Abu Dhabi Daily Photograph - Get the BIGGER picture

Cyber-exhibition No.10 "The Camel Shepherd"

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

Cyber-exhibition No.11 "Brothers in Arms"

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

Cyber-exhibition No.12 "The man from Balochistan"

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

Cyber-exhibition No.13 "Million’s Street"

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

Cyber-exhibition No.14 "The Windcatcher"

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

Cyber-exhibition No.15 "Boat beneath the sunny sky"

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

Cyber-exhibition No.16 "He Who Wears a Smile"

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

Cyber-exhibition No.17 "Desert Rose"

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

Cyber-exhibition No.18 "Life's A Beach"

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

Cyber-exhibition No.19 "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.20 "Sun in the Sands"

2013-02-13T23:30:00.000+04:00

‘Sun in the Sands’ was taken in the desert somewhere between Al Ain and Abu Dhabi. Here the sand dunes are so big and wide that the only way to do them justice is with a 180 degree panoramic camera.

Panoramas are tricky to take, even with a camera such as mine with built-in panorama stitching, which takes a series of photographs in successive shots as the camera is panned across a scene. The difficulty is keeping the camera in a straight and aligning the previous shot with the next. Doubly difficult in the desert where there’s no obvious landmarks to align with. However, this is one of my best efforts.

Cyber-exhibition No.21 "Tails of the Unexpected"

2013-02-12T19:30:00.000+04:00

It always pays to have a camera with you like on this occasion whilst driving through Sharjah. The sight of these 2 locals with their camels in tow made for a great Kodak moment. However, it’s not so easy taking a photo from a moving vehicle. Fortunately there was little traffic around so I was able to slow down enough to fire off a few shots.

Cyber-exhibition No.22 "Message in a Bottle"

2013-02-11T19:00:00.000+04:00

"Message in a Bottle" was taken on one of the 200 desert Islands off coast of Abu Dhabi. It’s a classic textbook composition following the rule of thirds, adding balance and interest to the photo.

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 No. 25 "Undulation"

2013-02-08T19:00:00.000+04:00

Cyber-exhibition - No.26 "3 Tier Wedding Cake"

2013-02-07T21:00:00.000+04:00

“The 3 Tier Wedding Cake” is actually a former palace turned museum and once home to late UAE President, Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan. It’s located in Al Ain and was built in 1937. What I like about this photo is its resemblance to a wedding cake but more importantly the symmetry, patterns and colours making for very eye-catching composition.

Cyber-exhibition No.27 "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 - No.28 "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!

Cyber-exhibition No.29 "The Need for Speed"

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

Many of my best shots have been opportunist, by being at the right place at the right time. Today’s picture is a case in point as I just happen to have my camera with me near the Breakwater at Marina Mall when out of nowhere these jet-ski appeared and heading straight towards me. Unfortunately, it was already early evening and the light was poor. To get anywhere close to the action I had to use a zoom, and normally I’d have used a tripod to help steady the camera. So I really wasn’t expecting much from the single shot I managed to take. However, as you can see, the end result was pleasing, capturing the high speed antics to full effect.

Cyber-exhibition No.30 "The Sanctuary"

2013-02-03T23:00:00.000+04:00

To kick-off this 30-day cyber-exhibition I've chosen this piece, taken at the gardens along Abu Dhabi Corniche in May 2008. I’ve always liked it. The composition is near perfect, colours nice & vibrant and there's a good balance between land and sky. There’s also something zen about it, perhaps because of the feeling of privacy and solitude.

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.