Saudi Arabia, advice please!

[Geordiepete]

Hi Raid,

yes, of course photography was not around to be forbidden when the Qur'an was written. However, image-making was looked down upon, hence all the beautiful calligraphy in Islamic culture, and image-making of anything with a soul, from Allah, to humans, to animals, was forbidden.

Some muslims wonder if photography is image-making, and hence haram, others don't give it a second thought.

 

[35mmdelux]

Nice work, Monz!

 

[Phil_F_NM]

Monz, those are indeed beautiful images!

Phil Forrest

 

[morback]

I'm not sure if you can draw parallels, but I just (a month or so ago) came back from a Dubai-Iran trip, and it was quite fantastic. Not sure if Saudi Arabia is more conservative than Iran, or vice versa, but in Iran, not only were people the friendliest bunch I ever met, I kept being asked to take pictures of them.
The only things I refrained taking pictures of, was the Bandar-Abbas harbour (some military boats in there) and a bus full of shiny new military graduates. I think you can tell the pattern.
Otherwise I photographed more freely than I do in Europe, and certainly in the U.S.A.(were I got in trouble several times...)!

As for film, taking 6 months worth of it might be too much. Can't you have someone mail you some from home, as a backup plan just in case film is unobtainable in SA?

 

[bigeye]

Al Khobar

Al Khobar

Al Khobar, 60 years ago (IIIf/50mm elmar/kodachrome 25)

It's an oil town and folks are much more familiar with foreign nationals.

Dad said he was respectful and discreet and asked permission when he sensed it necessary. I doubt that has changed. (Except in Beirut, where he thought he was safe. He snapped a picture of a mother and her children on the street and she scolded him for 15 minutes.)
I wonder how much it has changed?

King's Road:

Cool bicycle:

- Charlie

 

[Rui Resende]

Ok, so I went on the trip.

After 5 months, I came back to Portugal to renew my visa, I was able to shoot freely, film and digital, and i was not searched, getting inside or outside. I didn't feel totally comfortable shooting in the streets. Mostly I pretended to shoot landscapes when i actually was trying to capture some life scene. I never had any problems with anyone, but some cool people i came to know there confirmed that maybe it would be better for me to keep a very low profile while making street photography. So i did.

I took several cameras:
Nikon D60, as a digital
Contax T (the one i used the most, due to its invisibility)
Leica CL+summicron 40mm
Minolta CLE+28mm

I'll go back there for another 2 or 3 months, to fullfill my contract. In the meanwhile here are some samples i got so far.

I'll keep this thread alive, hope you enjoy. As a non-muslim, my access to certain key aspects of arab life were impeded to me.

 

[-JQ-]

I for one would like to see more and keep this thread alive.

Are you still over there?