For many Westerners, Armenia is an exotic and unknown place. Photography gives you an opportunity to put a face on this land, and to make Armenia real for friends and family who might otherwise never see it.

If you’re a true traveler, then everything you see will grab your attention, because everything here is nothing like it is back home. And when your awareness is heightened in this way, you will be poised to make some great images. Here are some suggestions that will help you to make the best of your travel photos.


Subject Matter
Armenia and Karabagh offer wonderful opportunities for portrait photography. Most people in the villages and towns will be thrilled to pose for a photo. In Yerevan, which has a population of about one million, the people tend to get less excited. Still, we’ve always found that a direct approach yields great results. Don’t be sneaky. If you want to take someone’s picture, ask for permission.

Almost everyone that we have ever asked has been flattered and has gotten a great kick out of trying to figure out why a couple of Americans would want to take a picture of a total stranger! We’ve met some wonderful people this way, and made some good photographs, too.

We are often asked for a copy of the photograph, but mail delivery to Armenia is notoriously poor, and it isn’t always possible for many of our subjects to receive digital images by E-mail, so we’ve had to improvise: we carry a Polaroid Æ camera and we give them their gift right on the spot.

There are generally no signs, but everyone knows that photography is prohibited in the subway, at military installations, and outdoors at the airport. If you are apprehended, your film will probably be confiscated. But these places are uninteresting, anyway, and cannot compete with the subjects that are available in the villages and on the farms.

If you are interested in photographing Armenia’s ancient churches, take a look at the photographs in our books about Armenia for ideas about places to visit, and for techniques you might find interesting. Don’t just take a snapshot. Really see what it is you are looking at in the viewfinder. If the image doesn’t look good in the eyepiece, it won’t look good when you get your prints back, either.


Technique
When taking portraits, focus on the eyes, and avoid harsh and direct sunlight so that you won’t end up with a portrait of someone squinting. Pay attention to the background, too. If there’s a piece of trash at the person’s foot, move it out of the photo. For a more flattering portrait, use a lens with a focal length of between 80-110mm.

For the best portraiture, you will need to overcome any shyness you may have about photographing strangers. Talk to your subjects, gain their confidence, put them at ease, and your imagery will be improved. You absolutely cannot make a good portrait by hiding behind a tree and using a telephoto lens.

For landscapes, you must use a tripod to get images with great clarity. This is because landscapes usually look best when the entire picture is in focus. In order to get the large depth of field that makes this possible, you have to close the aperture of the lens as much as possible.

When you do this, you have to slow down the shutter speed, in order to get a correct exposure. And the only way to keep a camera absolutely still during a long exposure is by mounting it on a tripod. For the greatest visual interest, include a focal point in the foreground, as well as in the background. This is particularly important if you are using a wide-angle lens, which may include a great percentage of foreground.


Composition
It is not necessary for everything in your photograph to be perfectly symmetrical. A person’s face does not need to be dead center in the image (In fact, it is typically recommended not to be). Raise the face higher, and the image will be more pleasing to view.

When photographing landscapes, don’t try to include equal portions of sky and land. Instead, try framing the image so that only one third is occupied by sky. Or, if the skyscape is dramatic, try devoting only one third of the frame to the land. This is not a firm rule, but the composition will often be more dynamic if you arrange the frame in thirds.


Lighting
Lighting is an essential part of great photographs. In early morning, and just before sunset, the low position of the sun in the sky renders softer and richer colors. The intensity of the mid-day sun on a clear day will produce a white light. Open your eyes and really pay attention to your surroundings. Dramatic color changes occur throughout the day, and many of us don’t even notice. Visit Armenia and Karabagh with your eyes wide open.


WHAT TO BRING
Film
For the past few years, we have been shooting almost exclusively digital. We carry extra digital flash cards so that we can just swap cards in the field without stopping to upload to a computer. Uploading to the computer is done at the end of the day.However, if you are shooting with film, it is best to bring it from home, just to be certain of having the quality, speed, and brand that you want. If you run out while traveling, you’ll be able to find plenty of color print film for sale in Yerevan. Outside of Yerevan, and throughout Karabagh, film of any kind can be difficult to find. If you purchase film in Armenia, check expiration dates first, and always avoid the vendors at the outdoor markets. Their film is usually exposed to the heat and the sun, both of which will harm color reproduction.

If you prefer to shoot black-and-white or color slide film, then you should bring this film with you from home. There are a handful of stores that sell these types of film, but their supplies are limited. There are several photo shops located in Yerevan on Mesrop Mashtots Ave., and dozens more throughout the city.


Batteries
Special camera batteries are sometimes difficult to find, so bring extras with you. Size AA batteries, imported from Russia, are widely available, but their quality is suspect. Western brands such as Duracell and Eveready are available in Yerevan, but are difficult to locate outside the city. Batteries drain quickly in cold weather, sometimes after shooting only two rolls of film, so plan accordingly for winter visits and bring more than you think you will need.If you are shooting with a digital camera, then be certain to carry extra rechargeable batteries and check to be sure that your battery charger will work with Armenia’s 220V electric current and that you have an adaptor for Armenia’s Continental European-style electrical plugs.


Cameras and Accessories
If your camera breaks, you probably won’t be able to get it repaired until you return home. So make sure everything is operating properly well before your trip. If you have two cameras, consider bringing them both. There’s no limit on the number of cameras you can bring through customs, as long as they are for your own personal use, and are not intended for resale.

Bring an electronic flash, if you do not have one built into your camera. Outdoors, a flash can be used to fill in the shadows that might otherwise appear on a person’s face, and to give a balanced look to a photograph that has a strong foreground, as well as a background that you want to emphasize. One example: a portrait of a person standing with Mt. Ararat in the background will often have a better exposure if you use a fill flash for the subject’s face, even in daylight, and especially if the mountain is covered with snow.

Unless you are a professional, try to limit the variety of lenses you bring. No one wants to lug around several pounds of camera gear while sight-seeing. You can lighten your load by carrying a zoom lens that allows modest wide-angle and telephoto views. An ideal choice is the 35mm-85mm lens that many manufacturers offer. If you bring a longer telephoto lens, of 200mm or more, or if you want to be able to get tack-sharp images even in low light, then you need a tripod. Bring one that is light and small enough so that you will actually want to take it out with you.


Filters and Cleaners
Yerevan and much of Armenia can get dry and dusty in the summer, making it difficult for you to keep your equipment clean. Bring a camel hair brush and air bulb to remove dust. Lens-cleaning fluid and lens tissue are also essential. Keep a UV or Skylight filter on your lens to protect the lens surface from fingerprints, dirt, and permanent damage. Polarizers will help to reduce reflections and glare, such as the glare of the sun on a lake. A polarizer will also deepen the color of the sky so that it appears more natural in your image.


HOW TO STORE FILM
Travelers need to give extra thought to safe film storage and handling. Before you leave home, remove the cans of film from its packaging, boxes and plastic containers. Place all of your film in a clear ZiplocÆ bag. The film is easier to carry around this way, and when you’re ready to use a roll, you won’t have to fumble with all that packaging.

Bring an extra bag and use it for the film that you have exposed, so that you can keep those rolls separated from the unused film. Store the exposed film someplace cool and dark, until you can get it home for processing. A refrigerator is fine, as long as condensation doesn’t form on the film canisters. We use a black permanent pen to identify the film canisters by date, place or event.

If you shoot a mix of print and slide film, you’ll be able to hand out prints to your friends, and also make a slide presentation on, for example, historic churches. If you have never used color slide film before, then experiment with a roll or two before your trip. You may find that it’s more difficult to get a perfect exposure with slide film. Print film offers more latitude for exposure errors than slide film.

When you’re touring, you’ll want to bring extra film with you. Be careful not to leave the film in a hot car, or in direct sun, while you are out seeing the sights. A black camera bag can heat up quickly, as well, so use caution with the film you pack there. Exposure to heat and sun can ruin film.

AIRPORT HAZARDS
X-rays can ruin film, too. Absolutely never pack any film in the luggage that you check. Many airports use scanners that are so powerful they can penetrate lead bags. Don’t mail the film home, either, for the same reason. All of your film should be in your carry-on luggage when you travel by air. Always ask for a hand inspection of your film. If it’s all in a clear ZiplocÆ bag, and all the packaging has been removed, then you have made it easier for the airport personnel to agree to the hand inspection.

There are signs at airports everywhere that insist that the x-ray scanners that are used at the passenger gates will not harm film. Don’t believe it. High-speed films with ISO ratings of 800 or higher can be damaged, and just about any film will be damaged if it passes through the machine several times—something that will be likely to occur if you are on a long trip.

Test results show that photographs will appear foggy, or have waves running across them, when film is passed through the security scanner repeatedly. If you cannot get a hand inspection, then place your film in a lead-lined film bag. These bags are designed for traveling with film, and you can purchase one at a camera shop. This lead won’t stop the x-rays that are used for checked luggage, but it will protect film from the low-dose x-rays at the passenger gate.

Taking Great Photos in Armenia and Karabagh, Reprinted from the book Edge of Time: Traveling in Armenia & Karabagh, by Matthew Karanian and Robert Kurkjian. For examples of great travel photography in Armenia and Karabagh, see the newly-released 2006 edition of The Stone Garden Guide: Armenia and Karabagh.