Thanks for the kind words. Ethiopia is still developing its tourism infrastructure, so in many ways it still does not meet western standards, which for me is part of the attraction.
What, no RAW? Taken with cell phone. Very nice set.
All are raw captures, Alan. That’s the beauty of LrM. It also has hdr-raw which is nothing short of amazing in the harsh lighting of the tropics.
Just what I was thinking. You certainly seemed to enjoy the food!! All those yum yums.
JR
Yes! Very much so. I love the whole concept of Ethiopian eating: using your hand to rip the injera and scoop up the various lentil, veg and meat options. It was Lent, so meals were almost always meatless, which made no difference in taste or satisfaction. Western foods are always an option, but I don’t travel overseas to eat home fare.
Excellent set, and really, viewed on-line, you could not know it was a phone camera unless you noted the usual wide DoF and lack of three dimensionality that a shallower DoF, especially in the portraits, might have benefited from. Time to embrace the phone!
I brought my FF Nikon and tripod, and didn’t end up using them! As it is, I tend to prefer environmental portraits, so you would have seen the same high DoF photographs. I’ll work on shaping the light in Lr to create a better sense of 3D.
Very nice photos, did make them all with your telephone? very good quality.
I am heading for Ethiopie this year, do you have some photo tips? for me
For instance - can I make photos with a 'big' Nikon you think or would that be impossible- how do people react on camera's?
All with Lr Mobile on an iPhone except one: I just realized the lone worshipper at St. George’s in Lalibela was made with my 1” Sony RX-10iii. In fact, many of the shots shown, I also made with the Sony, just in case I need 20mp. I also used the Sony for longer focal length work and may post some of those later.
Photo Tips: Work on convincing your drivers/guides to start early. Earlier than 8-8:30 was a struggle. I don’t think they quite understand the needs of photographers for the early morning light. As I was mostly travelling alone in a Land Cruiser, the drivers were very accommodating for photo stops.
Don’t be afraid to walk the streets/markets to shoot, bút it’s better with your driver or guide as they can explain why you wish to photograph. Many did NOT want their photos taken - respect that and move on because many did not mind, especially if you show them the photo afterwards.
A bigger camera system will definitely be more intimidating for portraits/street. It will also make you an instant target. Being a westerner, ups the chances for theft, but I had no issues as my phone always went back in my front pocket and my Sony always back in my small hip case (one I bought decades ago to hold 4x5 film holders - my have times changed!)
I used
ETT - Ethio Travel & Tours. Sunight was fantastic at organizing. All via email, she put together my two-week itinerary according to my requests, that included all accommodations (w/WiFi and private bathroom), all breakfasts, all internal flights (I had three) and transfers, all drivers and guides, and all entrance fees for USD 1750 - cash, paid on arrival. This kind of payment may scare off some who want the security of having everything booked and paid for ahead of time, but it is Africa, and there are never any guarantees. That being said, everything went off without a hitch. As it is, ETT does most of the work for Erta Ale and the Danakil Depression, if not directly, then subcontracted.
NOTE: If you fly in/out using Ethiopian Airlines (as good as many, better than most), all of your internal flights are significantly cheaper. And flights are the way to get around the country.
Busy season is Dec-Jan for Christian observances and festivals (and into Feb) when up to to 10,000 will be in Lalibela, Aksum and churches. Great opportunity for capturing the mood/feeling, but more expensive and frankly far too many tourists, especially for getting up/down the remote Tigray Churches.
March was ideal as it is the tail end of the main season and was not busy, but still with worshippers for cultural depth to photos. July-Aug is rainy season - more difficult to get around but much greener landscapes.
I did not get to Gondor, Lake Tana / Blue Nile Falls, Simien Mtns or the southern Rift Valley for Oromo cultures, but all are highly recommended - especially trekking in the Simien Mtns - from tourists I spoke to there. Many French, German, Brits, Japanese and Chinese. I met only 1 other Canadian and only 1 American. Clearly, Ethiopia is not on the N American radar (not surprising, though).
Any other Qs, let me know. As I said at the beginning, tourism is just starting, so don’t expect luxury. But it also means there are fewer tourists overall and the ones there are not the coach tour/cruise tourists.