Capturing Soledad: A Photographer's Journey Through Colombia's Colorful Countryside

While technically part of neighboring Barranquilla, the Gran Malecón along the Magdalena River provides the perfect vantage point for capturing Soledad's distinctive skyline during the golden hour. I arrived forty minutes before sunrise, tripod in hand, and claimed my spot among a handful of local fishermen casting their morning lines.

The interplay of emerging sunlight against the moisture-laden air creates a diffused glow that photographers dream about. My first morning, I nearly missed the most spectacular light show while fumbling with filters. By day three, I had developed a rhythm: arrive at 5:30 AM, set up my carbon fiber tripod, and prepare two camera bodies—one with a wide-angle lens for landscape shots and another with a telephoto to capture the intricate details of boats navigating the river currents.

What separates Soledad's golden hour from others I've photographed across Europe is the remarkable color temperature. The proximity to the equator creates a warmer, more saturated light that requires minimal post-processing. I found myself reducing my usual editing time by half, as the raw files already contained the rich golden tones that normally require careful adjustment.

The riverside promenade also offers fascinating human elements—vendors preparing their carts, early-morning exercisers, and fishermen checking their overnight catches. These moments of authentic daily life add depth to what could otherwise be simple landscape photography.

The commercial heart of Soledad presents a photographer's paradise of color and contrast. Unlike the carefully curated colonial aesthetics of Cartagena, Soledad Centro offers an unfiltered glimpse into authentic Colombian daily life. Here, buildings are painted in seemingly random bursts of primary colors—cobalt blues against sunshine yellows, crimson reds framing emerald green doorways.

I spent three consecutive afternoons wandering these streets, my mirrorless camera discretely hanging at my side rather than prominently displayed. This approach allowed me to blend in (as much as a silver-haired Canadian woman can in Colombia) and capture candid moments rather than posed portraits.

The market area near Calle 63 proved particularly photogenic, with fruit vendors arranging their wares in meticulous, colorful displays. The contrast between weathered hands and vibrant produce creates compelling compositional opportunities. I found myself switching to a 35mm prime lens here—the perfect focal length for environmental portraits that include both subject and context.

A technical challenge in Soledad Centro is the harsh midday light. By afternoon, the strong equatorial sun creates deep shadows and bright highlights that exceed even the best camera's dynamic range. I addressed this by seeking out covered areas and shooting in the relative shade of market stalls, or by waiting until around 4:00 PM when the light softens slightly but still maintains its distinctive Colombian brightness.

While photographing strangers always carries ethical considerations, I found Soledadenses generally receptive to photography after a polite greeting and basic Spanish request. Having small prints from previous days to share opened many doors—and occasionally earned me invitations to photograph family gatherings and private spaces normally inaccessible to visitors.

As a dedicated night photography enthusiast who cut my teeth capturing European ferry terminals after sunset, Soledad's evening transformation along Carrera 19 presented an irresistible challenge. This main thoroughfare becomes a neon-lit corridor after dark, with small restaurants, bars, and shops creating a tapestry of colored lights against the night sky.

My approach to night photography here required significant adaptation from my European technique. In Frankfurt or Copenhagen, I typically rely on the relatively clean light of well-planned urban design. In Soledad, the lighting is chaotic, mixed, and often fluctuating—creating both challenges and creative opportunities.

I found my fast prime lens indispensable here, allowing me to work with available light rather than disturbing scenes with flash. The wide aperture captured the ambient glow of street food vendors and the streams of motorcycle headlights that create light trails through long exposures.

Safety considerations dictate a different workflow than my European night shoots. Rather than wandering freely with a tripod, I identified specific locations during daylight hours, then returned with a purpose after dark. I also employed a compact tripod that fits inside my bag until needed, rather than the more conspicuous full-sized version.

The most remarkable discovery was the distinctive color palette that emerges after sunset. Unlike the blue-hour coolness of northern European cities, Soledad's night scenes maintain warm orange and yellow tones from the predominant sodium vapor lighting, creating a nostalgic atmosphere reminiscent of film photographs from decades past.

My favorite composition emerged at the intersection of Carrera 19 and Calle 65, where a small plaza features local musicians on weekend evenings. The combination of movement, colored light, and human expression created dynamic images that capture Soledad's vibrant nightlife essence.

Venturing beyond the urban center reveals Soledad's agricultural surroundings—a patchwork of small farms, grazing lands, and rural homesteads that provide a striking contrast to the city's energy. After arranging transportation with my hotel (a necessity as public transport is limited in these areas), I dedicated two mornings to capturing the rural essence of this region.

The landscape here reminds me somewhat of southern Ontario farmland from my childhood, yet with distinctive tropical elements—banana plants instead of corn, palms rather than maples. What makes these scenes particularly compelling is the quality of light. The clear morning air, before the day's humidity builds, creates a crystalline quality that renders colors with remarkable vibrancy.

I found the most photogenic locations along the eastern periphery, where small farms meet the wetlands feeding into the Magdalena River. Here, traditional farming methods continue largely unchanged for generations. Farmers using hand tools rather than machinery create dynamic human elements against the pastoral backdrop.

For these excursions, I relied heavily on my telephoto zoom to compress perspective and isolate compositional elements across the expansive landscape. The lens's vibration compensation proved essential, as the bumpy rural roads often left me shooting without the stability of a tripod.

The most challenging aspect of rural photography here is gaining access to private property. I discovered that approaching farmhouses directly often created suspicion, whereas asking permission through local guides or drivers facilitated much warmer receptions. A small monetary contribution or offering to share resulting images via WhatsApp (surprisingly ubiquitous even in rural areas) typically secured enthusiastic cooperation.

The juxtaposition of traditional farming methods against distant views of Soledad's growing urban sprawl creates compelling visual narratives about Colombia's rapid development and the tensions between rural traditions and modernization.

While Soledad lacks the extensive colonial architecture of more touristic Colombian destinations, scattered throughout the city are fascinating historical elements that reward the observant photographer. The challenge lies in finding these architectural gems amid the predominantly modern construction.

I dedicated an afternoon to photographing Iglesia San Antonio de Padua, the city's main church dating back to the early 20th century. Though not ancient by European standards, its weathered façade and distinctive bell tower create compelling compositions, particularly when framed against the contemporary buildings surrounding it.

Macro photography proves especially valuable in Soledad, revealing details often missed by casual observation. My macro lens allowed me to capture the intricate textures of weathered doorways, hand-painted signage, and decorative elements that speak to the region's artistic heritage.

One particularly rewarding discovery was a collection of traditional wooden doors along Calle 68, featuring hand-carved patterns that blend Spanish colonial influences with indigenous motifs. These weathered portals, many painted in fading but still vibrant blues and greens, offer intimate glimpses into Soledad's multi-layered cultural identity.

Photographing these architectural elements presents technical challenges beyond the typical tourist snapshot. The harsh equatorial light creates extreme contrast, particularly on white-painted stucco walls common in the region. I found myself returning to promising locations during the final hour before sunset, when the light softens and warms, casting gentle shadows that reveal rather than obscure architectural details.

A conversation with a local historian (arranged through my hotel) provided invaluable context for these images, explaining how certain architectural elements reflect specific periods in Colombia's development and the cultural influences—Spanish, indigenous, and African—that shaped the region's visual language. This historical understanding transformed what might have been merely aesthetic photographs into visual documentation of Soledad's complex heritage.