Dubai: The People, the Dhows, and the Port of Dubai
Dubai!! One of my primary goals was to capture nighttime images of the spectacular Burj al Arab Hotel reflecting off of the Gulf of Oman. It took a bit of fast talking...for access to shooting locations... combined with all my nighttime speed photographic skills, but I did return quite satisfied with the results. Some rather "daunting" images were taken at sunrise at Dubai Creek as the men were waking up and preparing for the day. These men are workers who load the Dhows (sailing ships) or live on them. These ships bring cargo to various ports in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. I made sure to ask permission prior to taking anyone's photo during the entire trip. Most of the men were quite obliging, although you obviously will not see the ones who were not particularly pleased with my presence. As this is a major international shipping port, it can be assumed that some "shady" activities take place. In spite of the language barrier, I managed to have various groups pose for me. Some of these men had apparently never been photographed and were quite excited when I showed them their images on my screen. I was quite excited when I left and realized my camera (and myself) were not being shipped out to sea. I did not pack enough sunscreen to live in Pakistan. The remainder of the images are of various more familiar aspects of the city such as the Mall of the Emirates, the Burj Khalifa (tallest building in the worls) and the spice/gold souks.
