Dubai
The Confused City
Part III
The confused city, huh? Why’s it so confused? Through what lens have I made that judgement? Well, slow down a bit with the questions, will ya’ and allow me to explain. Dubai to this day is perhaps the most interesting place I’ve ever been. Not the prettiest and certainly not my favourite, but so incredibly thought-provoking, I can’t recommend enough that everyone go and experience it at least once; especially us Westerners.
With that said, let’s explore the monolithic city in the sand.
Sunsets and Skycrapers
Needle in the Sky
My reasoning for going to Dubai was personal, and unfortunately for the more gossip interested reader, it will remain that way. Instead, I’ll focus purely on the photographer aspect of it.
Coming in to land is surreal. Obviously, the Burj Khalifa dominates the skyline, but the surrounding skyscrapers are equally impressive. Each one uniquely designed and reaching for the sky in its own way. I will never shake the memory and feeling of that first taxi ride through downtown from the airport. My eyes darting around out of the window, perplexed by what I was seeing. I’m in a desert, one of the least hospitable places on Earth, and yet. AND YET, these guys are building the tallest buildings known to man. A testament to the risk taking human spirit that just won’t be held back by the elements.
This was, sadly, the last shot my first 5D Mark II that came with me to Paris and saw me through college, ever took. A massive technical malfunction left it completely bricked. Each attempted repair only causing a new error message.
I’d go on to buy a new one, but it was sad to see the old girl go.
Clash of Cultures
From these first two images something becomes apparent. Dubai’s sunset is absolutely incredible. Unreal, one might say. It just bleeds through the skyscrapers in such a grandiose way. Here I’m sat waiting for the famous Dubai Fountain Display to kick off. You’d be absolutely right to assume I’m going banana’s with my camera, soaking in every second of those rays. Sunsets really came into the forefront of my photographic efforts here; Dubai gave me a real chance to play around in golden hour, where Paris had been an effort in navigating European February.
Let’s analyse the lighting in the shot above, shall we, perhaps to give you an insight to the way I see things or to help you in your own work.
When shooting in intense situations like this, I shoot to expose the highlights correctly, knowing my camera will preserve enough detail in the shadows for me to lift them up later in post. Shooting like this allows you to play around with the sky a bit more, and in this particular shot has allowed for a left to right dark to light transition. By that I simply mean your eye will start on the left where the image is darker (as that is the natural starting place for the eye, on the left) and resolving on the right where the light bursts. I also opted for a high shutter speed on this one, deciding that reflections would have made the image too busy and distracting from the middle and upper thirds. Instead, you get this almost metallic look from the water, which adds so much texture. I’ve also left the blues relatively high, so those yellows and oranges really pop out at you. There is also a photographic technique at play here called ‘The Rule of Thirds’. If you were to take a 3X3 grid and apply it over this shot, you’d see the sky is in the top third, the city in the middle and the water in the lower third. It’s such a simple way of guiding the viewer’s eye through a shot and creates for a well composed image.
You can learn more about photographic techniques in my YouTube video here.
Check out the building on the left of the image above. Not exactly reaching for the sky, nor very modern looking. This is where the confusing aspect of Dubai comes into play. You have this very traditional Middle-Eastern culture almost hidden by Westernized architecture of glass and steel. Now, something I have to commend the Arabs for, is that each of those sky reaching buildings looks unique. It’s a post-modern design, for sure. However, there’s a pride that seems to have been taken in designing these structures. Each one allowing the sun to beam through and light up the more grand areas of the city.
A Line in the Sand
It’s weird to think that Dubai was just a road in the dust back in the 90s. It really is the perfect example of how quickly capitalism can reduce poverty at a rapid rate. Is Dubai perfect and has it eliminated poverty? No, no, of course it hasn’t. But it should be shown as an example of what happens when the economy is well managed and the culture is agreed upon. To go from a dirt track no one knew to the business capital of the world in 20 years is no small achievement.
With that said, there is a fantasy land feel to the whole place. Almost like it’s cut off from the rest of the world. Again, a bad thing? Maybe not. It’s just an observation and open to ones own interpretation. I’m not huge on consumer culture, so the massive malls and sky kissing structures don’t do a lot for me, but it is fun to indulge in for a couple of weeks. It does however impress me with the engineering genius that seems to go into everything (despite the many unfinished structures you may spot while travelling around due to funding running out).
This is Dubai.
There’s a creek that runs through Dubai, aptly named ‘Dubai Creek’. What it does is separate old from new, with the Burj Khalifa on the one side and spice shops on the other. It’s like a meeting of the West and East, with both sides playing an equally important role in sustaining Dubai’s rapid growth. In the image above are three river taxis. It’s a beautiful ride in the early evening/late afternoon.
A Moment Apart
I named the image above ‘A Moment Apart’ because of the proximity of the two sides of Dubai. Not just in distance, but in time, too. Pretty clever name if I say so myself, and it actually coincides with a song I was loving at the time called A Moment Apart by Odesza; I highly recommend checking that one out.
You can imagine the boat in front is heading off into the light to find a far away place, but that far away place is just to the left of the shot. I’d love to know what the locals of Old Dubai think to the new.
More
I left Dubai wanting more. It’s a place of high luxury and status, mixed with a culture both familiar and new. I suppose that’s the point of a place built on hyper-consumerism. You’re supposed to want more. From dune bashing out in the desert to long sunset walks on Kite Beach, there is something for everyone. Plenty of space to escape the hustle and bustle makes it a tolerable city, too. Would I go back? For sure. I feel there’s a lot left unexplored in Dubai, and now I know what to expect, I’d have a far better idea of what I’m capturing. Hopefully my camera won’t break next time too!
Thank you for reading!
