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Satwa
One of the few remaining corrugated iron houses left in Satwa, they are being demolished 1 by 1… A lovely rainy day too.
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The Camel Souq
As you know – one of my favourite of all the Emirates is Al Ain and no visit to Al Ain is complete without a lovely trip to the camel souq, you can see goats (I once saw around 12 being put in the boot of a car) chickens, sheep and camels being bought and…
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Burj Khalifa
Shot yesterday at the foot of Burj Khalifa – the worlds tallest building. We had been asked by one of the cities oldest law firms to shoot their birthday event. Great to get the chance to be so close, you can’t capture it with any old lens though obviously, being so tall – I threw…
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Jumeirah Beach Residence
On the DXO website, the Nikon D4S gets an overall score of 89. The Sony Alpha A99 gets 89. The Canon 5D mark III gets 81, the EOS 6D gets 82. The Leica S2-P ($30,000) gets 76. The Phase one P65+ medium format ($40,000) gets 89. DxOMark is the trusted industry standard for camera and…
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Dubai skyline
We were driving home from a shoot and I had to jump out and capture this, I had the 14-24mm in my bag, it’s shot from the Ras Al Khor rd – great clouds huh, a rare treat in Dubai. Post processing was quick and easy, 99% completed in LR, pushed blacks, pumped the exposure…
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Dubai after the rain
When you spend the whole year in the desert, it’s a treat when the rain comes. This shot is slightly soft (hand held) taken from close to Al Wasl looking towards Sheikh Zayed road, the last few weeks of good weather just before the Summer comes. Oh!! And this is the first post of the…
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Sheikh Zayed road corridor
This is an old image I came across. Not too old, as you can see the Burj Khalifa is built. It’s of the Shikh Zayed road corridor at night, shot from the usual location. I like the shot, nice image, for the tech geeks amongst you here are the details: as I say it’s an…
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Business Bay – foggy morning
When Summer starts and ends in Dubai, you get great foggy mornings, this is shot just with the 70-200 Nikon lens, I removed dust spots, straightened it slightly and colour corrected all in Lightroom.
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National Day
I was unsure what to title this post… National day or Satwa, or proud to be Emirati… It is taken in Satwa, originally, its residents were mainly of the Bloushi tribe. Notable features include the Iranian Hospital and the Al Satwa bus terminal. Al Satwa is known for its large South Asian community and now Philippino community,…
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Jumeirah Mosque at Ramadan
If there’s one thing you should do before the holy month ends, it is visit Jumeirah Mosque at sunset. It is draped in pretty fairy lights and it is the only chance you get to see it this way all year. Jumeirah Mosque, is one of the cities most beautiful mosques, it sits on the…
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Sunrise over Dubai marina
Shot at F9, with the 24-70mm, 14th February 2011, sunrise over Dubai Marina, the biggest Marina in the world. In order to create the man-made marina, the developers brought the waters of the Persian Gulf into the site of Dubai marina, creating a new waterfront. There is a large central waterway, excavated from the desert…
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Labour Camp – Al Quoz
You may have heard about the labour camps in Dubai? Some have been written about not so positively, at other times, they get positive news. However, they are here to stay and the men, mostly from the Indian subcontinent and surrounding areas, are transported from labour camp to building site every day and back again,…
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Graffiti – Satwa
You don’t see much of it in ‘new’ Dubai, however, if you know where to look in ‘old’ Dubai, there’s plenty.
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Abra driver
F9 at 1/200, Bur Dubai – any of you that may have been there will surely have travelled across the Creek, in the same way it’s been done for 50 years, on an abra, one dirham will get you safely across.
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Doors of Al Ain
As my book – Doors of Al Ain is nearing publication, here is a new image from Al Ain – see me at Emirates Literature Festival in March, I am so thrilled that they have asked me to be involved and like my book, it is the biggest literary event of the year in Dubai,…
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Satwa
Satwa, the greatest place in Dubai! Where else in Dubai, can you get a new radiator fitted in your car at 10pm on a Thursday evening, or buy freshly baked bread, or get your shirts tailored, or buy pretty fabrics and ribbons and buttons, or buy the finest tasting curry for 10dhs, or see so…
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Forts – Al Ain
For those of you that know me, you’ll know one of my favourite places by now. There’s quite a few old Forts for you to visit, this one taken at Al Qattara Oasis, lying to the north of Al Ain, the oasis has a number of historical buildings dating mostly from the beginning of the twentieth…
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Jumeirah Lakes Towers
Sunset shot, Jumeirah Lakes Towers, facing the sea, in the distance you can see the Address Hotel, Dubai Marina. JLT which consists of 79 towers being constructed along the edges of four artificial lakes, sits across from Dubai Marina, rent is cheaper here and the roads are a bit of a mess, the one way system…
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Dhow building
Shot from the middle of the Creek on a boat (as you can see – not 100% sharp) around 10.50am, 1/250 at F9. This is (Al) Jadaf, have you been? You really should visit. One of the very small number of localities in Dubai where they still build Dhows – dhows are the traditional boat…
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Date harvesting season
This is F5 at 1/200. Some of you may know that presently the date palm trees are straining under the weight of the juicy dates ready to drop. Dates are one of the staples of the Bedouin… many years ago, dates and fish and the odd locust if they were lucky along with some tasty…
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Dubai Marina and Jumeirah Beach Residence
Sunset shot – 8 seconds at F11 with the 14-24 Nikon lens, taken from a tower close to the Grovesnor House Hotel buildings, looking down the marina towards Abu Dhabi, marina on the left beach on the right, around 50 storeys high.
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Business bay, foggy morning
Taken early morning in downtown, hand held so it’s not too sharp, when the fog was slowly lifting before the day was about to begin. This was shot with the 70-200, which probably also explains why it’s not pin sharp, such a heavy lens, 1/200 at F9.
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Dubai Marina
Dubai Marina, shot from, what I think is the tallest residential building in the world at 100 stories. 8 seconds at F11, with the Nikon 14-24 wide angle. Great view huh, have you been this high, do you live in the Marina?
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Burqa for sale
Hoods are called “burqa” in Arabic falconry and come in many beautiful and different designs for your falcon. This shot at 1/200 at F4.5. The Arab hood is marked by the circular pattern to make the hood fit the contours of the eyes and head. These are typically molded on a block and have a flat…
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Ride in the Oasis
1/400 at F5.6, oasis in Al Ain… What’s the best way to get around an oasis? The dates are starting to fill up the trees now… Have you been to visit Al Ain’s oases?
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Sheikh Zayed Mosque nightfall
0.6 second at F9, you can get some great images after dark at the mosque in Abu Dhabi.
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Doors of Al Ain
One more door, as the launch of my book and the Emirates Literature Festival is literally days away now…
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Doors of Al Ain
One of my Doors of Al Ain from the series… Did you see any doors like this near where you live?
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Taking a break
Taking a break
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Dubai sunset
1/30 at F9.5, 24mm PC Nikon. Sunset shot with tripod and shutter release taken a few weeks ago.
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Tile factory worker, Al Quoz
Lens 24-70, 1/160 at F11 and a 1,200 W strobe. Such a great subject, happy to pose for me, they all told me they don’t make tiles any more at this place in Al Quoz, they simply sort and stack coal, all day long and live and pray at the back of the yard, along…
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Quran tuition available
Quran tuition available. This shot taken in Sharjah, the more stricter Emirate next door to Dubai. Hand held, 1/200 at 5.6. Sharjah is the only Emirate in which the sale, possession and consumption of alcohol is banned. It also maintains the strictest decency laws in the UAE, introduced in 2001, with a conservative dress code required…
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Downtown Dubai
Shot from 70 stories up, sunset shot of downtown Dubai, 1/10 at F9 with the Nikon 14-24 – it’s a good wide lens and you can see the progress that’s been made in the area.
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Date farmer
1/500 at F4.5. Al Ain oasis. Have you been to Al Ain? Have you visited one of the oases? If you have you may be lucky enough to catch a date farmer harvesting the crop. No ladders, no cranes, just one man and his knife and habool – a great sight to see.
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NYE Fireworks 2011 Burj Khalifa
F9.5, 5 second exposure, 24mm PC, worlds tallest building Burj Khalifa, New Years Eve night 2011.
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Crabs for sale
F4, 1/200, 24-70mm. Drive towards Carrefour in Bur Dubai, head to Shindagah, go through the tunnel, Hyatt hotel on the left, do a U turn, park and enjoy – Deira Fish market. ALSO! Fruit and vegetable market and dates too, fresh as can be, best prices in town.
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Camel race
There are some great things to see in the United Arab Emirates. One of them is the traditional sport of camel racing. This image was taken at a private track near Al Ain, it is a jockey, live riders are no longer used. 1/640 at F4.5 hand held.
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Majlis
Desert majlis – this one located in the shadow of the Burj Khalifa. I love it that some of the most expensive real estate in the world sits a few hundred yards away from great sights such as this. Hand held 1/320 at F9.5, lens – wide angle PC 24mm.
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Sheikh Zayed Mosque, Abu Dhabi
Sheikh Zayed Mosque at night, sunset shot. Four second exposure at F9, with tripod and cable – shutter release.
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Heritage Village, Dubai
Dubai Heritage village, have you been? In Bur Dubai, next to Carrefour, also now with a new Metro station. The recent UAE national day celebrations were held there, some beautiful original houses with wind towers. Go at sunset, enter Creek side. Hand held at F11, shot at 1/200.
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Together
Yes, the beautiful Dubai winter skies are back, I thought they’d never come This image is hand held, shot with my Nikon 24mm wide angle, PC lens can’t say enough good things about this lens! Also – 1/250, F9, ISO 100, taken at 4.02pm. – Downtown Dubai, Emaars beautiful glass buildings opposite Dubai Mall with the Burj…
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Dubai airport
Dubai airport, home to the worlds fastest growing passenger traffic and the worlds best airline. 0.8 sec at f/9.
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Aaaah… Winter is here!
1/200 at F9, hand held, in PS i straightened the lines a little (it was shot with the 14-24) and pushed the blacks and the vibrance a tiny bit. Dubai Marina, early morning. The 14-24 is as wide as can be, doesn’t keep lines straight though, but it’s very nice glass. Oh, how i’ve missed…
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Dubai Museum
This image of the Dubai Museum door, was hand held 1/30 of a second at F2.8, the ISO is up at a 1,000.
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Desert Saloon
I took this picture some time ago in a labour camp in Al Quoz. I always visit the Desert Saloon in Satwa and pay around 25dhs for my haircut. This though, is the REAL Desert Saloon… i suspect these guys are paying a little bit less than me.
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Burj Khalifa Sunset
This image shot of Dubai skyline and Burj Khalifa from Al Khawaneej, just the other side of Mirdif in the desert, 1/40 of a second at F9 with my 24-70, tripod and cable release. Summer skies still killing the clarity a little. 10 minutes after this, the jeep wouldn’t start, dead battery, we were losing…
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Hunting & Equestrian Exhibition, Abu Dhabi
Great images from Adihex Hunting & Equestrian Exhibition, Abu Dhabi. Salukis, falcons, desert kit – all round good day.
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God’s Own Country
This image is shot at F9, shutter open for 6 seconds, ISO 200, 24-70. I’ve pulled the fill light a tiny bit in Lightroom and boosted the saturation slightly, that is all… The blue us amazing isn’t it?! I’m just back from a week in Kerala, the land of rivers and backwaters. A few days…
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Jumeirah Mosque in Ramadan
Are you enjoying the holy month?! I have friends that have prepared gift packs for some of the citys Labourers (Google it if you want to get involved, there are a number of charities helping), I have so far attended a couple of very enjoyable iftars. Have hand picked ripe dates at Al Ain Oasis.…
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Iftar
This image taken with my Nikon AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8, 1/500 at F5. Shot in Al Ain Oasis, the dates were hand picked a few seconds before the shot. Hand picked! Ramadan the holiest month of the Muslim calendar is such a great time to be in Dubai, to be in Al Ain is even more exciting. In…
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Opening night
Emaar’s flagship project, the Burj Khalifa tower, was officially opened on January 4, 2010 on the anniversary of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s accession. It tops out above 800m tall – making it now the world’s tallest tower, this image I shot opening night. Some 10,000 fireworks helped mark the topping-off of the $1.5 billion…
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Abra Driver
Abra’s will take you across Dubai Creek for a Dirham! Historically, the creek divided the city into two main sections – Deira and Bur Dubai. It was along the Bur Dubai creek area that members of the Bani Yas tribe first settled in the 19th century, establishing the Al Maktoum dynasty in the city. Whilst parking near to Bur Dubai…
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Cultural Iftar during the holy month
If you’ve ever wondered around the lovely Bastakiyah area, near the Creek, you will most definitely have come across the Sheikh Mohammad Centre for Cultural Understanding. It is a non-profit organisation established to increase awareness and understanding between the various cultures that live in Dubai. Operating under the banner of ’Open doors, Open Minds’ the SMCCU strives to remove…
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Hili Oasis
Grass growing wild, natural running water, palm trees left to grow any which way, dates hanging, nearly ready for harvest, where could it be?!!? Certainly not Dubai, the grass would be all the same length, the palm trees would be perfectly tall and straight. Drive out of Al AIn towards Dubai and Hili Oasis is…
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Beware the djinn
Jazirat Al Hamra, a haunted village – an undisturbed picture of life before oil. It appears that few people these days know about Jazirat Al Hamra, the little deserted village south of Ras Al Khaimah town. It’s the ancestral home of the Zaabi family (or tribe) who left Ras Al Khaimah following an ongoing dispute with…
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Emergency Services
Emergency Fire service in Dubai is facilitated by the Dubai Civil Defence, under the Ministry of Interior. This shot was taken at a huge fire in Al Quoz. As you would imagine, the city that is home to the worlds tallest building, also has a fleet of emergency vehicles to shout about, including Corvettes, Hummers…
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Camel for sale
Do you have a camel for sale, do you have a camel truck? If you do, then Al Ain camel souq is the place you want to be! Located in the garden city, close to Bawadi Mall. Short camels, tall camels, young camels, old camels, ugly camels, beautiful camels, camels from far off places, every type…
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Gotham City
Dubai, sunset shot, Rolex tower still under construction on the left, new monorail station dead centre, winding its way parallel alongside Dubais main artery – Sheikh Zayed Road. The 10 lane highway runs parallel to the coastline from Trade Centre Roundabout in Dubai to the border with the emirate of Abu Dhabi, The road was formerly known as…
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Dancing chefs
If you have ever visited the Fruit and Vegetable market, situated in Ras Al Khor, close to International City, you may have come across Muzareen Restaurant, hiding away, right at the back. A busy little eaterie where workers can come and grab a spot of lunch or a bottle of water. You won’t find a restaurant manager…
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Dhow builder
Jadaf is the main boat building area of Dubai and home to the original dhow building yard. A dhow is a traditional Arab sailing vessel with one or more lateen sails. Construction of them in the region is now a fading art, construction of more modern boats costs less and can be done quicker. Even to the present day, dhows…
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Room To Rent
If you are looking for a room to rent and have no internet access where do you go? In some of the more run down areas of Dubai you’ll find walls like this, filled with notes for rooms to rent or Arabic lessons offered etc This image I shot in Satwa at the old Post…
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Quiet moment in Bastakiya
Bastakiya, one of the oldest and most beautiful parts of the city at the side of the Creek. One of the few areas of Dubai where you can still see original wind towers. It is quiet and peaceful. A little oasis at the side of the Creek, but away from the hustle and bustle of…
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Mosque Visitors Only
I shot this as I was driving away from the Desert Saloon last week, where i get my hair cut in Satwa. We’re touching 45-50 degrees right now and if you’re out in the mid-day heat it’s a killer. I think Satwa is probably my favourite place in the city, you can get anything you need,…
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Sheikh Zayed Mosque, Abu Dhabi
Sheikh Zayed mosque Abu Dhabi shot 14th of February, early evening shot. The majestic Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is probably the most imposing religious and national landmark in Abu Dhabi to date. It is also arguably one of the most important architectural treasures of contemporary UAE society – and one of the most beautiful in…
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Burj Khalifa
This image shot at 7.04pm local time, we’re getting some lovely light evenings at the moment, it was pretty hot, I was sweating buckets and dodging tourists, I also had a battery failure at one point, but I was determined to get the light – the 10-15 minutes of sunset ‘right’ light – the blue/black,…
