Baghdad Blues & Damp Cardigans: A Freelance Photographer's Mishap
okay, so. baghdad. i didn’t exactly plan on baghdad. the algorithm, you know? suggested it. said it was “up and coming” for street photography. i’m starting to think the algorithm needs a serious reality check.
I just checked and it's… persistently drizzly. Like, a damp hug from a very polite, slightly melancholic cloud. The kind of drizzle that soaks through your supposedly waterproof jacket and makes you question all your life choices. The temperature’s hovering around 13.6 Celsius, feels like 13.42. Pressure’s 1015, humidity’s a staggering 92%. Basically, bring a dehumidifier and a good book.
I’m a freelance photographer, right? So, naturally, I was chasing the light. Or, more accurately, avoiding the gloom. I’d heard whispers - overheard, really, from a guy nursing a cardamom coffee at a cafe near *Al-Mutanabbi Street - that the old book market was a goldmine for moody portraits. Apparently, the vendors have seen everything. He said, “They’ve got stories etched into their faces, habibi. Stories you can’t buy.” Drunk advice, probably, but I’m a sucker for a good story.
I spent a solid three hours wandering around, dodging puddles and trying to coax a smile out of a particularly grumpy bookseller. He just kept muttering about the price of paper and the decline of literacy. Charming. I did manage to snag a few decent shots, though. Mostly of pigeons and rain-slicked cobblestones. My gear list is looking a little sad right now:
*Sony a7III (still kicking, thankfully)
*Sigma 35mm f/1.4 Art (my baby, gotta protect her)
*Rain cover (utterly useless, apparently)
*Three extra batteries (thank goodness for those)
*A very damp notebook (for scribbling down fleeting thoughts and regrets)
Someone told me that the National Museum of Iraq is worth a visit, but it’s apparently a bureaucratic nightmare to get in. Apparently, you need a permit, a signed affidavit, and a blood sample. I didn’t have time for that. I’m on a tight schedule, trying to get this whole “Middle East adventure” documented before my editor starts breathing down my neck.
If you get bored, Karbala and Najaf are just a short drive away. I considered it, but the rain was really putting a damper on things. Plus, I’m pretty sure my car wouldn’t appreciate the roads. I did find a surprisingly decent falafel stand near Zawraa Park*. Highly recommend. Yelp reviews are scarce, but the guy making the falafel looked like he knew what he was doing. https://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=falafel&find_loc=Baghdad%2C+Iraq
I overheard a couple of guys arguing about football near a tea shop. One was screaming about Al-Shorta, the other was defending Al-Hilal. It was intense. I managed to capture a blurry photo of the whole scene. It’s… evocative, I guess?
“Don’t trust the taxis after dark. They’ll take you anywhere but where you want to go.” - A very serious-looking woman selling dates.
I’m trying to find some good local art galleries. I checked TripAdvisor, but the results were… limited. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g294209-Activities-Baghdad_Iraq.html Maybe I’ll just wander around and see what I stumble upon. That’s usually how it works for me, anyway.
Honestly, Baghdad is… complicated. It’s beautiful and broken, vibrant and weary. It’s not the Instagram-perfect paradise the algorithm promised, but it’s real. And sometimes, that’s more than enough. I’m also checking out some local forums to see if there are any hidden gems. https://www.iraq-businessnews.com/
Pro-tip: Learn a few basic Arabic phrases. It goes a long way. And invest in a really, really good umbrella.
You might also be interested in:
- https://topiclo.com/post/relocating-to-tongjin-a-stepbystep-expat-checklist
- https://topiclo.com/post/ubungo-more-than-just-a-bus-terminal-probably
- https://topiclo.com/post/the-real-cost-of-utilities-and-bills-in-bangui-2
- https://topiclo.com/post/lisbon-lost-in-translation-a-travelers-musings
- https://topiclo.com/post/tolyatti-housing-renting-vs-buying-like-a-broke-musician