Uzbekistan Architecture

[John Eaton]

Anyone know of any organized photo tours/workshops to the cities on the Silk Road in Uzbekistan -- Bukhara, Samarkand, etc. -- especially focussing on architecture, both interiors and exteriors.  Looking for someone with local knowledge able to provide transport and access to interesting historic buildings.  Any suggestions/advice warmly welcomed --thank you

[Jimbojack]

I don't know of any organized photo tours in Uzbekistan, but you don't need to go on a tour.
The country is very easy to get around, there is a very nice train that will take you from Tashkent to Samarkand and Bukhara.
Make sure you go to Khiva, it's a wonderful city. If you have the time I'd recommend going to Nukus for their amazing art museum and maybe the Aral Sea

If there is a particular old building which you want to see that is not open to the public, ask around. Most likely there will be a caretaker in the area, someone local should be able to find him.

I'll be going back to Uzbekistan (and Central Asia in general) sometime soon to work on my Silk Road project, let me know if you have any questions

Here are some photos from my 2010 trip (with a focus on architecture, since that's your interest)

[langier]

Nice photos!

[John Eaton]

Thanks for the advice -- and the great photos! 

[markadams99]

This outfit was satisfactory 3 years ago - 4 of us were picked up at Tashkent airport after a direct flight from London and driven straight off in a minibus to Bukhara, Samarkand, Khiva and a flight back for a day and night in Tashkent. Saw plenty in a single week, most efficient.

http://thelightcavalry.zenfolio.com/uzbekistan/slideshow

[John Eaton]

Mark,

Thanks for the link -- looks good.   Was the tour they gave specifically targeted to photography, or were you just on a general tour (as on their website)?  How flexible/knowledgable were they around photography related issues (time of day, access to buildings, etc)?

many thanks for your help,
John 

[markadams99]

It was a general tour, but tailored for us. At each city we had a local guide arranged by the tour company. Access was never a problem. Assuming that you arrive jet-lagged in the morning, it makes sense to be driven straight out of Tashkent to Samarkand and doze in the minivan. I'd stress hi iso (640-1000) performance and a fast lense. In my case a Sigma 50mm f1.4 on a full frame worked well for the whole trip.

[wolfnowl]

Thanks for sharing your work, 'Jack'!  And this being your first post, welcome to the list!

Mike.