Abu Dhabi Daily Photograph - Get the BIGGER picture

The beauty of the camel

2013-11-08T07:53:00.018+04:00

Seen only in the desert

Life is like a .... desert

2013-11-05T21:15:00.000+04:00

“Life is always like a desert, you’ll either find an oasis or end up in a mirage while finding one” - Sunirmal Kundu

5 Today

2013-11-02T12:10:00.000+04:00

230,551 Pageviews, 2150 Comments, 777 Blog Posts, 303 Followers - Phew! Thank You

Cyber-exhibition "The Headless Woman"

2013-06-27T19:00:00.000+04:00

Cyber-exhibition "The Camel Shepherd"

2013-05-12T23:33:00.004+04:00

Cyber-exhibition "Brothers in Arms"

2013-04-06T19:00:00.000+04:00

Cyber-exhibition "The man from Balochistan"

2013-02-21T19:00:00.000+04:00

Cyber-exhibition "Million’s Street"

2013-02-20T22:00:00.000+04:00

Cyber-exhibition "The Windcatcher"

2013-02-19T23:00:00.000+04:00

Cyber-exhibition "Boat beneath the sunny sky"

2013-02-18T23:30:00.000+04:00

Cyber-exhibition "He Who Wears a Smile"

2013-02-17T22:00:00.000+04:00

Cyber-exhibition "Desert Rose"

2013-02-16T23:50:00.000+04:00

Cyber-exhibition "Life's A Beach"

2013-02-15T19:00:00.000+04:00

Cyber-exhibition "Food for Thought"

2013-02-14T19:00:00.000+04:00

Taking a photo of one’s dinner plate before consuming it I guess is what’s called ‘modern art’. The inspiration behind the shot was Dr. Seuss’ 1960’s book “Green Eggs and Ham’, although on my plate has yellow eggs, black beans and fried plantain. Not such a great book title as Seuss but far tastier than his green eggs and ham!

Cyber-exhibition No.23 "WaterWorld"

2013-02-10T23:00:00.000+04:00

Taking photographs of architecture is pretty straight forward. However, making them attention-grabbing is the real challenge. One of my favourite photographic techniques for cityscapes is including something of interest in both the foreground and background. This picture, taken just after the extention to the Corniche demonstrates the method perfectly. Composition is also key and you will notice I’ve balanced all the important elements here.

Cyber-exhibition No.24 "The Miracle of Life"

2013-02-09T19:00:00.000+04:00

“Miracle of Life” was taken in the Hajjar Mountains near Ras Al Khaimah. How a lone tree can survive up there is a beyond belief, hence the title of the picture. Being the highest mountain range in the eastern Arabian peninsula meant I needed to use a zoom lens to see anything. It was an unusually bright, clear day with very little sand and dust in the air. I took a single shot knowing I’d nailed it first time. Centering the tree in the picture works well and the ratio of sky to earth is near perfect with the deep blue sky and electric green of the tree contrasting each other nicely.

Cyber-exhibition "Oooooohh Abu Dhabi"

2013-02-06T19:00:00.001+04:00

In complete contrast to yesterday’s photo, this one shows a very different side of Abu Dhabi. One of tall buildings and modern skyscrapers, revealing how the city has transformed itself over the last few years. Yes, this photo could have easily been taken elsewhere like New York or London but it wasn’t and that’s the point, it's Abu Dhabi. Black & white works really well here, giving the photo a something extra, although it’s the angle that really makes this picture standout. Going straight up is good sometimes!

Cyber-exhibition "The Land That Time Forgot"

2013-02-05T19:30:00.000+04:00

The whole intent of this piece was to conjure up an image of a bygone era of simple UAE life before the discovery of oil here. I deliberately went off-road to find a suitable location, making sure there were no signs of the 21st century anywhere (not easy). I was really pleased with the result. The pro’s will tell you never to shoot in the midday sun but that’s exactly what I did here. Mad Dogs us British!

You've Been Framed!

2013-02-02T18:30:00.000+04:00

I had just two New Year’s resolutions for 2013. The first was to get 30 of my favourite works framed and mounted. The other was to put on my very own photo exhibition. Well, IKEA at Yas Island helped me out with the first with their great selection of frames and Google with the second. That’s right, with 149 different countries visiting this blog I’ve decided to go global and have a cyber-exhibition right here. So.... for the next 30 consecutive days you all have a VIP pass to visit and view my top 30 picks. Critics and art appreciators also welcome!

Return of the Magnificent 7 (to the classroom)

2013-01-26T20:00:00.000+04:00

An image of the original Magnificent Seven of 1971 and founding fathers of the UAE, who established the country 41 years ago. They are: Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, founder of the Union and Ruler of the UAE and Abu Dhabi, Shaikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai and Vice-President of the UAE, Shaikh Khalid III Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah, Shaikh Rashid Bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Ruler of Ajman, Shaikh Saqr Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, Shaikh Ahmad II Bin Rashid Al Mualla, Ruler of Umm Al Quwain and Shaikh Mohammad Bin Hamad Al Sharqi, Ruler of Fujairah.

All have since passed but their legend lives on with the recent announcement by the Ministry of Education that it’s to introduce biographies and tales of the seven into the national studies and history curriculum in schools - Can't wait, should be a good read!

Ducenta Millesimus

2013-01-22T19:00:00.000+04:00

As this blog celebrates 200,000 pageviews, I'm curious to know a little more about you all, where you’re from and which photos you like best. Well astonishly, you're from 149 different countries - from Aruba to Zambia and everywhere in between. Now that's what I call a global audience! Here's what it looks like on a map.

.....And here's the top 10 visitors to my blog.

....And here’s your all-time top 5 favorites photos. 2009 was obviously a vintage year!

Abu Dhabi named world's best large city!

2013-01-16T19:00:00.000+04:00

"Abu Dhabi has been named the best liveable large city in the world, fending off a field of tough international competition. The country’s capital city took gold in the International Awards for Liveable Communities, in the Cities with Populations Over 400,000 category — beating out 11 other finalists, including Ankara and New Taipei. An Abu Dhabi Municipality spokeswoman said many people were surprised with just how accomplished the UAE capital was, because it did not have the same profile as many big cities. ‘People were very, very impressed. I don’t think people realise how much is going on in Abu Dhabi, it’s a very low profile city." - Time Out Abu Dhabi, December 2012

Congratulations Abu Dhabi! I can’t think of anywhere else I’d rather be living & working.

In thrust I trust

2013-01-14T20:00:00.000+04:00

It's better to be down here wishing you were up there, than up there wishing you were down here.
An Etihad airplane soars over the city skyline to dramatic effect.

Little Rock

2013-01-06T18:00:00.000+04:00

Bizarre rock formations located in the desert between Abu Dhabi and Dubai

Season's Greetings from Abu Dhabi

2012-12-25T19:51:00.000+04:00

One of the great things about living the UAE is its tolerance of religion, which means a traditional Christmas for me & mine.