Around the World in Analogue

This album is very special to me because it holds part of my heritage.  Egypt is where my late father was born and it also happens to be my favorite country to visit.  It's filled with life and history.  I'm always super excited to return there with a different camera and new kinds of film. 

I have visited many parts of the country and all of those places are worth visiting.  But Cairo is a favorite of mine because it's a city that's alive in the real sense.  It never sleeps.  You can feel the city pulse in your veins.  When I want to get away from the dust and noise, I visit Aswan in Upper Egypt.  Aswan is absolutely precious for it's wonderful people and natural beauty.  When I visit Aswan, I find myself photographing nature and wildlife more than the ancient sites.

But my absolute favorite places in Egypt are not located in any city or even along the Nile!  They are places that we never though humans or animals would survive: the Valley of the Whales and Siwa Oasis. 

I visited the Valley of the Whales in 2019 and it took my breath away.  I never imagined I could walk right up to actual dinosaur remains in the desert.  And not just animals but plants too!  The prehistoric mangrove trees look like they came from a science fiction movie set.  I felt like I was walking on Tatooine or Dune as I went from one dinosaur and crazy huge tree stump to the next.  It was a really good decision that the park administrators along with paleontologists agreed that the dinosaur bones should remain in place so that visitors could see them untouched. 

My second favorite place is Siwa Oasis.  It's Egypt's version of Death Valley and it's ecology is very beautiful and very fragile.  You must take great care when visiting it's many lakes, salt-water pools and hot springs.  And if you stay overnight  I highly recommend a reputable ecolodge constructed from local salt block masonry. It's how the Siwi people build their own homes. It's an amazing experience to stay overnight in one. 

[Buying and processing film] Unfortunately, Egypt's many photo labs and film retail stores of the past did not stand the test of time like the Pyramids.  Film photographers visiting Egypt should not expect to buy or process film in the country.  [Security and film] Security is also very important in the country but the average screener doesn't know what film is.  I've literally had moments where the screener thought someone was playing a joke on him when I handed him my bag of film and asked for a hand check.  Reluctantly he inspected the bag and never opened a film cartridge.  I would be prepared at the airport to open your camera if asked.  Finally, I don't recommend taking a lot of camera gear.  Take the simplest camera that doesn't get in your way of enjoying the place and your time there.