By Jean Yung

There’s something about Shanghai that turns every expat into an aspiring photojournalist. Up your photo game with our essential guide to photography in town. From buying cameras to finding the best places to shoot and print, City Weekend helps you get in a photographic frame of mind.

Buy a Camera

Xing Guang Photographic Equipment City on Luban Lu and Xietu Lu in the Luwan district is the epicenter of Shanghai’s serious camera markets. In this six-story mall you’ll find dealers of all major camera, tripod and accessory brands. The first and second floors boast the latest point-and-shoots and DSLRs, while the upper floors offer accessories such as bags, filters, film, flash, second-hand equipment and repair centers.

There’s a tiny bookstore chock-full of photo books in both English and Chinese on the third floor, and the Shanghai Shenhao large-format camera shop on the fourth floor. Shenhaos are beautiful teak and walnut frame cameras handcrafted right here in Shanghai. Head to Building B in the back for print and frame shops. There’s a smaller, second branch near Line 2′s Loushanguan Lu Metro station.

But Xin Guang is huge. For something a bit more boutique, step into the Guan Long Camera Equipment Store on Nanjing Dong Lu. It’s no exaggeration to say that nearly every camera sold in Old Shanghai came from here, and a good many wedding photos were taken in its former studio. Today, digital cameras rule the roost and prices are on the expensive side.

Buying second-hand digital cameras isn’t usually a good idea, but getting used lenses is another story. Huan Long Photographic Equipment City across from the Shanghai Railway Station offers the best selection of second-hand equipment in Shanghai. Inspect the lens thoroughly by opening it up to its widest aperture and checking the front and back glass for scratches and dust. Here you can find rare and vintage models, as well as a wide selection of photo papers, inks and even memory cards. A word of warning: poor quality memory cards are not uncommon. Best Buy in Xujiahui may be a safer choice.

At any of these markets, you’ll have to bargain, so check prices online first. It’s best to bring a Chinese-speaking friend if you don’t speak Mandarin. For retro film camera lovers, the colorful, compact and multistory Lomography Gallery Store on Jinxian Lu is a must. Holga is the main model on offer, but the complete product range marketed by the Austrian snapshot cameras distributor, including the Fisheye and Colorsplash, are here too. Clothing and accessories are on the third floor. But if paying sticker price for toy cameras doesn’t sit well with your wallet, head to one of the two locations of locally run Snaps Shop, which also stocks Holgas and Dianas, as well as the Digital Harinezumi 2. Or check the camera malls, such as Yi Qian on the third floor of Xing Guang.

Learn to Shoot

If you’re getting serious about photography, consider taking a class with the pros around town. Dutch photographer Baja van Hulst has been teaching for more than a decade. She offers classes for all skill levels in Hongqiao and Pudong, as well as from her home in the former French Concession. Her intermediate-level class at Community Center Shanghai in Hongqiao runs from July 14 to August 18 (¥2,400, with a discount for early registration).

The Expat Learning Center also holds photography classes every season. This fall’s 10-week intensive course for beginner and intermediate students will be offered Thursdays or Saturdays starting Oct. 14 (¥3,200).

Former Expat Learning Center instructor and pro photographer Sharron Lovell has recently moved to Tel Aviv, but will spend part of her year in Shanghai. Her labor of love is Asia Photo Tour, where she and knowledgeable local guides lead small groups on photographic expeditions from Shanghai to scenic spots around China. Fall trips to Yangshuo in Guilin (¥11,500) and Kashgar in Xinjiang (¥12,800) are in the planning stages.

For shutterbugs on a shoestring, look no further than the Internet. “The best way to improve as a photographer is by looking at the pictures of others,” advises Shanghai-based photojournalist Jackson Lowen, whose work often appears in The New York Times. Lowen recommends browsing the websites of world-class agencies such as Magnum, Getty, Noor and VII, as well as photography blogs and online magazines. Some of the best include The New York Times Lens blog, A Photo Editor, Verve Photo, The Black Snapper, Photojournalism Links, Lens Culture, The Selby, Strobist and Burn Magazine.

This fall, also look for a series of free instructional videos by Shanghai-based Singaporean pro Rolento Ong. He’ll instruct viewers on how to choose a camera and basics such as focus, exposure, aperture and composition.

Where to Shoot

Now that you’ve got the gear and the skills, it’s time to shoot. Shanghai is a gold mine of memorable scenes. Here’s where the pros like to shoot. Shanghainese photo master Deke Erh recommends taking walks in the former French Concession to capture Shanghai’s stately architecture. Grab a 16mm or 35mm lens and head down to Sinan Lu, Fuxing Lu, Hengshan Lu, Wukang Lu or Xinguo Lu.

To fire off panoramics of the iconic Bund, try the riverside restaurants such as M on the Bund, or find your way up to a rooftop in the city, as Rolento Ong did for one memorable shoot. He and a model climbed to the roof of a shopping mall and shot for three hours before they were discovered by security officers.

Parks, the Old City and Tianzifang on Taikang Lu are good places to capture life as it goes by. In the Old City, start at the Confucius Temple, walk down Wenmiao Lu to Lujiabang Lu. “Be friendly, not creepy. Approach people with a smile, not sniping from a distance,” advises veteran event photographer Grant Buchwald.

But more important than finding the right physical location, the pros say, is to think about the story you want to tell. Lovell recommends taking up a little theme or project, even if it’s just for a day. The topic could be anything from Shanghai at night to faces, workers, day in the life, markets or contrasts. “Once you start shooting around a theme, nuances pop out that you might not otherwise have noticed,” Lovell says.

“Look on Flickr, see what people have taken in Shanghai and figure out what kind of photographer you want to be,” says Chad Ingraham, who has shot for Forbes and the Portman Ritz-Carlton Hotel. Ingraham prefers using prime (non-zoom) lenses because they make the photographer think more. The 50mm or 85mm lenses are best for portraits.

If time permits, consider taking a day trip to ancient Xinchang or Jiading to capture village life in a water town, suggests Jackson Lowen. Director Ang Lee filmed a few scenes for Lust, Caution in a teahouse overlooking the stone bridge in the heart of Xinchang.

Photo Groups

Getting together with a group is a great way to improve your own skills. Luckily, photo enthusiasts, hobbyists and eager-to-learn newbies abound in Shanghai.

Once a month, photo lovers sip drinks and enjoy the works of inspired cameramen at Dada’s monthly Shanghai Photographer Night. The large and active Flickr Shanghai collective is administered by a quartet consisting of an engineer, a translator, a marketing operations guy and a strategic consultant. The group organizes monthly meet-ups that end with dinner or drinks. Every now and then, it organizes special sessions such as technique workshops or work for charitable causes. An upcoming get together for the Scott Kelby Worldwide Photo Walk will take place July 24. There’s a sister group, Strobist Shanghai, for off-camera flash buffs. A group of like-minded amateurs led by graphic designer Lois Webb forms Shanghai Exposed. The group organizes talks by pros, photo sharing sessions and heads out to various sites around Shanghai at different times of day to shoot together.

New Zealander Mike Shelley heads up Shanghai Photographic Adventures, which organizes both informal outings, formal studio shoots and day trips with a luxury bus and refreshments. Shelley has been taking photos for more than 25 years. Membership costs ¥100.

For Chinese speakers interested in the local scene, join a Chinese photo sharing community such as Bababian, or check out Poco, a forum that matches up hobbyists with amateur models for weekly photo shoots.

Raemin Zhang’s “Yuyao Lu.”

Print & Frame

If you’re willing to part with a pretty penny, PX2 offers what is hands down the best printing in Shanghai. They are knowledgeable about color calibration and handle the printing for major museums and galleries in town. Building B in Xing Guang offers a range of more affordable printing and framing options. New Star Graphic Studio owner Geoffrey speaks fluent English and garners hearty praise for his friendly and professional service. Carbon 14 Image on the first floor and Yi Qian on the third floor also come highly recommended. Yi Qian has a second branch nearby. On the third and fourth floors in the main building in Xing Guang, you can also find decent leather photo albums.

For developing film in Jing’an, try Weima Professional Photo and Frontier, two small shops in neighboring alleys. Weima focuses on Kodak and Frontier on Fujifilm. E6, in an alley on Xinle Lu, is also reasonably priced. Artscape Shanghai, near The Bund, provides fine art printing as well as a number of framing and mounting options such as aluminum face mounting and Pleximounting. A number of framers can also be found on Fuzhou Lu, near Raffles City. Compare prices and bargain hard.

For more, check out our interview with freelance photographer extraordinaire Deke Erh on the state of photography in Shanghai today.