cordoba didn’t ask for this weather, but it’s here and i’m stuck with a camera

i rented a car last monday because i’m a freelance photographer and need light. not sunshine.monday. this climate is a boss. 7 degrees feels like wearing a sack over your head while someone sprays water on you. the humidity here is like being wrapped in a wet towel. i’d rather photograph a brick wall.

quick answers

q: is this place worth visiting?
a: only if you hate sunshine and want to find gray tones in everything. the weather kills color. but if you’re into moody shots, soft light is your friend.

q: is it expensive?
a: gear costs more than food here. rentals are 20$ a day. coffee in cafes is 3$. but yeah, if you buy a tourist map or hire a guide, it’ll drain your wallet.

q: who would hate it here?
a: people who want to sunbathe. also, anyone with a bad sense of direction. the roads are narrow. you’ll hit a bend sideways.

q: best time to visit?
a: winter, but not now. this week is a glitch. actual winter is drier. this is like a preview of a horror movie.


storms keep rolling in. i’ve spent 3 hours dodging rain while trying to shoot a church facade. the locals here call it ‘molotov weather.’ turns out, it’s real. the sky’s doing that dramatics thing where it’s like it’s about to drown everything. i asked a guy at a pulpería what to do. he handed me a bag of salt and said, ‘pack it tight.’


the humidity here is 81%. that’s not a number. that’s a feeling. your skin retains it like a sponge. i walked past a mercado and saw a woman wiping her mirror 10 times. she wasn’t washing it. she was trying to erase the moisture. i took a photo of her reflection. it looked like a ghost. that’s the vibe here.


safety vibe is mixed. locals know each other. strangers are rare. but at night, the plazas get sketchy. a taxi driver warned me about a zone near the train station. he said, ‘if you see molotovs, leave.’ i asked what that meant. he grinned and said, ‘they sell empanadas there. don’t worry.’


affordability? this is a budget student’s dream if you ignore gear. hostels are 10$ a night. empanadas are 2$. but as a photographer, i spent 50$ on a tripod that broke. classic.


nearby cities are 2 hours by bus. buenos aires is a chaos bus ride away. i went once. it felt like entering a different planet. coarser. louder. but somehow more real.


the weather here is a philosophy. 7 degrees max? no, feels like 4. that’s not a mistake. the air makes you doubt your own body. i tried hiking a hill. my legs froze. i interviewed a old man who said, ‘this mountain hates you when it’s cold.’ he was probably right. i left.


replying to a reddit thread about this place, i wrote, ‘if you like your photos looking like they’re from a documentary about disappointment.’ someone replied, ‘listen to that. it’s the best filter.’


i’m leaving tomorrow. the weather’s changing again. i hope it’s not molotovs. if it is, i’ll just photograph the rain and call it art. that’s what i do.

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linked to: tripadvisor, yelp, reddit, localweather, photographytips, cordobalocal

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