Lalibela photography tours
Being such a unique and historic destination of significance, Lalibela is one of the “must see” places when many tourists come to Ethiopia. On religious holidays people come to Lalibela from all around Ethiopia so you see many different ethnic groups in this holy town in Eastern Ethiopia. Whether you book a Lalibela photography tour or regular tour to this town you can capture some wonderful photos and have an amazing experience.
Ethiopian portraits with face tattoos
Seeing people from many different areas of Ethiopia in one place is amazing. These two Ethiopian ladies have tattoos on their faces and I was delighted they were happy for me to take their photos.
Black and white portraits from lalibela photo tour
I had one client on a private trip to Ethiopia for this photography tour. If you do book a photography tour make sure the leader is respectful for those you meet along the way and you give people space and privacy when praying. This is a significant religious town and being mindful of what that means to those that are here should be respected and appreciated.
Background information on these black and white portraits in lalibela
The first portrait was in a really dark area in one of Lalibelas cave churches with a little light coming from a window. He came up to me and wanted his photo taken. I had to quickly adjust my settings on my camera due to the super low light, but quickly captured this delightful portrait.
Sitting in a dark corner near the entrance of a rock hewn church, this lady was super focussed on her reading. I initially was close to her, but took the photo from a distance and she was aware with what I was doing. However, she was not disturbed or disrupted by the photo being taken.
The older man in this black and white portrait selection was really happy for me to take his photo, but he wanted me to capture a proud, serious look. I really love how this portrait turned out in black and white.
Up on a high hill, the last photo was a man I saw focussed on his reading and again he knew we were there. However, he never took his eyes off his bible while he knew I was taking the photo. I took this photo from a distance and have cropped in when editing. I took the photo really fast so as not to disrupt him.
Being mindful of those you photograph in Lalibela (and anywhere for that matter!) and their experience and wants is really important.
The easiest way to get to Lalibela is a short flight from Addis Ababa. Get a window seat on your Ethiopian Airlines flight and you can start taking photos before you’ve landed in Lalibela.
The flight to Lalibela has beautiful views of the landscapes below. The photo above is Addis Ababa as we had just taken off. During the flight you can see the rugged and mountainous terrain that you would have to drive through if you didn’t fly and you get a good understanding why flying is such a good and quick option when visiting Lalibela. Unless you are doing a Northern Ethiopia tour and have included Lalibela in your Ethiopian itinerary I would highly recommend the flight option.
lalibelas landscapes and sunsets
There’s much more to Lalibela than it’s famous rock-hewn churches. For my Lalibela photo tour our private client stayed in a hotel with a stunning view. There are hotels closer in the middle of town, but for photography staying somewhere with a view for sunset is ideal. The churches close in the late afternoon, so you can stay at the Church of St George for as long as a ranger lets you, but being able to capture the sunset with a cold drink at the outside bar hotel is a stunning way to finish the day.
With some of Lalibela’s churches having temporary shelters overhead to protect them from the elements, the best church and most iconic to be close to closing time is Church of St George.
Sunset in Lalibela
Lalibela’s famous churches are only open during two times in the day. This was a photo I took near sunset at Church of St George which is the best church to be close to sunset and before closing time.
Many of the photos on my Lalibela blog posts were taken with my iphone14 pro. I was with my private photography tour client for this trip to Lalibela, so I didn’t use my DSLR as much as I would have if I was not running a tour. However, the latest phones are so good now, which makes it so wonderful to capture your travel memories.
Look for shadows
Sometimes you want to avoid shadows in your photos, but sometimes they add to the image or story. In the late afternoon the shadows of people on the rock edges watching St George Church looks super interesting.
Look for close up opportunities
When you see something of interest after taking a wide shot, I try to capture a closer image. This food was being shared by pilgrims after prayer when they came out of the cave church.
Look for stories to capture
Portraits and close ups are great, but don’t forget to capture bigger pictures as well. After the church ceremonies there are thousands of pilgrims that break their fast and need to be fed. There are areas where the food is prepared, cooked and given to the pilgrims.
Lalibela photos and visiting information
With much more to photograph than churches, people and landscapes in Lalibela, the possibilities are endless. There are many unexpected opportunities and moments to capture when you visit this UNESCO World Heritage Site in Eastern Ethiopia.
On both of my Omo Valley Photography Tour itineraries you can add an extension to Lalibela and have everything organised for you for 3 days, 2 nights with a local guide. By the time you’ve been with me in the Omo Valley you will be confident and comfortable taking photos and travelling here by yourself (or with others). It is unlike the historic city of Harar were is more difficult to get to if you haven’t been before (due to it being more than an hour drive from the closest airport. Harar is another UNESCO World Heritage Site in Ethiopia and definitely worth visiting. I currently offer Harar as a pre-tour extension on one of my Ethiopian photo tour itineraries and I join you and host you for that location.
You can find out more about my photography tours by clicking here and expressing your interest.
To find out more information about Lalibela and visiting read my previous blog post by clicking here.
This is my third blog post about Lalibela, so if you haven’t read the previous posts, I recommend you look at them for information about Lalibela.