Five capital cities to explore and enjoy

October 11, 2020November 26, 2020 / mikeosbornphoto / 6 Comments

Your first port of call in a new country is often the capital city. It’s the national hub, showpiece and population centre. It’s easy to pick world class cities such as London, Paris and Berlin. But I’m sharing five less obvious choices to add to your travel goals. As always, please share your favourite capitals!

HAVANA, CUBA

An exciting yet languid capital city showcasing decades of Fidel Castro’s communism in a tropical Caribbean climate. Havana is less about stately edifices but the shabby chic pastels of its elegantly crumbling buildings. A photographer’s wet dream. TAP/CLICK IMAGE FOR MORE OF CUBA

You must: Stroll around the back streets and take it all in.

Elegant crumbling Havana street corner, Cuba

Havana’s battered look is its greatest asset

REYKJAVIK, ICELAND

The world’s most northerly capital city is a place of compact size and immense cool, with some unexpectedly dazzling architecture. It’s also a city where the magnificent Icelandic landscape is never far away. TAP/CLICK IMAGE FOR MORE

You must: Take a trip up to the Perla Dome for some wonderful views.

Reykyavik: Small but beautifully formed

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

This Arabian Gulf capital seems to sit in the shadow of its more famous, glitzy neighbour Dubai. But it feels more like a real, working city with all the benefits – a very pleasant seaside corniche, some modern high rises – and warm winter sunshine. TAP/CLICK IMAGE FOR MORE

You must: See the spectacular Sheikh Zayed Mosque. Go at sunset and after dark.

Skyline of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

The UAE capital has an ultra-modern skyline

TBILISI, GEORGIA

This undulating Caucasian capital sits in a spectacular spot and has an array of architecture and attractions. What I liked about it most was its energetic vibe and nighttime liveliness. TAP/CLICK IMAGE FOR MORE OF GEORGIA

You must: Ride the Soviet era metro and take the cable car for sunset views

Mother Georgia has a great view of Tbilisi

TOKYO, JAPAN

This five of the best is the largest capital city. Tokyo prefecture is home to a staggering 38 million people. If you’re visiting Japan for the first time, it’s a baptism of fire with its complex transport system, unfamiliar cultural norms and frenetic vibe. Just go with the flow and you’ll come to love it. Even I managed not to get lost. TAP/CLICK IMAGE FOR MORE OF URBAN JAPAN

You must: Visit bewildering Shibuya and walk in the other direction – you’ll hear birds sing.

Shibuya is an intensely urbanised area of Tokyo

Cuban candids

December 16, 2018April 16, 2024 / mikeosbornphoto / 20 Comments

I’m a reluctant portrait and street photographer. But a recent trip to the revolutionary island of Cuba pushed me into unusual territory.

This Caribbean land mass has a large and engaging population. The warm climate means that life often takes place outdoors. People gather in city squares and on street corners, meaning it’s relatively easy to capture images.

My tips for remaining undetected are a good zoom lens and an ability to pretend that you’re taking a photograph of something else. As you can see with some of these images, that didn’t always work.

But if this gives just a hint of the Cuban people’s essence, it was worth the effort.

Click first image to see the gallery

Cuba Libre!

November 30, 2018April 16, 2024 / mikeosbornphoto / 14 Comments

Welcome to the biggest island in the Caribbean which boasts 11 million inhabitants.

Cuba still sits in the shadow of its socialist revolution led by Fidel Castro and Che Guevara almost 60 years ago, with slogans and monuments everywhere.

It’s a country with two currencies, monthly rations and quaintly limited internet access.

But most photographers flock here for the vibrant colour palette, faded architecture and vintage cars crawling the streets. Havana and other urban centres had this in spades. Delicious and irresistible!