annaba photo dump: humidity, history, and a weird number 1012600001
i landed in annaba with my camera half-wrapped in a plastic bag because i'd heard rumors of sudden downpours, but mostly it's just this weird, sticky humidity that clings to your skin like a second layer. the moment i stepped out of the taxi, the air hit me like a warm blanket-14.4°C with 82% humidity, according to my weather app. feels-like was 14.03, so basically the same but with an extra side of clamminess. the barometer read 1000 mb, which i guess is 'steady'? whatever. ground level pressure was 993, making my ears pop on the *cobblestone streets. i just checked and it's exactly that mess, hope you like that kind of thing.
the harbor was my first stop. fishermen were hauling in nets that looked heavier than my entire backpack. i tried to capture the glint of the sea on their faces, but the light was all wrong-flat, overcast, the kind that makes everything look like a washed-out instagram filter. i crouched behind a stack of crates, my lens fogging up from the humidity. a kid on a bike zoomed past, yelling something about a minaret that 'looks like a giant pencil.' i laughed, got a candid shot, and it ended up being the best frame of the day.
i wandered into the market (souq) where spices stacked in pyramids smelled like a perfume explosion. i was told by a café owner to try the mint tea, but someone else whispered-'skip the tea, go for the coffee; it's roasted with cardamom and will wake the dead.' i opted for both, obviously. the light in the market was a dream for portraits: soft, diffused, with shafts of gray light cutting through the fabric awnings. i shot wide open at f/1.8, which is risky with the humidity-my sensor gets condensation like crazy, but the risk paid off.
someone told me that the best falafel stall is hidden behind the old port, but a local warned me about the guy who sells 'authentic' carpets that are actually from a factory in china. i didn't buy a carpet, but i did get a flyer with a phone number: 1012600001. i called it later-just a fax machine tone, weird. maybe it's a code for a secret photo club? or maybe it's just a misprint. either way, it added to the mystery.
if you're itching for a change of scene, the med coast of tunisia is a short ferry ride away, or you can drive east to skikda for a beach day. even the desert town of biskra isn't too far, and that's a whole different vibe. i'd recommend renting a scooter and just following the coastline; the salt air might dry out your gear a bit.
Check out the rave reviews on TripAdvisor for that falafel spot, or see yelpers' take on the café. there's also a local forum-Annaba Insiders-where they debate the best light for sunset shots. i spent a good hour scrolling through those threads, and it helped me plan my evening hunt.
as a freelancer, i travel light: one body, two primes (35 and 50), a small flash, and a roll of gaffer tape (never leave home without it). gaffer tape fixes everything from loose straps to broken zippers, and it even saved my lens hood when it snapped off in a gust of wind near the coast. i also packed a microfiber cloth-essential when the air is 82% wet. i learned the hard way: wiping a foggy lens just smears the moisture; better to let it acclimate.
my hotel room key was 2506999-i feel like i was staying in a secret government facility. the room had a view of the mosque whose minaret pierced the grey sky. i spent an hour just watching the pigeons circle it, waiting for the perfect silhouette. i set my camera on the windowsill, used a slow shutter, and caught a pigeon mid‑flap with the minaret in the background. that shot is now my pride.
after sunset, the city transforms. the streets glow with neon, and that multicultural building near the square turns into a laser show. i set my camera on a tripod, slowed the shutter, and captured light trails that looked like scribbles from a drunk god. that shot is now my phone wallpaper.
the next morning, i found this tiny garden behind a bakery, where they water plants at dawn. the droplets on leaves were like tiny lenses-i snapped a macro and the details made me forget the humidity. i used my 100mm macro, handheld, at f/2.8. the water droplets acted as natural magnifiers, turning the leaf veins into abstract landscapes. i posted that on my instagram and got more likes than any of my sunset shots. sometimes the small stuff wins.
i left annaba with a memory card full of imperfect, moody images, a lingering scent of spices, and the constant hum of that weird number 1012600001 echoing in my head. maybe i'll return when the weather is warmer and the humidity less oppressive. or maybe i'll just project my photos onto the walls of my apartment and pretend i'm back there. either way, annaba-you were a messy, beautiful story* i'm still developing.
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