Persongalleriet #772: Booked a trip to Istanbul!

I now have flights and a hotel room reserved for the March school holiday. It will be my third trip to Istanbul. On the previous occasions I have traveled by myself, but this time I will bring my son Sam! In 2015 and 2016 I mostly did street photography and not much tourism, but now that I have Sam's company the plan is to see some of the big sights. Of course, streeting is still high on my agenda and I hope to do some with my great friends Canan and Alphan!  Today I'll show some colour photos from April 13th, 2015, my first day with Canan.

Canan at the Besiktas market hall.

Woman with Yellow Scarf.

Mobile Central.

Canan shooting on our way north from Besiktas.

Have a great weekend everybody!

Niklas

Persongalleriet #648: Beijing, Day 16

June 29th, 2016.
Took subway line 6 to Dongsi and went on a hutong tour north of that point. Four hours of street fun followed!  :-) In the evening I did another photo-walk, but I'll save those pics for future blogs.

Team Building.

Met these wonderful ladies, who ran a cat shelter. 29 cats in a small courtyard! The younger woman on the left spoke good English and asked me many questions about me and about Sweden.

Spent some time in an indoor market place I found. I always love to shoot in this kind of place!

Found an ongoing game of ping-pong. The first one I've seen on this trip. I was asked to participate, but declined. A pity I haven't kept my skills alive, I used to be a decent hobby ping-pong player.

Jump!

The Old & the New.

Bubble Girl.

Workers.

Twice Connected.

Be well, everybody!

/Niklas

Persongalleriet #585: Selfie with Cat & Hen

March 12th, 2016.
I'm used to all the stray dogs and cats here in Istanbul, but to find a hen and a cock strolling around a courtyard in the very centre of the city shook me up a bit.

The blog's title goes with this here pic:

At the other end of the yard was a male specimen of the same species. For a title for the next picture I was thinking of "Three Men and One Cock", but maybe that could be interpreted as a bit mean. What about "Three Men and a Cock", which gives us a bit of literary reference? Or maybe "Three Men and a Rooster", which should be harmless enough not to offend any sensitive viewers that might be out there somewhere??? Enough of titles, here's the photograph in question:

I'm writing this from a hotel near Sabiha Gökcen airport, so this is the last "live" blog this time around. But of course I will show more pictures from this trip and the other trips I have done and from the ones I hope will follow!

Be well, everybody!

/Niklas

Persongalleriet #582: More Istanbul Ramblings

March 10th, 2016.
On my own again yesterday, I rambled, after blogging etcetera for the better part of the morning. After a few minutes in "my" neighborhood, I took the tram west to Yusufpaşa to retrace some steps from last year. Couldn't really find the inspiration. Had two cups of çay in an alley and decided to go ride the ferries instead. Walked to Aksaray tram stop and found this:

Rode the tram to Eminönu to catch a ferry. When I got there I felt a hunger pang already, since I had such a late start to the day. I remembered seeing the fish sandwich seller from last year close to Karaköy and decided to walk across Galata bridge to try some! Saw my own shadow as I was walking down the stairs and waited a little while to get something interesting:

At least interesting to me!  :-)

The fish sandwich guy wasn't there today, but I found a simple little restaurant which made a damn good one! Shooting didn't stop just because I was having lunch:

Here's another shot from 50 meters away:

Beyoğlu is the part of central Istanbul where I have found the most graffiti. Here's a shot where I found a "Blue" theme:

Got on the Kadıköy ferry at Karaköy (finally getting the hang of which is which!!!) Walked around for a while getting som quick shots of the passengers. Sat down with the camera in my lap to enjoy the sea view. Looked down at my tiltscreen and found something to shoot a little bit closer than that:

Getting off at Kadıköy there were some police with uzi-like machine guns. Finger on the trigger and all, so I decided to go straight back with the ferry, now to Eminönu. I don't mind police with holstered pistols, but when carrying guns like this, it seems to me a shot could go off at any moment, by mistake or otherwise.

After resting my legs for a while I took the tour of the ferry. A small band was playing the most beautiful music you can imagine!

I talked to them after. Their name is Ateş Band and HERE is their facebook page. They didn't have any record to sell at the moment, but there are some mobile phone videos on there that will give you an idea, although the super talented girl singing and playing flute is not featured in any of them. I also always love a mandolin played so well as this! I shot a short video and will post it later, but I'll first need to convert it to a format youtube accepts.

Found some more geometry I liked on this ferry:

As I was getting off the ferry I saw the people waiting to get on behind closed doors. Then I saw the reflection.

As I was buying some simit for a simple dinner in my room, these two young women started chatting me up. Of course I asked to get a picture, with simit and all!

This was turning out to be a it of a geometry day and I found one more shot like that before calling it a day:

Be well, everybody!

/Niklas

Persongalleriet #575: Live Blog from Istanbul, Day 2

Today was a nice warm day with some sun, mostly the hazy kind. I spent the morning lightrooming and writing the previous blog post. I didn't get out on the streets until about noon. As I was closing the window before leaving the hotel room, I noticed two men arguing in the street right outside. Walking down the stairs I made my camera ready and shot this as I stepped out of the hotel:

Off to a decent start, I think!  :-)

I didn't really have a plan and walked randomly in some favourite blocks near the hotel. I got some shots of dogs yesterday, but today was more of a cat day.

The Beggar.

I walked downhill through some deserted alleys near the Grand Bazaar, but as I got nearer the Spice Market the streets began to fill up.

Daddy & His Girls.

I followed a street I hadn't walked before and ended up outside Sirkeci train station. I went in to see if "my" cats from last year were still there. Saw this one residing over the old engine outside.

Top Cat.

Of course, there were more cats inside. Here's one:

The Cigarette (II).

Walking down the Quai, I decided on a whim to go to Kadıköy with the ferry. Last year I only went on one return ferry ride and thinking about this trip, I had made up my mind to do it more this time around.

Yellow Love.

Arrived at Kadıköy.

Took a long walk along the waterfront, an aspect of Kadıköy I hadn't realized before. But this was a Sunday and lots of people were enjoying the sea views.

Balloons.

Back at the Ferry Terminal.

Ferry to Eminönu.

Once at Eminönu it is of course impossible not too shoot some more, even though the body aches and the belly is empty.

Galata Selfie.

Dinner was a chicken dürüm wrap and a banana.

Be well, everybody!

/Niklas