I spent the morning at Birquash Camel Market – the “new” home of Cairo’s famous camel Souk and about 15 kms north west of the city. Now you should take the word “new” here with a pinch of salt. It just means new location – not new as in “spanky brand new” or “never been used” or even “modern, clean and safe”!

I wanted to try and shoot a photo-story – Which I didn’t quite pull off, because despite getting up before dawn. It took us over 2 hours to drive the 15kms, as we drove from place to place searching for the market. Nothing is ever signed properly in Egypt and the locals’ directions were straight out of  Monty Python film. Draw up to a junction, ask the two men waiting by the side of the road which way, and you guessed it, one would point left and one would point right! So we missed the beginning and some of the more interesting action.

I did try some panning shots and some backlit shots, but none of these really worked out quite how I had planned! I clearly need a workshop with “Mr Panning” himself – Gavin Gough – to get that technique licked!

Biquash Camel Market  – or Souk el Gamaal in the native tongue – is an extraordinary place, and arguably not for the feint hearted or for animal lovers. Let’s just say that animal husbandry is an area that Egypt needs to focus on a little more. Every week thousands of camels trek up from the Sudan, Southern Egypt or nearby to be sold at auction. There is no one single auction place within the Souk, rather a long street with a series of Camel pens, with auctions happening simultaneously in the street in front of the pens.

They all have one leg tied up to stop them running around, and everyone – and I mean everyone from the 3 years old to the old man using it as crutch – has a wooden stick with which they beat the camel to make it turn, move or do as requested.

The conditions are biblical – but fascinating. Lots of dust to play havoc with your lenses, but also lots of amazing sights, sounds and opportunities.

Not all the camels make it through the day and so some inevitably have to be disposed off, which of course is done there and then in the full glare of anyone watching.

Like most events in Egypt, there are a lot of people sitting around, drinking tea or coffee and seemingly doing nothing. However they were all incredibly friendly and keen to have their photo taken – surprisingly I thought given the number of tourist and other photographers that must come to this weekly market. However this little community of traders, herders, drovers and farmers that assemble each week provide a fantastic blend of Egyptian street life and rural market, which makes it a place full of potentially compelling images.

I don’t know why, but I didn’t find the groove today. I love being out somewhere new and observing everything that is going on, so perhaps I was distracted by the fact that for me it was all so new, or maybe I expected too much and didn’t take my own medicine in my last post – “dashed expectations are seasonal” and just go with the flow. I tried to shoot an opening, some details, unusual angles, close-ups and a closing shot to try and frame the photo essay and, whilst they are a good record of the day, they don’t tell the full story. The full story – such that it is –  is over in the gallery.

But that is what practicing is about. Trying, learning from your mistakes and then trying again. I will certainly be back to the Birquash Camel Market another Friday morning, now that I know how to find it and what to expect.

You can see more of the images, including some fun portraits, over in the gallery.

Oh, and the short answer to “What price a camel”, is about 5000 Egyptian pounds or about US $1000!