At 07:35 01 03 2011, ADavidhazy wrote:
My son decided to visit parts of Egypt. He will be in Cairo for 4
days and Egypt for 10. Anyone have any photo tips to share?
Besides Cairo I think he plans to take a train along the Nile as
well. He is traveling with a couple of Leica MP cameras and Tri-X.
Advice? Friendly contacts you can suggest?
I was in Egypt some 15 months ago. So much to see.
With lots of particulate matter in the air, there are good
opportunities for photographs at sunrise and sunset. The strong sun
(like here in Oz), makes a polarising filter very useful, even if
just as a neutral density. I took along my Pentax K-7 with 15/4 (22
e-mm), 35/2.8 macro (52 e-mm), and 200/2.8. I made far more use of
the 15 than the 200, with the 35 on-camera most often. I also took
along Novoflex's Basic Ball tripod, with screw-in legs, which proved
indispensable for those self-portraits!
With tourists _everywhere_ the trick can often be to actually see the
attraction. Especially in the Valley of the Kings at Luxor (aka
Thebes). Bearing in mind the travel warnings, this _could_ be a good
time to visit. Of course, even in good times, tombs can randomly be
"closed", while the guard is skiving off elsewhere. I enjoyed a
morning hot air balloon ride at Luxor.
It could prove advantageous to hire a reputable local guide
(admittedly, foreigners, no matter how knowledgeable, are prohibited
from guiding). They should be able to show you their ID card, gained
after quite some years' study. The locals are quite adept at bumping
up the prices for the tourists. They are, in the main, just wonderful people.
--
&i (:
