Of course, the classic tourist detour to the fish market is a must. The colorful gabled houses in the old town are one of the most beautiful photo subjects, not least because of their high recognition value. In the past, fish was traded here, but today you will mainly find beer gardens and cafés.
If you want to have even more color in front of your lens, you should definitely plan a trip to Ehrenfeld - there is not only a variety of cool bars and pubs, but also plenty of street art. Ehrenfeld is home to artists and designers - so that the former working-class and industrial suburb is now called the "creative zone" and "design district".
The Rheinauhafen is perfect for long walks - and it's best to bring your favorite camera with you. The modern, urban architecture, especially the three crane houses, but also the cape on the south quay or the Skat Park at the south end are perfect for your own photographic experiments.
A visit to the Hohenzollern Bridge is a must - especially at sunset, it is also an ideal location for taking pictures of Cologne Cathedral. But the city has other bridges that are interesting for photography - for example the bridge to Herkulesberg!
If you would like to try something more artistic, the Kolumba Museum is a good place to go. Photography is permitted in the building, designed by the Swiss architect Peter Zumthor, and you can find wonderful lighting effects and compositions.
