ethanz said:
Thanks. Most of those sites we will be seeing during the day with the tour group already. I have no control over the timing. The only freedom I'll have is where to go at night. Would you recommend the Mount of Olives at sunset? Is it safe to walk that far out of the city by myself at night, a white American with a big camera?
Also, what is the typical attitude towards tripods in Israel? Do the places usually frown upon you having a tripod or not?
Sunset will be in front of you, putting the Temple Mount in silhouette, from a Mount of Olives vantage point. And it won't be a good silhouette, to be frank. After sunset, absolutely do the Mount of Olives. I was always surprised how I was the only photog there; it's the best place to photograph from, it's safe, quiet, etc. But I guess Western tourists (and tour operators?) are scared of anything east of Old City.
I've studied, traveled, and lived in the Middle East, and so my perspective is going to be different, but I've never felt the slightest bit unsafe in any Palestinian areas (and the only locals that can't tell I'm American think I'm German). The road that winds up the hillside to the top of the Mount of Olives runs past a couple monasteries/nunneries, the Russian Orthodox church (you can get great shots of it from the Garden of Gethsemane, which is on the way up to the Mount of Olives), and the Jewish cemetery I mentioned, and after dark all that stuff is locked up tight and you won't see a soul on the street--but people drive kinda crazy on that road, so be careful (no sidewalk!). If you want a cab, at the base of the hill there is a taxi stand with plenty of Palestinian cabbies. There, or anywhere else you grab a cab, tell them you want to go to the Mount of Olives Hotel (in Arabic, Funduk Jebel Zeytoun). That's about a 1/4-1/2 mile walk (past some Israeli apartment buildings, one with a GIGANTIC Israeli flag on a tall flagpole) to the vantage point I've described. The vantage point itself is on the sidewalk leading to... I believe it was called Hotel Seven Arches.
Unless there's something that has stirred the pot, you're not going to have any trouble as an American from Palestinians in Jerusalem. If you want some added insurance, when you're touring around the Old City, buy a kuffiyeh (the black & white checkered head cloth) from a vendor. Wrap that around your shoulders after dark when you're venturing east of the Old City, and you'll be telling any Palestinians that you aren't hostile. Unfortunately, you'll then be seen as suspicious by any Israelis, but Jerusalem isn't where you'll find any settlers with Uzis.
Again, after dark, the neighborhood is really quiet--as in, not a lot of foot traffic. So you'll have no trouble setting up your tripod. Anywhere before dark, though, especially in the city, you'll probably draw more frowns and insults with your tripod than you would in any American city. ESPECIALLY in the Old City. IS is your friend. Hand-hold, brace against a friend or a wall or a fence. But don't set up a tripod in a busy area. Long story short, the Old City is filled with tourists, and the narrow/winding streets are nowhere to set up a tripod. West of Old City, in the metropolitan new city, there's more room, fewer tourists, and you can maybe get away with it, especially in late afternoon after people have gotten their daily business done and aren't in a hurry. As in any city, though, you'll get some glares regardless.
I teach college, and so I excuse myself the rudeness, but I also will walk through the souq (for example, the David Street souq just inside the Jaffa Gate--west side of Old City) with my camera hanging from my neck, set for a fast shutter speed and high ISO, and surreptitiously snap pictures of the crowd as I'm walking. Maybe 1 in 20 turns out, but the shots that do turn out are great for showing my students what "the real" Jerusalem (and its people) look like. Like I said, it's rude to take pictures like that, so you have to be prepared if you get caught, but in the Old City the worst that's going to happen is that you'll get yelled at in a language you don't understand.
And if you're ever taking pictures and people get a little ruffled, I've found one of the easiest ways to defuse the situation is (if they're men) ask their name, then ask to take their picture. Guys in the Middle East love being photographed. Ask for their email, and then send them a copy of the picture when you get a chance. You'll have made a friend for life.