Taking photos around Brazil:

The following are tips on sites, places, areas of interest that make great opportunities for photography round Brazil (in order of the towns I visited). Of course in the end you should not force a photograph, let it find you.

Quick links -

Manaus

Natal

Salvador (inc Morro de Sao Paulo)

Porto Seguro (inc Arrial D'ajuda)

Rio de Janeiro

Foz do Iguacu

Sao Paulo



Manaus (Amazon):

Manaus itself is not a particualrly beautiful place for photography but for me acted as more of a gateway to the Amazon jungle. My recommendation would be to shop around for a tour and try and go as far a field as possible ... i.e. away from the other toursits.

I spent three nights in the Amazon and had a great experience. It's tricky for me to offer any information on photography opportunities as on each and every turn there's always something different. However if you have the patience (weather permitting) try and capture the pink dolphins jumping for pirhana.

The Amazon river was also suprisingly flat and smooth (I was based on a tributary) which resulted in some great reflection shots. Example of a Amazon river photo.


Natal:

Natal is a fun town on the North East coast of Brazil. To be brutally honest there are not many photo opportunities and to me it acted as stop off (to break up a very long bus journey). However I did have great fun riding on a beach buggy up some of the biggest sand dunes you can imagine.


Salvador:

Salvador is an melting pot of cultures and one where I would advise caution (see blog). The city itself is huge (third biggest in Brazil) and split into different areas Itapagipe, Pelourinho and Barra, each of which have a different feel to them.

The first area Itapagipe peninsula has some colossal churches which make for fantastic photographic backdrops. The Pelourinho area oozes character and there are great photo opportunities to take shots of run down old buildings. You get some great views from Largo do Pelourinho (where slaves were auctioned). Barra is an old shipping area where you are able to photograph some great dock/ industry scenes against beautiful sunsets.

From Salvador I would strongly advise getting a boat to the amazing island of Morro de Sao Paulo. This island is a picture of paradise and you can get some great shots of idyllic coast lines lapped by sapphire blue waves. You can get some great photos of sunsets from the old fort.


Porto Seguro:

Porto Seguro is a beautiful coastal town where you can achieve some fantastic coastline photography. If you have the time and energy then climb up the path to Cidade Historica where you will be rewarded with unrivalled shots of the glorious landscape.

Arrial d'ajuda is also a very pretty beach town but in some ways more chilled out. Take strolls down the beach for those idyllic beach photography photos.

Rio de Janeiro:

Unfortunately I mislaid my Rio negatives and thus am unable to provide you with any photos of Rio de Janeiro however Rio offers up a bit of all that is good in Brazil ... from jungle shots, to shanty towns, from top class promenades to incredible attractions. If there is one place where you can spend endless hours taking photos its Rio de Janeiro.

Similar to Salvador, Rio can be split into various different areas.

Beaches:
Ipanema/ Copacabana - if you are after some great beach photography then head to Ipanema beach. The youth of Rio relax here soaking up the sun and playing beach sports. Copacabana is not as idyllic as Ipanema but very, very long with some a great back drop of buildings lining the sand.

Santa Theresa - this area is still very traditional in its feel and gives you an idea on what Rio would have been like so many decades ago. As its on a hill you are able to take some great photos of the city. Another way to get spectacular views is by going to a favella ... not on your own but with a tour!! Although this real estate is the poorest around it offers up killer views of Rio.

Pao de Acucar - this is a must if you are after a shot of Rio as a whole. Sunset is the best time to capture Rio in its glory. I can also recommend venturing up to Corcovado where you'll be greeted by a HUGE statue of Christ. Unfortunately I was not able to take many photos from there due to the fact I was surrounded by clouds ... hopefully you'll be more lucky.

If you haven't seen enough churches by the time you get to Rio then head towards thr Catelo/ Cinelandia districts where you'll be able to photograph the Convento de Santo Antonio or Catedral Metroplitana. Rio's park or tropical rainforest is also worth a visit if you want to escape the hustle and bustle of Rio life.


Foz do Iguacu:

I ventured over to Foz do Iguacu thinking there would be a handful of interesting waterfalls to stare at; boy was I wrong! There are infact over 275 different waterfalls surrounded by lush jungle and clouds of spray.

Firstly, be careful with the camera equipment ... it is very wet! I used my SLR when taking shots above the waterfall however when I got to ground level I went for a disposable. It's just not worth taking the risk.

A good tip would be to try and leave early to Foz do Iguacu so you have some waterfall shots without any human presence in them. I would also recommend checking out Foz do Iguacu from both the Brazilian and Argentinian side (via Argentina you get some closer photography shots); however don't forget to bring your passport.

Sao Paulo:

I did not spend too much time travelling around Sao Paulo however the first thing you'll notice is how VAST the city is (allegedly the third biggest city in the world). Again like Salvador and Rio I would advise caution when taking photos around Sao Paulo ... shiny camera equipment would not doubt attract the wrong sort of attention.

Head to the old center to get some photos of what Sao Paulo is all about. The Teatro Municipal is certainly worth a visit to as well as the Edificio Italia (over 40 storeys high).