Ethiopia is a country unlike any other in Africa. It’s a country that offers a wide variety of photographic gems, and one that doesn’t experience the mass tourism that is found in many other African countries.  As a photographer, you can expect plenty of inspiring scenery; dramatic mountains, a varied landscape that is the home to numerous endemic mammals and birds; Moreover, the country’s colorful cultures and soulful people make for inspiring photographic subjects.

1. THE OMO VALLEY TRIBES

Ethiopia is a melting pot of different cultures, with over 80 ethnic groups and languages spoken. After a look at the different traditions, you will hardly feel like you have visited just one country. Some of the world’s oldest human remains were found in this region, and today the Omo Valley continues to provide a glimpse into ancient ways of life. The main reason that the Omo Valley is like nowhere else on earth is due to the multiplicity and strength of the indigenous cultures that exist here.

More than a dozen tribes live along the banks of the Omo River. All with different customs, rites, rituals and clothes. Lip plates, scarification and face paint are just a few of their body adornments.  One is bound to find interesting new compositions while exploring this area. Learning from the people you are photographing, interacting and engaging with them, sharing your stories while listening to theirs.

2. LALIBELA- THE AFRICAN JERUSALEM

Lalibela is history and mystery frozen in stone. In the 12th century, King Lalibela was a member of the Zagwe dynasty, which had seized the Ethiopian throne around 1000 AD. When his rivals began to increase in power, Lalibela sought the support of the powerful Ethiopian Orthodox Church by building the churches in this small town. In 1978, the churches of Lalibela were designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The churches in the town are still an active place of pilgrimage and worship for the Ethiopian Christian Orthodox faith.

For your photography workshop, it is useful to know that in some of the churches, flash is not allowed, therefore using high ISO settings is preferred. In need to illuminate a subject, make use of a torch and ask the priest if it is okay to shine it on an item. Every sanctuary is unique in its own way, but the best known is the Church of St. George, which shapes a Greek Orthodox cross and is the most iconic place to catch the sunset with your camera lenses.

Every day there is service in all churches. Lalibela is a place where worshippers’ faith brings life to the ancient walls in the most profound manner. But we recommend for portrait photography to visit Lalibela during annual religious festivals such as Ethiopia Christmas on January 7, Timket on January 19, Sene Micheal on June 19, and Meskel festival on September 27.

3. DENAKIL DEPRESSION- THE HOTTEST PLACE ON EARTH

Denakil Depression is located in the Afar Region of northeast Ethiopia, near the border with Eritrea. The vastness of this land will be the first feature to capture you. It only receives 100 to 200mm of rainfall per year and it is also one of the lowest places on the planet, at 125m below sea level. But against all odds, people do live here; the Afar people call it their home.

Reaching this alien world requires time, but it’s worth the effort because the area holds invaluable treasures for the avid photographer. Seemingly Martian red hills, mysterious and photogenic landscapes, cracked rock formations and frozen black-lava flows serve as the main photography workshop attractions.

With more than 30 active and dormant volcanoes, this is one of the most unique geological regions on Earth. During your photo tour, you will come across the Erta Ale volcano, which hosts a permanent lava lake. Capturing this fiery cauldron, soaked in bright bubbling lava won’t be easy, but once you’ll find a comfortable position for the images requiring long exposure, the results will be priceless: a hellish lava look contrasted by a dark, starry sky.

In Denakil Depression you will find Dallol a unique, terrestrial hydrothermal system around a cinder core volcano.

4. SEMIEN MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK

The Semien Mountains National Park, and UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a rough and remote chain of mountains that stretches across northern Ethiopia. One of the few places in Africa that receives regular snowfall, this colossal plateau, characterized by rugged peaks, offers challenging but rewarding treks along its spine. Millions of years of erosion and lava outpourings have given birth to a surreal landscape, perfect for a photography workshop, with deep valleys and sharp precipices.

However, it’s not just the scenery that will impress; the park is of global significance for biodiversity conservation because it is home to globally threatened species, consisting of the rare Simien wolf, gelada baboons, the walia ibex and lammergeyer vultures.

5. BALE MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK

The Bale Mountains make for an extraordinary habitat. Divided into grasslands, woodlands, Afro-alpine meadowlands, the Erica moorlands, and Harenna forest, it is home variously to great welts of a juniper tree, wildflower (hagenia, for example) shrubs, and to the iconic Sanetti Plateau; an enormous area of lichen-covered rock, periodically punctuated by streams, lakes, and giant lobelia.

The Bale Mountains are home to 20 animals endemic to Ethiopia, of which 5 mammals are found only here – they include the Bale monkey and the giant mole-rat. Crucially, it is home to over half the remaining population of the Ethiopian wolf. Other species of mammal include the mountain Nyala, the Menelik’s bushbuck, spotted hyena, lion, leopard, and African wild dog – all in extremely low numbers. Overall, there is a high incidence of rodent species, several of which are keystone features of the food chain – which accounts not only for the presence of the Ethiopian wolf but also for the area’s large numbers of raptors. Indeed bird-wise, the area is extremely rich, with over 280 species thus far identified.

6. GONDAR – THE CAMELOT OF AFRICA

A constellation of grand castles, fortified palaces and massive ruins, reminiscent of medieval Europe, hides behind thick walls in Ethiopia’s north-western region. Gondar, the quintessence of Ethiopian civilization, wedged between rich natural resources, found its ideal location in the foothills of the Simian mountains at an altitude of 2,200 meters above sea level. Gondar served as the capital of Ethiopia for more than 200 hundreds years. Because of the focus on arts and architecture, it has been labelled the Camelot of Africa.

The royal compound, locally known as Fasil Ghebbi, built around the 1630s by Emperor Fasilides and which still stands tall today, is a cocktail of architectural skills. Shadows of a past culture dwell in this ancient area, and royal and religious roots intertwine.

Portrait photographers must go to during the Epiphany (Timket) festival. Timkat is the Ge’ez expression for the traditional celebration of Epiphany, commemorating the baptism of Jesus Christ in the hands of John the Baptist at River Jordan. Epiphany (Aster’eyo in Ge’ez) denotes the manifestation of the mystery of the Trinitarian God in which God the Father testified the sonship of Jesus, and the Holy Spirit revealed itself as a dove right at the Jordan River when Jesus was baptized. Timkat is also the religious practice that initiates a child to Christendom. Timkat celebration, held annually on the 19th of January, is primarily a function in the purview of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, a church possibly as old as Christianity itself.

7. Harar

Harar is by far the most significant Islamic community in Ethiopia, Known for its famous array of markets, the famous Hyena Men, ancient paintings, and artifacts spanning all cultures, it’s easy to get lost in the never-ending maze of the winding streets of Harar.

The old walled city is fascinating to walk around, with its series of winding alleyways, off which you will find some 83 mosques, both private and public. Indeed, given the size of the city, Harar has the largest concentration of mosques anywhere in the world. As always, strict protocol must be followed to enter these mosques, with many visitors choosing to admire from the outside as opposed to entering.

We highly recommend Harar as a street photographer. The city is famous for its stone walls and gate that are believed to have been constructed in the 16^th century. And women are wearing colorful dresses.