Dubai

Water abstracts

/ mikeosbornphoto / 10 Comments

Water is compelling to photograph. When it’s moving or situated by lights, the attraction grows. And if this is at night, then I cannot keep away. This combination can produce some interesting results – often art without the need to pick up a paintbrush.

This was captured at the Dubai Mall, just before a display of the Dubai Fountain. Water and the coloured lights of consumerism work well together for the lens.

In Mauritius, and an after dinner rain shower captures the night glow of Le Touessrok by the pool.

An illuminated waterfall plays close to Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building. The long exposure gives the water a foggy sheen, while its colours shine through.

This is not a night shot, but taken in the relatively low light conditions of a shopping centre. It is a close-up of the Dubai Mall waterfall, showing water cascading. It’s flipped to the side for effect and in sepia to bring out the textures. This is the most abstract of this foursome. Which one has the most impact on you?

See also:  Gushing, spurting, babbling

Dawn and dusk

/ mikeosbornphoto / 7 Comments

Two different times of the day in two countries. Sun-up on Dubai’s Jumeirah Beach, with a smattering of people enjoying the welcoming cool before the roasting heat of the day. And again when the sun was sinking slowly below the horizon beyond Gulf waters.

Dawn in Mauritius, on a deserted patch of beach in Le Touessrok, was relatively chilly. The promise of a blazing sunrise slowly faded and offered a muted show instead. In any event, sunrise and sundown are special times of the day and always enticing to the photographer.

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See also:    Stripped Sky    Sumptuous sunset

The bright lights of Dubai

/ mikeosbornphoto / 6 Comments

With its teeming skyscrapers, the Middle Eastern metropolis of Dubai is a place made for after dark. The searing light of the sun has disappeared, while the tall buildings glimmer and twinkle with a myriad of illuminations.

Next to the Dubai Mall – the largest shopping centre in the world – is a dazzling spectacle made for night-time. The Dubai Fountain is a show which sees plumes of water gushing high into the air and dancing to music.

This makes the city a great location for night photography. Armed with my tripod, I took shots of the Dubai Marina area, and then headed to catch the fountain in all its glory.

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Dazzling desert towers

The tallest tower

Dazzling desert towers

/ mikeosbornphoto / 4 Comments

Dubai is an upwardly mobile city, bristling with skyscrapers. They come in every shape and size, mostly shiny and new. The world’s tallest building, Burj Khalifa, is fittingly found here.

In the piercing sunlight of the Arabian Gulf in summer and under a clear blue sky, photographing these towers is hard work. You have to squint and point your lens far upwards. It can be harsh and unyielding. But with these soaring lines the results can also be astounding – especially for a fan of extreme architecture.

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London’s skyscrapers seem to pale into insignificance compared to the high rise might of Dubai. There is no desert light in this city. How do you think the two compare? Take a look at Skyscraper study and The highest heights to make up your own mind.

Dubai divers

/ mikeosbornphoto / 7 Comments

Dubai Mall is not your regular neighbourhood shopping centre. In the first instance, it’s the largest in the world with a vast expanse of air-conditioned stores, restaurants and other amenities and attractions.

This city in the United Arab Emirates is not a place where things are done by halves. This consumer paradise also boasts a spectacular waterfall which is studded with stately, athletic male figures diving down into the water, and is worthy of several photographs. Here is just one which captures what is quite an impressive piece of art.

The Waterfall is also billed as a meeting place for mall shoppers – a much-needed landmark in a huge place which is very easy to lose yourself in.