When people were willing but stun; Sun bright but was a relief.
I started 8:00 AM from Bur Dubai Abra station, Dubai, with the walk of an hour planned. It was bright and a pleasant morning (28 degree Celsius). I intended to make head-shots and wanted to make them up-close, and no monotone this time. I had Canon 5D Mark II with EF 24-105mm F4 L IS USM on it; mounted Canon Video-Cam HF21 on the hot shoe, left Flash in the bag :(.
Photographing a common person up-close makes them stressed, stiff and stun; their smile painful and eyes wide open. Emotionally dumb and awestruck. A picture where only thing is a person's head, then that head must be shot well. I find it useful for untrained models to make them squint and look kinda up-to something. Bright Sun was blessing then. I didn't have to ask anyone to pose, Sun made if for me through out the walk. When it did not I struggle to make a good shot. This walk was fun when most were ready with a nudge of camera, few posed without asking seeing Canon in my hands, a couple said weak no but with very little persuasion smiled for camera. I missed flash and a fellow photographer though...
All images were shot in AV mode, f/4 - f5.6, exposure compensation of 0 or +-1/3. ISO 100-200.
Pathan or Khan Sab as commonly addressed, favorite model of every photographer.
Mohammad Ali, this Abra driver makes a good model, always smiling and squinted. What would you do with the pictures you take?
Initially he resisted but agreed for a shot (burst :) )
Aaah, and the stiff one... stood like a soldier and left me wondering!
Ever ready for camera!
And again stiff one... depth and experience on the face made the pic for me...
Wide open and awe-struck
Happy to see you - very much ready and posed without asking
Jubilant one, was scaling the fish; when see the camera on his face shouted aaaaaawwwwwwww....
Could not convince him for face, shot his head from other angle
Deserts are not most likely places to shoot in the summer, excruciatingly hot, unbearably humid; virtually, it is the extension of the Sun. Ruthless sun doesn't like anyone stepping into it's domain; it blurs vision, draws out every drop of water from body, burns for the kill.
It was particularly warm day, sun was bright and sky dull when I plan the shoot. Wind was dominant, wouldn't let sand rest too, knocking blow after blow; taking sand where it intended. Huge dunes were forming, smaller disappearing; wind continued creating, erasing and re-forming contours.
Once my car was parked safely, I started walking into desert after crossing broken fences; immediately tasted crunchy sand in my mouth. I kept the camera lens covered and eyes shaded when possible. Climbing dunes while composing and capturing; every step was being sucked knee deep into soft sand.
This very shot was captured at the beginning of 'golden hour'. Sun was at perfect position , or, rather I was. Breeze kept sand unease, flowing through the air; one such moment provided the opportunity to capture this moment. Canon 5D MkII hand held, was set on Manual Mode, f10 - 1/160 - ISO 100; Canon EF 24-70 f2.8 was zoomed at its longest end. I exposed 250+ images that day, few came right straight out of the camera; whereas, mostly wrongly exposed and immediately deleted. After uploading this image to desktop and process into Camera RAW - tweaked color temperature a bit and convert to Black and White, re-sized, sharpen and framed. Though this is not a perfect dune shot, the point being, get out and shoot when possible. One thing I have learnt from photography, the biggest opportunities always lies at or behind the door of challenge(s).
