So I'm heading to Israel next month on business. Fortunately, I'll have a few days for sightseeing, or as my co-worker and I are calling it "time to adjust to the time change" :biggrin:. I'm not really certain of the gear I'll bring, I guess I'll contact the hotel to see what kind of storage they have. The building in which I'll be working is an intel fab site, and i'm sure they'll search me and not let me keep my gear with me at work :frown:.
Anyway, on to the good stuff. To those that have been, can you recommend any sites that may not be typically known to tourists but are a "must see"? I think we'll have a guide in one of our Israeli co-workers, but just in case we don't I'd appreciate any insight you all can offer.
Wow. Israel is just a photographer's dream in so many ways. I posted some shots last year, but I had just so many incredible opportunities for photography whilst I was there. I'd go back in a heartbeat (and see my postscript about "issues" in that location).
I was there last year on two quite long stints for work, and greatly enjoyed my time there. I spent more than two months living over there in total, and was able to see many many locations, as well as meet up with another Café member. With a bit of planning, you can have an incredibly rich experience.
First, where will you be staying (I know that Intel has something like five locations over there) ? Next, do you plan to have time away from that location at the beginning and the end of the trip or just a couple of days at the beginning ? Will you be there through "weekends" [note, Friday-Saturday in Israel, and on Shabbat (Sat) when many things are closed] ?
There's some merit to considering taking a few extra days at your own expense to spend time in, say, the old city of Jerusalem. I did this on the second trip, not just the day tours on a bus, and I found the time spent at dawn and sunset in the old City to be one of the better trips in my life. The bus tours, as good as they can be, simply aren't the same as staying immediately next to the old city (or within it), and having the flexibility to wander around on your own schedule.
Here's a photo at the market near the Damascus Gate in the old city right at sunset. On a bus tour, I'd have been herded back to the bus by this point in time instead of experiencing the city.
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In a few days, I walked all around the old city of Jerusalem, on the walls, the gates (and got locked in at the Damascus Gate one night - a long story best told with alcoholic beverages at hand), saw religious services of all types, ate good and bad food, and had a thoroughly wondrous time.
Here's a photo one morning fairly early at the Dome of the Rock, one of the holiest sites in Islam, but I was able to avoid the hordes of tourists to gain a somewhat different perspective than the usual one.
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Here's a shot from just before sundown at the Temple Mount. It proceeded to absolutely pour rain following this, but the moment came and went at my choosing, so I stayed and then walked back soaking wet to my hotel with this photo. It was worth having soaked clothes, shoes, and whatnot (although my camera bag was protected with a cheap umbrella I bought from a kind hawking such things), and looking back, it was more than worth being drenched to see a moment like that.
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Staying near to Akko (north of Haifa), I could see the old walled Crusader era city from my hotel room and clearly hear the call to prayer from the largest mosque in the old town wafting over the bay before dawn each morning to waken me,
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and then walk to the mosque at night after evening prayers were completed to see the graceful architecture
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I could see churches lit in many unusual fashions (and a fine test of white balance skills, I might add!),
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Again, with a little planning, you can have wonderful opportunities for photography in Israel. I recommend the Lonely Planet guide to Israel, which was a relatively decent guidebook that takes a fairly middle-of-the-road approach to tourism. I also again recommend considering adding two to four days onto your trip to visit other locations.
I did relatively little long length shooting on my trips, and was mostly in the 12-24mm and 37-70mm range while there, although I did bring my 80-400mm for utility purposes. A polariser is pretty darned handy for bright light shots, and some "fast glass" (i.e., maybe f/1.2 -> 2.8) is useful for low light shooting at night or in churches/temples/mosques. I could probably have gotten away with only my 12-24mm and 24-120mm for the trip, but here and there, having more focal length was handy...
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And I really did like having the fast glass for late night photographs on the Louis Promenade in Haifa
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So, it's kind of a question just how much gear you want to carry for these moments.
And yes, I well know the issues with having photo gear going to plants, so you should have contingency plans. Most business hotels in Israel have room safes, which can fit a certain amount of limited gear, and security is generally quite good in such hotel locations. I will say that I walked around with photo gear all over Israel (and additionally in Jordan on a short trip), and never once felt uncomfortable doing so, although I did exercise the sort of care that any reasonable adult should in my walks in various locations.
Drop me a PM or a note in the thread, depending on what you want to relate, and I can offer some further ideas.
John P.
P.S. I was sometimes asked about my opinions on political matters in Israel, and would say, with complete and total sincerity, "The issues here have debated and considered by some of the greatest political minds of our time, but think for a moment why I'm here on business. If I had relevant answers to the issues, I would be sitting with world leaders in discussion, not here in the plant with you. So, let's move on to the work you're paying me for, eh ?"
go to Eli Avivi Land.....very few people know this place...its a country on Israel territory...go overthere , enter the gate and you are in another world....Eli will even stamp your passport with the Eli Avivi stamp!!!
PjohnP all your pictures are very well done but classic tourist pictures...
So now, where is Eli Avivi Land ? its north of the country , drive the highway north of Tel Aviv, pass trough Haifa , Akko , when you pass Nahariiya 2/3 miles north look for the sign : kibboutz gesher Akhziv( or Arzhiv) , Eli Avivi Land is then on your left.....
have fun and dont spend to many days in a miklaat :biggrin:
I've spoken with people who have been to an Intel fab in Israel (don't recall which one, sorry), and they said that there were locker rooms just inside the entrance to the site they visited where employees/visitors were required to leave their firearms. I would call ahead and find out their exact policy on whether you would be able to carry your camera equipment with you, and if not, if there would be a secure locker of sufficient size that you could use to store it while you were working at the site.
go to Eli Avivi Land.....very few people know this place...its a country on Israel territory...go overthere , enter the gate and you are in another world....Eli will even stamp your passport with the Eli Avivi stamp!!!
PjohnP all your pictures are very well done but classic tourist pictures...
I think that a lot depends on the time that John M. has available whilst he's there to be able to get around the country, as well as whether he has an automobile at his command. Eli Avivi Land or "the State of Akhzivland" is a bit of a trek from say, Tel Aviv, without a car.
Thanks for the comments on the photos, which were very much intended as "classic tourist pictures" for classic locations.
All, thanks for the tips. John P, I will contact you via PM once the time gets closer and I have more info...I am thinking we will have 1-2 full days for some touring, but not much more than that. I may have to play it by ear.
All, thanks for the tips. John P, I will contact you via PM once the time gets closer and I have more info...I am thinking we will have 1-2 full days for some touring, but not much more than that. I may have to play it by ear.
For the most part, my daylight shooting was done with my 12-24mm and 35-70mm lenses (although that surfer shot and one distance night shot of the Al Jazzar Mosque across Akko Bay were with the 80-400mm lens). I did a lot of shooting at night with my 28mm f/1.4 lens.
In a short trip (at least, the personal part of it), you'd probably do fairly well with a "walkaround lens" like the 24-120mm or the 18-200mm, excepting the low light conditions in churches, mosques or temples. A lot depends on what glass you have at hand - I'm unsure if I'd purchase a new lens just for a two or three day vacation (ah, what the heck, yes, I probably would get a new lens for a special trip like this one you're taking !!! ). A combo like the 12-24mm and the 24-120mm would suffice well for most city shooting.
I will say that WA lenses are key to shooting in some spots in places like Jerusalem's old city, where a long line of sight may not be available, but I think that I could have done very very well with a lens like the 16-85mm for those circumstances ( a lens that's on my "think about this list" for the future, I can say).
I did shoot in Tel Aviv with the 80-400mm a great deal around the beaches and along the boardwalks to give me a chance to capture a large full setting sun or nab shots of people from some distance. That worked well because I had a morning "at leisure" and the beach life of TA is just as vibrant as any seaside community.
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I was back at sunset before I departed Israel, and the long focal length meant I captured some nice sunset shots. I'm unsure if this would have been as much of an advantage otherwise.
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Low light shooting's a hard call - the pursuit of low light shots is a very personal thing. I like to wander around cities at night shooting handheld, and so carrying a lens or two for low light is worth the extra weight for me. It's a rare trip when I don't have the 28mm f/1.4 or 58mm f/1.2 Noct or 85mm f/1.4 with me as my "night lens". For last year's trips to Israel, I brought the 28mm f/1.4 and the 85mm f/1.4, and I never regretted the extra weight.
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If you're really still mulling this over, drop me a PM with a 'phone number, and we can talk "real time" about all of this...
Israel's a picture rich environment, and there are great locations all around to shoot. It's an especially nice circumstance where one can visit the country for a more prolonged experience while on business. Of course, many days are filled with intense work, but it offers the opportunity to get more of the feeling of living there than just tourism on a quick trip, and one also gets hints and ideas from locals on things to do that don't register on the radar of tourists.
I really enjoyed my two business trips there last year.
I went on business to Tel Aviv about 10 years ago but I didn't really have any time for sightseeing apart from a walk around Jaffa at night.
At the time and I do not know if this is still the case, on leaving Israel I had to provide proof of where I'd been and who I'd seen.
I had naively though a business card would do. It didn't. I had to wait at check in for a considerable period while they called the people I'd seen ( thankfully I did have their business cards ) to check my story. Eventually all was well and I boarded my flight. So, it may be worth checking to see if this policy is still in place and to get letters from the Intel people to speed your way through check in on your return.
I though it really odd that I got in to Israel with barely a glance but had so much trouble getting out!
There again and I know I shouldn't have been eavesdropping, but my troubles were nothing compared to the guy at the next check in station!
Peter, it's not the getting out, it's the "getting on the airplane". You were trying to board a plane in what is arguably the safest airport in the world (thanks to their profiling).
John P, I'm going to talk to my co-workers to get some more information (about where we will be, etc.) and then I will definitely hook up with you for a chat. I sure wish I had a 28 1.4, but sadly I don't. I do have a 50 1.4. Tempted to bring my D3, but may just bring the D200 as my gear is not insured to leave the country.
The Khan El Umdan closed for renovation during the time that I was staying in Akko (Acre) in December, but may have been re-opened since then. It's very much worth the visit to see, I agree.
Akko as a destination is a great choice in so many ways. The walls of the old city are relatively intact, much of the 17th century and later structures are still present, and some of the Crusader era structures underground are in fine condition for a visit. The history of the region is touchable and easily visible in this well preserved location.
More to the point, from locations like Haifa, it's very much a "doable" day trip with a substantial amount to see and do in that period. I was lucky enough to be working close by this city, and I spent many hours day and evening walking through it.
If you're able to stop for lunch or dinner at Uri Buri in Akko, don't miss the opportunity ! It's not cheap, but the food is thoroughly first rate, and the owner is truly a fascinating man to meet. After a splendid lunch when I was there in December, he gave me a tour of the boutique hotel he was setting up in a Crusader era building, which promised to provide an incredible hotel experience (I should probably do something with the photos that I took whilst seeing this construction, I suppose...).
Peter, it's not the getting out, it's the "getting on the airplane". You were trying to board a plane in what is arguably the safest airport in the world (thanks to their profiling).
John P, I'm going to talk to my co-workers to get some more information (about where we will be, etc.) and then I will definitely hook up with you for a chat. I sure wish I had a 28 1.4, but sadly I don't. I do have a 50 1.4. Tempted to bring my D3, but may just bring the D200 as my gear is not insured to leave the country.
Fair comment about the airport. If one arrives reasonably early, the security measures are nothing onerous, although some people become less pleased about the questions that are posed. <shrug> I didn't find this excessive or terribly intrusive.
I think that the 50mm f/1.4 would work perfectly well for the low light shooting for you. The D200 would work just fine for most shooting, although it's obviously not as favourable for the low light work as the D3. You could find out about travel insurance for the D3 just for the trip, I suppose.
I'm out of town right now on a business trip, but we can exchange a PM or two and set up a time to talk when it's convenient for you. Anything that I can do to assist, I will do. :biggrin:
Peter, it's not the getting out, it's the "getting on the airplane". You were trying to board a plane in what is arguably the safest airport in the world (thanks to their profiling).
I had to get on a plane to get there too and aside from having to walk past armed police at Heathrow it was essentially like any other check in except 1 hour longer ( yes, while they did some behind the scenes checks ). The point was, there was no significant difference between check in and immigration as experienced at any other country. Getting out again however ...
At the time this 'profiling' must have just meant 'everybody'. Heh! If their profiling had selected me then it couldn't have been very good. Seriously!
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). A combo like the 12-24mm and the 24-120mm would suffice well for most city shooting.
