ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 1996 by Richard L. Ney This tour guide is prepared for personal information-use only. Absolutely no part of this tour guide, its complete form, or the information contained within it may be reprinted, copied or otherwise duplicated for the purposes of resale or commercial gain. Any duplication or copying of this guide, any part thereof, and the information contained must receive the express permission of the author.

"Can I Take a Picture?"
Officially, military stations, soldiers on duty, and the border or forbidden subjects, but if you get permission first, you may be allowed (we were allowed to photograph a group of soldiers at the Iranian border at Meghri, and managed to talk a Russian border guard by Giumri to take photos of the neutral zone).

Flash photos should not be taken in churches when religious services are occurring, at indoor classical concerts and theatrical/dance performances (though locals are notorious for breaking this rule, they are less forgiving of foreigners doing the same thing), nor in museums (the flash always ruins the picture anyway, since many things are behind glass).

Also be careful of photographing in a way that would be embarrassing to the subject. Armenians are picture crazy, and it is not difficult to get permission, especially if you ask first. Older citizens are more wary (Stalinist memories make them uncomfortable, and taking pictures on the sly always unnerves them), and sensitive subjects need to be treated with respect. To ask permission, say, "tuil k’tak n’karem?"("too-eel k’TAHK n’kahr-ehm"). If you bring a Polaroid instant camera, taking a group photograph of new friends on outings, or a host’s family is a very nice gift, and giving prints to subjects can persuade a reluctant subject.

Common Problems
Dust and Heat The Ararat Valley is very dusty in the summertime, so be sure to keep the lens and camera covered or packed in a good carrier between shooting. Film changes color in intense heat, so protect your camera from exposure. Bring lens cleaner and lint-free cloth with you for cleaning, as this is not available on the local market.

So Damp It Sweats In the mountains in Spring and early summer, plus everywhere where it is very cold, the camera (just like your glasses) can sweat from being moved from cold temperatures to warm. To keep this from corroding the mechanism and ruining your film, get it into your vinyl-lined camera case or a plastic bag before going indoors.

Bumps and Grinds Bring a well-insulated camera case to protect the camera from the normal bumps while walking through crowds (and Armenians love to form crowds), and while hiking. Check that your lens mounts are strong. We have one beautiful Tamron lens that uses plastic for the mount, and always cracks. Mechanical repair (and especially lens mounts) are not easy to find in Armenia, and usually require several weeks to get replacement parts.

Cold Keep the camera close to your body in extreme cold, as the camera mechanism and film can get brittle and break on you when you auto rewind or advance. Batteries can stop functioning in extreme cold, so having some extra ones "warming up" by your body may be necessary.

Film and Batteries Bring extra batteries, as they are not always available for your model in Armenia. Beyond 100, 200 and 400 Speed 35 mm Ektachrome film, you will want to bring your own. There are many Kodak and Fuji Film 1 hour photo shops in Yerevan, but there are virtually none in the regions. 8 mm and VHS (Pal-Secam color system) video cassettes are available at yarmakas (bazaars) and some photo shops. Bring your own slide film, B&W film, and any other special film you will need.

Shooting Tips
In intense sunlight, underexpose about one-half to one stop. With complete frames of snow, over-expose about one-half to one stop. For pictures from dark interiors to the outside (inside churches or temples, for example), set the exposure outside first, and then go inside to shoot. Flash photos of carvings on dark interiors are best made by having someone direct the flash down or above the focal point, so you avoid glare or a complete wash-out of the image. So many interesting shots are interior ones, you may want to bring a tripod for long exposures. The same is true for night shots of the stars in the regions--the night sky is spectacular in the mountains and the Southern stretches of the country.

Developing Film
If you are very particular about developing, save the film for when you get back home. Decent processing can be done in Armenia at 1 hour shops (about the same quality as in the West), but you should look at the samples they have in the store (or over someone’s shoulders as they flip through their pictures) first. Black and White film and Slide processing is only available at photographic studios, which do not have the newest equipment.

There are some very interesting photo-tinting shops in Yerevan and Vanadzor, if you are 1930’s inclined with your pictures. One in Yerevan is on Abovian Street, one in Vanadzor by the square. They advertise their wares with tinted photos in the shop windows.