The pandemic has given me time to organize my
studio. In the process, predictably, I have found printed photos, documents and
film negatives that I had stored away for quite a while.
A couple of days ago I was delighted to rediscover
35mm negatives from my trips to Cairo, which were for professional reasons. As
in all my trips around the globe, I always found time to walk the streets for
ethnophotography, or at least street photography.
Using my 1950s enlarger I decided to print a few of
the photos, thinking that after almost 20 years much would have changed in that
ancient city and some of the shots may be almost documentary.
The photo at the top of this page is a typical
composition. Using ASA 60 film and a 1954 Canon L3 rangefinder camera, the feel
is typical for film photography.
The hot summer evenings are hazy in Cairo. Yet the street
walk remains delightful and gives the feel of walking in a different time, at a
different tempo. I probably took this shot at the slow speed of 1/25th
second.
The modern and the traditional mix well if one has
the curiosity to see and appreciate it. This young man on a bicycle and the
movement of the car frozen at again slow shutter speed give a contrast to the leisurely
walk of perhaps a family in the background.
The Nile and its tributaries have been the lifeline
for Cairo since the beginning of times. This photo, with all the shades and
tonal transition only film can deliver so smoothly is of a woman in a house
boat. Again, a shot taken on a hazy evening just around sunset.
But there are also more luxury boats on the Nile.
This one seems like a floating restaurant.
The city, its people and the traditional ways of
going through the days are shown in the next two photos. First, a street sweeper
who always takes his time – after all, there will be dust and debris every day,
why hurry?
And a look at the rooftops probably from my hotel
room. This was the era of satellite dishes that bloomed like wildflowers in the
desert.
The museum is a central attraction. The sarcophagi,
carvings, paintings, statues and other artifacts of Egypt’s rich history are
there for a moment of transport into times we still do not fully understand and
explain. While photography inside the museum is not allowed, this shot from the outside of the building give a perspective often not found in touristy
promotions. The relaxed attitude of the soldier fits well with the heat and
hazy surroundings.
Finally, the close quarter living that is so typical
of ancient cities where over millennia layer upon layer the city has rebuilt
and used every inch of its space to accommodate the growing population. To me,
the photo of the horse and carriage, along with the buildings in shape of a
honey comb represent the delightful times I have spent in Cairo.
June 4, 2020
© Vahé A. Kazandjian, 2020
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