My wife and I reached Istanbul on an ordinary night in May. After checking in at the hotel, we didn’t have much to do except look for dinner. It was late, and the Şehsuvar Bey area had little to offer. We found a little kebab place around the corner and decided to have donner kebab in the most cliched way. We were not even sure what to do the following day. We knew there was a month-long Tulip festival here in April at Emirgan Park. But this was early May. So we went to bed wondering – “To tulip festival or not to?”
The following day, we were having complimentary breakfast. The tables were set near the reception counter. So, in between our experiments with unfamiliar condiments/cheez with unfamiliar bread (it was our first time there!) I decided to talk with the receptionist to help us decide. He said that the festival was over, but the flowers were not. Also, we didn’t have to go so far to Emirgan Park to see the Tulip, and we could just take a walk around the local parks & roadside islands. After some Googling for the latest photos of Tulip around the area, I wasn’t convinced that it was a good idea. My wife finally decided we should take a chance on Emirgan Park. If the flowers are no more, then so be it!
After about a 50-minute drive by taxi (which was expensive!), we finally reached the home of the Tulip festival – Emirgan Park. We were struck by waves of color riding a gentle breeze toward us when we set foot inside the entrance gate. Patches of all the colors of Tulip – red, yellow, purple, and white- glorified the lush green of the ground so elegantly. At first, I started taking pictures with my mirrorless in a frenzy without checking my camera settings. When I came to my senses after a while, I realized my shutter speed and ISO was way off. I was taking underexposed & grainy photos. Took a breath and fixed it to match the cloudy weather there. Then again, I started clicking. My wife wanted to have some couple pictures taken, which she always does. That’s where the tripod came in handy. Found a frame in a paved road bordered by yellow Tulip. With the help of my camera timer, I took some decent couple of photos. There were some other tourist groups as well. I was surprised to see so many groups coming to this tulip festival even after the official dates were over.
While walking around the park, it was evident that this place was built with so much passion. The landscapes were planned beautifully, with complementary tree and seating arrangements. There is a lake inside the park with an artificial waterfall, and birds are flying around.
We found another place with mixed-colored tulips where we had to take a couple photo. A middle-aged woman approached me while I was busy setting up my tripod and everything. With her broken English, she offered to take our picture as she was a photographer herself. With her suggested pose, our photo came up really well this time! I was less worried about the timer & other settings and was free to be the subject. In return for her generosity, I also took some photos of her & her two friends.
On our way out of Emirgan Park, we found a place with lots of trees only and no flowers. A strong, freezing wind made it impossible to sit there for long. Even our oversized jackets were not enough. Still, we managed to take some photos there. Found some interesting benches to use.
What to wear to get some good photos?
Other than green or blue, you can wear any color that suits the weather and you. We chose to wear mastered yellow, as it seemed right for the cloudy weather.
Photography tips:
Do not try to fit a lot of area in your frame, as it is hard to ignore the abundance of color around. Also, if anyone is around, get help from a kind-hearted photographer.
