaar, Egypt Bazaar (Misir Carsisi) provide nice opportunities. On Sunday morning, the produce bazaar in Uskudar is teeming with activity. The pretzel vendors, fish mongers, and other street sellers at the ferry landings and Galata bridge can become interesting "character" portrait subjects.

Istanbul is an old city with narrow streets and buildings close together. You need to move in close to get uncluttered or unobstructed views. This means super wide angle, so your 21 should get a workout if you like cityscapes.

Another point of interest slightly off the beaten tourist path is the Patriarkhane (Patriarcheion in Greek) in Fener -- the facilities and chapel of the Patriarch of Constantinople, who is considered the head of the Orthodox church. The chapel there contains interesting relics, ancient icons, and other religious objects. You can sometimes find a lay attendant or even a priest who can guide you around.

Any other questions, please ask. Enjoy your visit.

 

[nksyoon]

I visited Istanbul during winter 05/06 with 2 bodies, Leica M6 and Bessa R2, and 4 lenses, 21/35/50/90.

Most times I had the 21/35/50 with me, and Fuji NPH400 in one body and Fuji Superia 1600 in the other. I had film processed there with medium res scans burnt to CD as it's much cheaper compared to Switzerland.

Besides the tourist locations, try going to the street market near the Fatih Mosque.

Here are some of my very touristy shots: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nksyoon/sets/1789053/

 

[dreilly]

Istanbul, yum! One of my favorite cities. It does warrant color film, though it also warrants black and white: check out gridskipper's write up and Kafe Ara, owned by Ara Guler, an incredible Istanbul photographer (gridskipper rocks in general so poke around)

http://www.gridskipper.com/travel/art/istanbuls-photo-epidemic-217602.php

Some of Guler's work to inspire you: http://www.lesartsturcs.com/photo_gulers.php

When in Istanbul, I love to clear well away from the Blue Mosque/Aya Sofya area (and away from the well-meaning but persistent touts) into the neighborhoods around the Golden Horn, where fewer visitors tread and people are really, really lovely and welcoming. Try Fener.

 

[mervynyan]

great place. I have visited Turkey backpacking for 3 1/2 weeks in May/June last year, from istanbul to kar, Istanbul is easily one of my favor cities, bar none. You perhaps needs 2-3 days to visit the top attractions, they are all on the map.

Few things, get the fastest lens you can have, 35mm is good, 28 or 21 is better. If you prefer B&W, 400 is the lowest iso I'd go. But I prefer color slides. MP & 50 cron was my standard outfit last time, a bit too long.

Inside the Mosque, the light is low, you should have a mono pod at least, get in there 7-8am in the morning before the large tourist groups show up. I think most of the Mosque are open 24/7, to allow the believers to pray anytime. I was in Blue Mosque at 5am, around the morning prayers, I shot many color slides in the courtyard, with tripod. i didn't make it inside when they are praying, I felt they will be offended, especially from a tourist. When the hall emptied, I asked the keeper politely to see if i can put up a tripod inside, I was surprised he agreed.

During the day you can visit "indoor" bazaars and museums, also low light. Just too many people. if you are thin skin, don't think you can take candid or portraits of people on the street, but you can try, no one is going to beat you up-🙂

have fun..

cheers,

mervyn

 

[sf]

Hi
After a Year without serious vacation we´ve finaly booked 4 days in Istanbul in February!! I´m soo happy and looking forward to photograph in a more exotic place!

I´ve got a bunch of travel related questions:
Have any of you allready been there?
any tips on places I shouldn´t miss?
Is there a problem when shooting street or candids in Istanbul?

The thing that puzzles me the most is (naturaly) the equipment question. Currently I´m leaning towards the Idea of simplicity wich means only taking along my M6 with a bunch of lenses (21/28/40) and be done with it....otoh I feel that taking my BessaR with me too and including the 50/1.5 to the kit would not be too much weight on my shoulders but maybe too much for my mind....It´s a bad thing for me when too much choices are available...
then again having a body with B&w and a body with color would sure be nice but the different mounts make lens swapping not easy and concentrating on the film at hand is maybe better still than loosing that one spice shop shot...

my film choice is narrowed down to alot of TriX and some rolls of Sensia 400 (maybe I´d put some rolls of Press800 in there too but for now I´m thinking slide)

As you see I´m quite in a dilemma....(it´s one of the nicer problems one encounters thou)

I´d appreciate your thoughts!
thanks
friedrich


Edit: I competely forgot! Any Members in Istanbul!?!?

Istanbul. Just got back from there!

Here are some tips from my 10 days there:

things not to miss: Cisterns (just ask anyone about them), Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofia, Taksim (like the Times Square of Istanbul) - spend at least a full day exploring Taksim, the old palace of Ataturk, the poor areas where hoards of children will follow you, a resturant in Taksim called "Sofyala" is spectacular. The Turkish bathhouse (between Hagia Sofia and the bridge over to Taksim) - somewhere in there. The bazaars - never buy anything on your first day - see as many shops as possible before buying anything, and haggle haggle haggle. They'll sell you a $35 vase for $250 if they can. Be VERY careful buying carpets as there are tons of fake Herekes out there. The carpet experience is pretty cool, though.

My favorite memories of Istanbul are at night. We would spend the day walking around, then come back to the hotel and eat, then go back out for 4-6 hours at night just shooting night shots. Awesome. I much preferred Taksim to old Istanbul.

Things to miss: getting robbed by young Turks who will invite you to follow them to a nightclub where there will be female dancers. Food poisoning (be conscious of what you choose to eat - my cousin ate everything in sight and never got sick, I was careful and got violently ill). Turkish bathrooms. Liver sandwiches made from liver of an invariably dubious nature. Too many Turkish delights - it's easy to lose control. Getting arested for falling into a Hashish sting operation (I didn't do this, but I imagine it would be awful).

For photography, I learned that the best way to experience a place as a photographer is to walk around ALOT. Bring some high speed film for sure. Delta 3200. Bring some Velvia as well, the colors are amazing at evening time. Bring some NPZ800 and shoot in the bazaars. Prepare for lots of smoke, snow, and dense crowds where you have to really hang on to your gear.

Oh, and one last thing, never make eye contact with a salesperson unless you intend to buy something from them. They'll suck you in, whisk you away, and you'll be lost in a whirlpool of salespeople for lengthy amounts of time. And never buy anything on impulse. Ever.

 

[sf]

oh, and simplicity is absolutely a good idea. Too much gear in Istanbul is not a good thing. I would not carry more than I could fit into a small bag (a big bag is just not reasonable because of the crowds). Small like 1/2 shoebox small.

 

[thafred]

OMG I completely forgot to answer this thread 😱

Thanks all you Guys for your answers!! very very helpfull!
in 3 weeks I will allready rock the shutter in Ist..I´m sooo happy 😀

@ Shutterflower: Coool you enjoyed the trip so much! any pictures to show off yet? and thanks for all the tips and tricks! 😉

I´ve settled my equipment so far (lets see what will happen when I pack my stuff) ... I will take my M6 plus the Summicron-C / Ultron28 and Skopar21 with me and a bunch of 400 to 800ASA films (TriX for B/W and Sensia400 and press800 for color)

thats the plan so far..I´m quite confident it will work out well...

Thanks again everybody for your thoughts and help!!!
Friedrich

 

[steamer]

... I will take my M6 plus the Summicron-C / Ultron28 and Skopar21 with me
Friedrich

Admirable restraint

 

[dreilly]

great place. I have visited Turkey backpacking for 3 1/2 weeks in May/June last year, from istanbul to kar

Wow, someone else who has been to Kars. Was it totally surreal? That was my experience of the place, back in 2001. There's a great book called "Snow" by Orhan Pamuk that takes place in Kars, it'll likely bring back some memories!

 

[dreilly]

Oh, and one last thing, never make eye contact with a salesperson unless you intend to buy something from them. They'll suck you in, whisk you away, and you'll be lost in a whirlpool of salespeople for lengthy amounts of time. And never buy anything on impulse. Ever.

Lots of good advice in this thread. I'd say George's comment above is generally true, at least, in Istanbul and the other touristed cities. But it's never as bad as it is around the Blue Mosque...that can be really irritating. You can make eye contact, but you have to be very assertive and firm to avoid getting sucked in. It feels like an assault at first. Getting sucked in can be fun, however, since good salepeople will talk to you for a long time before rolling out the carpets, and I found out a lot of interesting information this way about the country. Also, the free tea was kind of nice. My bladder got a work out in Turkey. Something nice about a country where they bring you tea as you wait in line at a bank, and any other imaginable situation. Haircut? Tea! Shoe-shopping? Tea!

I learned how to ask for light tea: achuk chay, teshekooler! (not spelled that way!) That helped me keep my pulse under control. Elmah chay (apple tea) works out too unless you're diabetic.

Anyway, as for impulse buying, well, we have a classifieds section for that! Turkish salesmen will tell you that they will resist at all costs you leaving the store, even if you say you'll come back. They know you won't. But that knowledge gives you the power to really have an influence on the price. Bargaining is fun, and feigning walking out often works! Just remember the ettiquette of bargaining. If you suggest a price and they meet it, it's very rude not to buy. So if they're asking what you would pay, keep that in mind. If you lowball, they'll act offended. It's really great theater and done with the proper manners, bargaining is really fun! Most salesmen are honorable and hard-working. Some are not.

 

[dspeltz]

Someone said the cisterns -- they are fantastic but hard to photograph unless you have a very sensitive point and shoot digital or video camera. Actually don't bother photographing that, just enjoy. but if you care when you get in there about taking a picture, use ISO 2500 or something, or a small video camera that takes stills as well? There is really good advice in prior comments but what stands out to me that I read is 1) walk walk walk. Walk from the grand bazaar up the hill on the main walking street with all the storefronts that cater to the Turks. It will probably lead you to where your hotel is (if you are staying in the typical international hotels). stop alot, and plan on 3 hours. Lots of color, young people doing lots of stuff, stores worth photographing (go in and photograph, yes you can say no to the vendors, but take their picture too if you can). If you can, take a long lens. The mosques, etc have detail that is extraordinary. If you use black and white film, you may regret not having two bodies because of the great color. This is a remarkable city that has been the intersection between the East and West for centuries and they know it and it shows. Stand on the big bridge that crosses the Bosphorus. Put one foot in Europe and the other in Asia, and have someone take a picture of YOU. So take a point and shoot with digital (which you will use more than you can imagine).

You will have an unbelievable time. Did I say go to the bazaar and take a fast lens.

I found that a 21mm/90mm and normal did the trick. I would have been depressed without the long lens.

Take alot of film. Take a lead bag. The airport does not like to hand examine. The xray machines are deadly for film. And they will be xrayed multiple times as you check in.

 

[sf]

Here is a link to a pile of photos from my trip:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shutterflower/

Search my gallery "Tags Only" for the term "Istanbul" by entering "Istanbul" into the search field at the top right of the screen. Then, on the page it brings you to, click the "Tags ONly" option under the larger search box, and run the search again with "Istanbul"

 

[sf]

Someone said the cisterns -- they are fantastic but hard to photograph unless you have a very sensitive point and shoot digital or video camera. Actually don't bother photographing that, just enjoy. but if you care when you get in there about taking a picture, use ISO 2500 or something, or a small video camera that takes stills as well? There is really good advice in prior comments but what stands out to me that I read is 1) walk walk walk. Walk from the grand bazaar up the hill on the main walking street with all the storefronts that cater to the Turks. It will probably lead you to where your hotel is (if you are staying in the typical international hotels). stop alot, and plan on 3 hours. Lots of color, young people doing lots of stuff, stores worth photographing (go in and photograph, yes you can say no to the vendors, but take their picture too if you can). If you can, take a long lens. The mosques, etc have detail that is extraordinary. If you use black and white film, you may regret not having two bodies because of the great color. This is a remarkable city that has been the intersection between the East and West for centuries and they know it and it shows. Stand on the big bridge that crosses the Bosphorus. Put one foot in Europe and the other in Asia, and have someone take a picture of YOU. So take a point and shoot with digital (which you will use more than you can imagine).

You will have an unbelievable time. Did I say go to the bazaar and take a fast lens.

I found that a 21mm/90mm and normal did the trick. I would have been depressed without the long lens.

Take alot of film. Take a lead bag. The airport does not like to hand examine. The xray machines are deadly for film. And they will be xrayed multiple times as you check in.

I found that I used the 20mm on the D200 most of the time. That is about the same as a 28mm lens. It was perfect. The 35mm I brought was great too, for when i didn't want to be real close to my subjects. That was about 50mm or so in 35mm format.

I wouldn't go without a longer lens and a very wide lens. If I were taking a CV kit, I would grab a 15mm heliar, a 40mm Nokton, and a 75mm Heliar. that would be the perfect kit with an R3A body.

In the Cisterns, you are not allowed a tripod, so we had to hand hold some long exposures. We also would rest the camera on the railings (that works well), and my cousin even smuggled a tripod in anyway and took a couple shots. It is DARK, so without ISO 3200 film, you'd be very hard pressed to get a shot with decent DOF. If you had a Noctilux and some NPZ800, you might be able to pull off some shots, but in the cisterns, you really want that DOF.

 

[sf]

I´ve settled my equipment so far (lets see what will happen when I pack my stuff) ... I will take my M6 plus the Summicron-C / Ultron28 and Skopar21 with me and a bunch of 400 to 800ASA films (TriX for B/W and Sensia400 and press800 for color)

Friedrich

you will certainly want a longer lens. Buy a 75mm Heliar. There were moments where I couldn't get close to my subjects, and the zoom lens was very helpful.

 

[Dougg]

I´ve settled my equipment so far (lets see what will happen when I pack my stuff) ... I will take my M6 plus the Summicron-C / Ultron28 and Skopar21 with me and a bunch of 400 to 800ASA films

Friedrich, I think that should serve you very well. I lived in Izmir for a couple years long ago, visiting Istanbul only on my way there and back. I took an extra day enroute to see the city on my way home, so with time constraints I hired a bellhop from the hotel to guide me around. That worked out very well, and he even watched me write my notes to see that I spelled the locations correctly. 🙂

At the time (remember, long ago!) I had only a Petriflex V with 55mm lens in which I shot Kodachrome II, and a Petri Half-7 half-frame with Ektachrome-X. And a tripod, so I did get interior shots. If I went again now my gear might be very similar to yours.

Here are some great B&W shots of Istanbul with 21mm by Alan Soon to whet your appetite... http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=322503

 

[utku]

istanbul trip

istanbul trip

thafred,

I was born in Istanbul... I live in Bursa, a city very near to Istanbul right now, so if you need any help concerning accomodation, trip etc, drop me an email :

utkukaynar@gmail.com

Be sure to visit Topkapi Palace, Aya Sofia, Sultanahmet, Suleymaniye Mosque, Beyoglu, Taksim, tri-x 400 will be sufficient, since we're having a very bright winter here...

your outift seems fine, but be sure to carry your equipment in a safe bag you can access, if you're wearing a backpack watch out for pickpockets and do NOT visit these quarters :

Tarlabasi, Dolapdere, Istiklal Street very late after midnight with your cameras..

Otherwise, Istanbul is a safe city, much safer than New York, Paris or Amsterdam (I've been there)

Have a nice trip.

Utku

OMG I completely forgot to answer this thread 😱

Thanks all you Guys for your answers!! very very helpfull!
in 3 weeks I will allready rock the shutter in Ist..I´m sooo happy 😀

@ Shutterflower: Coool you enjoyed the trip so much! any pictures to show off yet? and thanks for all the tips and tricks! 😉

I´ve settled my equipment so far (lets see what will happen when I pack my stuff) ... I will take my M6 plus the Summicron-C / Ultron28 and Skopar21 with me and a bunch of 400 to 800ASA films (TriX for B/W and Sensia400 and press800 for color)

thats the plan so far..I´m quite confident it will work out well...

Thanks again everybody for your thoughts and help!!!
Friedrich