Street Photography in Jerusalem

Damascus Gate is the grand northern entrance to the Old City and its busiest. Photographer Kreslavsky notes it is busy all day, especially on Fridays and Saturdays. Crowds stream in and out across the stepped plaza outside the gate. Stand on the steps and shoot down at the flow. This is also a flashpoint: police and border police are always present, and it has seen violent incidents. Don't photograph security forces up close, and leave if tension rises.

The Muslim Quarter has the most market life in the Old City, walker says, along a maze of covered lanes. Porters push carts past pilgrims following the Via Dolorosa. Light falls in shafts through gaps in the vaulted roofs, which is your best tool: wait for a face to enter a beam. Mornings are calmer. Many shopkeepers will wave you in to sell something; a friendly no is fine. Ask before photographing women.

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre draws pilgrims all day. Walker advises exploring the inside with your camera, where candlelight on the faces of pilgrims makes strong scenes. His favourite is next door: a doorway in the corner of the courtyard leads to the Ethiopian church and up to the rooftop monastery, where Ethiopian monks and residents live. Keep your shutter quiet and flash off, and never block people who are praying. Some chapels ask for no photos.

The Western Wall Plaza is an open prayer space in front of the Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray. On weekdays you can photograph worshippers, and on Monday and Thursday mornings families bring boys for their bar mitzvahs. The Wall's administrators do not allow photography on Shabbat and Jewish holidays. Men and women pray in separate sections. Stay back from people praying and shoot wider. Access to the Temple Mount above, called Haram al-Sharif by Muslims, is limited for non-Muslims and can close at short notice.

Mea Shearim was founded in 1874 as one of the first neighbourhoods outside the Old City walls, and today it is home to an ultra-Orthodox, mostly Hasidic population. Hidden Insite describes men dressed as in 19th century Eastern Europe, and wall posters in English rejecting Zionism. Walker found no pushback on weekdays, and was even asked if he was getting good photos. Dress modestly, especially women. Never shoot on Shabbat, and avoid close portraits of women and children.

Mahane Yehuda is Jerusalem's main market. Teacher Ouria Tadmor told Hidden Insite that Thursday afternoon, as the city gets ready for Shabbat, is the best time for street photography, when every Jewish culture mixes in one bakery. Kreslavsky adds that at night the eateries and bars turn it into a party, especially on Thursdays. Tadmor's lesson: set your exposure and zone focus at f/8, then wait for moments. The aisles are packed, so shoot from stall corners.

Nahlaot is a warren of small lanes and courtyards across from Mahane Yehuda. Kreslavsky calls it picturesque at sunset, and particularly photogenic during Hanukkah, when residents light candles in their windows and doorways each evening. Its stone walls and doorways make natural frames. It is residential, so keep your voice down and never shoot into homes. Some parts are religious; follow the same Shabbat rules as elsewhere. Late afternoon light warms the stone, and the lanes are quiet enough to wait for a single figure.

Jaffa Road is the city's main street, with the light rail running down it. Tadmor likes shooting at the intersection of neighbourhoods, where different types of people meet. His advice is to pick a strong frame, like a crosswalk or the light rail platform, and let a story walk into it. Davidka Square, near the market, is a good corner for that. Kreslavsky notes street performers along the pedestrian stretch. Watch the trams when you step back for a wider frame.