Cairo, as I Remember

A few years back, I could not resist an invitation to go to Cairo. It had been a while since my last trip and the city, the Pyramids and the Valley of the Kings were calling me back.

Well, like many other trips, I ended up taking pictures of the people and streets and left the great shots of ancient sites to postcards and other photographers. After all, the Pyramids do not change much from trip to trip…

I wanted to post a few pictures, all taken in 35mm, as I suspect they may or may not represent the Cairo of today. So, these photos are more “historical” than artistic.

Cairo by night

From my hotel balcony, in the Zamalek area.  On this trip I took a 1981 Olympus OM-1 loaded with ASA 100 film. Needless to say long exposures are practically impossible to make with such slow film, but I do like this one. The Nile, the city are all there and the slight vibration of the camera’s mirror gave”coma-like” blurs of the city and cars' lights that somehow fit nicely with the Arabic calligraphy!

The Nile as home

I was looking for that angle each photographer searches. After all a river is a river, no matter how majestic.  At sunset, I saw this river boat’s silhouette and it represented the Nile for me.

 I was not sure who was on that boat, so waited a while for a closer shot (I do not use zooms…!). I then found out it was a house-boat, and the woman was doing the dishes using the Nile as her sink….

The Streets of Cairo

I assume it is still the same today, but somehow the vintage cars, the horse and buggy remain in my mind as the paradox of Cairo: tall, modern buildings surrounded by 4000 years of history, customs and architecture.

Talking about customs, this shot is among my favorites. Sure, it is not artistic, I could have come closer, perhaps used the light better, but still, it is a street photo capturing that split second. Here, the woman is drying cloths on a line she tied from her building to the street. I had a second only to get her in the right posture and not shielded by the cloths. Then, I passed under the cloths and got a few drops of water on my face. Yes, I could have walked on the left of the street pole, but I thought the boardwalk should be shared...

The Old and the New

Well, at least then, a few years ago.

It would be great if I could go back soon and retake pictures from each spot. It would not surprise me if the shots came out quite similar. After all, 4000 years of history and customs still surround those tall buildings, downtown Cairo.

April 17, 2014

©Vahé Kazandjian, 2014

Leuven, Ferrara, Kennebunkport, Baltimore and Kruger National Park: What do they have in common?

The long winter is over. The desolate scenes of empty streets, white of snow, frozen in sub-zero temperatures were not for a street photographer who often, like a treasure hunter, went from street to street looking for people! And when I found them, they all looked the same, bundled up in heavy coats and walking fast looking at their own feet, the shoulders caved in.

It is spring again, and I put a few drops of oil on the springs of my old cameras, took a few medium format film rolls out of the freezer, and I am getting the “street fever” again! Oh, for those of you who have never seen a roll of film, imagine that film is like fresh food—it has an expiration date! So, I keep my films in the freezer and they can last more than 10 years in cryo-existance. Then, I take them out, let them get used to the world again for about 6 hours, and they are ready to capture whatever my eyes are willing to notice.

So, as an initiation to spring and film photography, I wanted to organise a few unpublished shots. The theme of this series is “daily life, nothing extravagant”.  Sure, I always look for a special event, an unusual behavior, a story that stands out. But it is as interesting, and probably more challenging, to capture the daily routine and still find an angle making the picture worth keeping and sharing.

But you decide.

…. It was early morning in Leuven, Flanders when I took my 1969 Nikon F for a walk before my meetings at the university. The café trottoirs were just opening for coffee and yes, chocolate! I wanted to capture the slow pace of a city waking up. The stacked-up chairs were just right to describe the early morning.

I have written about Ferrara, Italy already.  It is one of my favorite cities as it seems to have just the right tempo for my character. And the untouched medieval city around which the more modern Ferrara is built is a time capsule and a respite from all rush and eagerness to compete. 

Again, I was enjoying a morning espresso when I saw this man arrive on his bicycle across the street. I could see his dog in the basket and by the time I focused, he was taking the dog out. I wanted to capture the mannequin looking at them...

Then he went for a walk with his dog. A daily routine, I assumed.

This one is from outside Kennebunkport, Maine. I was in the car behind this trolley and I could see young people all dressed up going to a party. Then, the woman near the rear window took out a make-up mirror and touched up her lips. I had to take a picture, even if from behind the front windshield.  It was such a nonchalant and charming scene.

The surprise was when I looked at the picture—there was a motorcyclist, perfectly framed in the shot, who was also looking at her!

I am always amazed how people pretzel themselves while taking a photo to be at the right level regarding their subject. This picture is from Baltimore, as I saw this mom trying to take a picture of her daughter. As I looked down onto the waist-level finder of my Mamiya 645, she had decided to hide between the legs of this man to frame the perfect shot! I assumed it was her husband….

No matter what, I was pleased with the grainy print and the little girl’s seemingly effortless stroll.

Finally, I cannot think about daily routine without remembering this moment in Kruger National Park, South Africa. We had seen elephants, but all from a distance. They seemed to ignore humans and safari trucks. Then, less than 50 meters away, I heard the breaking of branches and I could see movement in the trees. I pointed my Mamiya 645 toward the trees and waited. The elephant came out, but it had it head down, ears floppy, and looked just like others we had seen.

Then, as if it was surprised to see someone still using a film camera, looked straight at me and gave me the lovely pose of an elephant we see in paintings. It lasted just two seconds, and I clicked once. This picture always reminds me of the “decisive moment” every street photographer hopes to master.

There you have it—daily life in the jungle of cities of concrete and steel, or in the paths of natural trails and virgin forests. All it takes is to not look for the exceptional but celebrate the glorious daily life!

April 16, 2014

© Vahé Kazandjian, 2014