Andrea Taurisano
il cimento
I just came back from a 10 days trip to Iran. This was not one of my solo journeys, it was a vacation with my girlfriend - and that changes everything.. That means that what I'm sharing here is nothing I'm particularly proud of (photographically speaking), but I know that there are many here who are interested in travels in less touristic corners of the world, and Iran is definitely one I would recommend wholeheartedly.
For the historical sites and towns, and of course the Persian culture it is soaked with, Iran is a truly fantastic country. Its people are among the most sociable and hospitable I’ve ever met (maybe only second to their neighbors of Afghanistan), to the point that they sometimes can be perceived as a bit invasive or pushy by “colder” north-European travelers. Iranian people are not fanatic “flag burners” who demonize western culture and hate western people. On the contrary, they show a very intelligent ability to think on their own, separating political tensions (and propaganda) between countries, from the daily life of their people, who are pretty much alike across the world in wishing peace and prosperity for themselves and others..
One feels generally very safe (I’d say safer than in many European cities) when walking in the streets, even alone and at night. Women traveling alone may definitely experience some undesired attentions though. But the only truly scary factor is the traffic: Iranians do appear to have their driving “rules”, or more properly their ways to cope with heavy and fast moving traffic in total lack of rules, but a terribly high number of people do get killed each year in car crashes on the roads of Iran, and you definitely feel this may happen to you at any time, either you’re sitting on a cab or trying to cross a road..
Anyway, for those who wonder what I photographed with.. here below is all the gear I took with me, plus 1 spare battery. Nothing more.
Here is what you may check out, if interested:
http://ilcimento.wordpress.com/pages-in-color/iran/
Iran - Ruined my usual way
For the historical sites and towns, and of course the Persian culture it is soaked with, Iran is a truly fantastic country. Its people are among the most sociable and hospitable I’ve ever met (maybe only second to their neighbors of Afghanistan), to the point that they sometimes can be perceived as a bit invasive or pushy by “colder” north-European travelers. Iranian people are not fanatic “flag burners” who demonize western culture and hate western people. On the contrary, they show a very intelligent ability to think on their own, separating political tensions (and propaganda) between countries, from the daily life of their people, who are pretty much alike across the world in wishing peace and prosperity for themselves and others..
One feels generally very safe (I’d say safer than in many European cities) when walking in the streets, even alone and at night. Women traveling alone may definitely experience some undesired attentions though. But the only truly scary factor is the traffic: Iranians do appear to have their driving “rules”, or more properly their ways to cope with heavy and fast moving traffic in total lack of rules, but a terribly high number of people do get killed each year in car crashes on the roads of Iran, and you definitely feel this may happen to you at any time, either you’re sitting on a cab or trying to cross a road..
Anyway, for those who wonder what I photographed with.. here below is all the gear I took with me, plus 1 spare battery. Nothing more.
Here is what you may check out, if interested:
http://ilcimento.wordpress.com/pages-in-color/iran/
Iran - Ruined my usual way
funkydog
Well-known
Nice pix. Thanks for posting. Odd choice for a holiday destination. 
Whats that weird package taped to the camera? Also, did your girlfriend get hassled for being in the company of a man she's not married/related to? Did you have to pay for two hotel rooms everywhere? Do they have religious/morality police that stop and hassle people n the streets? Questions...
Whats that weird package taped to the camera? Also, did your girlfriend get hassled for being in the company of a man she's not married/related to? Did you have to pay for two hotel rooms everywhere? Do they have religious/morality police that stop and hassle people n the streets? Questions...Andrea Taurisano
il cimento
That, on top of the camera, is a GoPro camera (for superwide shots in narrow places like bazars..). No one hassled us for not being married. In fact, we wore fake wedding rings the first days, but no one, and I mean not the border police, not the receptionists as we aked for a double room or anyone else, cared about that so we dropped them soon. And we never saw so such thing as religious or morality police. In fact once I stopped to talk to normal police in Shiraz and we ended up joking and laughing about them, their not allowing me to photograph them and so on. A visit to Iran shakes lots of prejudices away from us western travelers, I can promise..
Sparrow
Veteran
... great photos Andrea, and nice to hear a first hand account of ordinary people
Hiyawaan
Particular Individual
Really nice photo's!
Sejanus.Aelianus
Veteran
Interesting pictures and it's good to see unbiased reporting. Perhaps we would all be better people, if the press had the courage to print "nothing happened here today, apart from someone telling a joke".
tsiklonaut
Well-known
Very nice series, many familiar spots to my eye - looks like you've been to Esfahan, Shiraz, Yazd(?) Did you go to Dash-e-Kavir or Dasht-e-Lut deserts as well?
Aaand why o' why didn't you take a proper film camera!?
Saying this because I did too few film shots myself in Iran both times (mostly digital, like you) and Iran is one of my favourite countries while I've visited nearly half of countries in the world. Next time I go I'll definitely take only a film camera since ironically lookling at my own Iran pics the film stands out bringing forth this true Iran soul and revoking memories out of me, despite there's a lot few of them compared to digital shots.
I've done two independent solo-motorcycle expeditions (just with my wife, unguided and unplanned schedule) to Iran in 2005 (back at the time when there were virtually no tourists) and 2010 (then I already saw tourists) so experienced Iranian traffic first hand being the "weaker" player in the brutal game, had many close calls in thousands of kilometers I've ridden on most Iran, especially in the crowded cities they're just reckless usual Middle-Eastern "Allah will protect me (or kill me, but thus shall my true faith)" type of drivers. Thankfully many iranians instantly notice the unusal large 1100cc fully loaded motorcycle (their maximum allowed by law is 250cc, only police can have bigger motorcycle) so fortunately many who notice slow down immediately and create sort of safety zone around you within havoc while they observe you, wave their hands through the windows, shout and greet you. Iranians are really proud of their country and heritage, and righfully so.
Iranians truly are a special breed of people in terms of hospitality, I've never experienced so much hospitality anywhere else in the world.
Cheers for bringing back many good memories!
Margus
Aaand why o' why didn't you take a proper film camera!?
Saying this because I did too few film shots myself in Iran both times (mostly digital, like you) and Iran is one of my favourite countries while I've visited nearly half of countries in the world. Next time I go I'll definitely take only a film camera since ironically lookling at my own Iran pics the film stands out bringing forth this true Iran soul and revoking memories out of me, despite there's a lot few of them compared to digital shots.
I've done two independent solo-motorcycle expeditions (just with my wife, unguided and unplanned schedule) to Iran in 2005 (back at the time when there were virtually no tourists) and 2010 (then I already saw tourists) so experienced Iranian traffic first hand being the "weaker" player in the brutal game, had many close calls in thousands of kilometers I've ridden on most Iran, especially in the crowded cities they're just reckless usual Middle-Eastern "Allah will protect me (or kill me, but thus shall my true faith)" type of drivers
. Thankfully many iranians instantly notice the unusal large 1100cc fully loaded motorcycle (their maximum allowed by law is 250cc, only police can have bigger motorcycle) so fortunately many who notice slow down immediately and create sort of safety zone around you within havoc while they observe you, wave their hands through the windows, shout and greet you. Iranians are really proud of their country and heritage, and righfully so.Iranians truly are a special breed of people in terms of hospitality, I've never experienced so much hospitality anywhere else in the world.
Cheers for bringing back many good memories!
Margus
sjgslack
Established
What fantastic shots! I especially like the portraits.
It's really nice to get a view of the place that doesn't come from the news
It's really nice to get a view of the place that doesn't come from the news
MikeAUS
Well-known
Yes, good stuff and good information about Iran. Thanks.
steveclem
Well-known
Thanks for posting something positive about Iran, was it an organised or informal trip?
Andrea Taurisano
il cimento
It was a privately organized trip by me and my girlfriend. No groups, no guides as usual.
Tijmendal
Young photog
You've been to a little less than a hundred countries Margus? I'm not callig you out, but that seems like a lot. Anyway, I've been wanting to visit Iran for a while myself as well and I was wondering what some of your favorite countries are? Did you do everything/most things by motorcycle?
I'm a great fan of your stories/blog/photographs and you seem to know your ****, so that's always interesting.
__jc
Well-known
A fascinating insight into a country which is fairly mysterious to most Westerners. I enjoyed both the pictures and the stories.
Andrea Taurisano
il cimento
Very nice series, many familiar spots to my eye - looks like you've been to Esfahan, Shiraz, Yazd(?) Did you go to Dash-e-Kavir or Dasht-e-Lut deserts as well?
Aaand why o' why didn't you take a proper film camera!?
Indeed, good guess. We were in Esfahan, Shiraz, Persepolis and Yazd, including a trip into the desert southeast of this city.
And believe me, I thought long of bringing the GR1v and 10 rolls of film instead (which I had even bought!), but then the choice fell on traveling even lighter without film boxes but with only the digital GR. I know that the colors of Kodak film would have been nicer than what I get from quick processing of the digital files, but as I said.. this was holiday, not photography. Photography for me means beeing alone, like during my Trans-Siberian last winter.. and then it's indeed film I take along.
rondo
Established
these were very good, including the road shots. your definition of "ruined" is an interesting one. i personally loved the "ruined" shots a lot.
but they point to a completely different reality.
I think you have been carefully picking the pictures to "ruin": it doesn't look like a random choice: almost all of them are grab shots from an "outsider" who is not in ease and kind of in a hurry in unfamiliar streets: and therefore depicting a much more gloomier, darker and a depressive place.
this could have been the entire character of the set, if you wanted it to be that way..and would still be very convincing, and we would all be talking about the sad state of Iran.
but there is another aspect to the whole thing: the traveler that pauses engages and communicates and establishes contact and trust with locals: and eventually he/she will see the human side of them.
you have done both here!
it just shows you the power of photography to reflect a person's point of view (and intention) vs an objective truth or reality.
as always pictures tell more about the photographer than its subject.
but they point to a completely different reality.
I think you have been carefully picking the pictures to "ruin": it doesn't look like a random choice: almost all of them are grab shots from an "outsider" who is not in ease and kind of in a hurry in unfamiliar streets: and therefore depicting a much more gloomier, darker and a depressive place.
this could have been the entire character of the set, if you wanted it to be that way..and would still be very convincing, and we would all be talking about the sad state of Iran.
but there is another aspect to the whole thing: the traveler that pauses engages and communicates and establishes contact and trust with locals: and eventually he/she will see the human side of them.
you have done both here!
it just shows you the power of photography to reflect a person's point of view (and intention) vs an objective truth or reality.
as always pictures tell more about the photographer than its subject.
daveleo
what?
Andrea,
Very enjoyale pictures and commentary.
Thank you !
Very enjoyale pictures and commentary.
Thank you !
tsiklonaut
Well-known
Semi-Offropic: Yep, the same reasons for me. Lately I'm forcing myself on film even on short holidays and so far I found it's been worth it despite it's a lot more work, but in the end and first I feel tired, but few weeks after I'm almost always hearwarmed looking at the photos, each with unique analog character and drawing out the true soul of the place just the way I wanted to from artistic perspective. The digitals somehow draw things "flat" and rather un-inspiring for me, while on similar circumstances I've found film travel shots just get my imagination going about the place.
Offtopic: thanks. I quickly counted 91 countries I've been to, it isn't much since I haven't been doing this for the 'count'. My favourites are in no particular order: Yemen, Iran, Pakistan, (pre-War) Syria, India, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Angola, Mali, Mozambique, Chile, Belize, East-Timor. All maybe because I've visited with a motorcycle, making the experience somewhat different.
Now let's back to the original topic - the author Andrea has posted a awesomely beautiful insight image series into Iran! Iran indeed is unfairly bashed by western-media, if you go there, you get to see how fantastic the (actually one of the oldest-) country (in the World) is, it's long heritage is and it's people are.
Margus
Andrea Taurisano
il cimento
One of the thoughts I had often in Iran was actually a sad one, as so much reminded me of the equally wonderful landscapes, culture and people of Afghanistan. Seing all that relative but still surprising wealth and prosperity in Iran, and meeting lots of well educated and even English fluent Iranians, as opposite to the overwhelming poverty, malnutrition and analphabetism of the people I met in the Hindu Kush (see that story in my documentary section, if interested), made me just wish from the bottom of my heart a better future for Afghanistan and its fantastic people..
RFluhver
Well-known
That is really great. I want to go to Iran, too, but I am afraid of their fanatical reputation. Turns out that, clearly, they are not. I read somewhere recently that there are actually private and secret drinking holes all over the place. Is that right? I really cannot travel anywhere without getting pissed.
Were you able to walk about freely without getting hassled by the secret police? What about people's attitudes to strangers?
Were you able to walk about freely without getting hassled by the secret police? What about people's attitudes to strangers?
Andrea Taurisano
il cimento
Well, I can't promise you that you'll never meet a fanatic there (like everywhere else), but I am and look western (Italian with a Norwegian passport) and I did speak to dozens of random people in different Iranian cities. If there was any real fanatism against us I would probably have noticed. Instead, I and my girlfriend were spontaneously welcomed to Iran by so many strangers in the streets, and were spoken warmly to by all those we stopped to ask for information, by our taxi drivers, hotel receptionists, and perfect strangers that I can absolutely say.. try and see. As I said above, haven't seen any secret police (perhaps cause secret police don't drive cars with "secret police" signs on..). We were never stopped by the ordninary police, and those we stopped to talk to, were friendly and welcoming like N.Y. cops are to tourists.
But one thing I have to warn you against: Iran is not the place to travel to with plans about drinking alchool. I guess some Iranians do indulge in alchool and even smoke stuff, but privately and discretely in case, not in bars or tea-houses (there you can smoke water pipes at most). Even talking to ordinary people about a wish to drink alchool, or asking about secret places where this is possible, would offend most of them. I would avoid. And by all means, never have alchool or drugs with you while entering or visiting the country. You just don't wanna be arrested there. PS: The Lonely Planet guide about Iran contains a lot of info about these questions..