UAE

My Photography (70) — Downtown Dubai, UAE, 2019

July 9, 2019 · 20:14

I managed to get on the roof of Libery House in Dubai, which has a great view of Downtown. Unfortunately, it was so humid today, that my “big” camera completely fogged up and wouldn’t clear up for over 30 minutes. I gave up and pulled my iPhone out of my pocket. I hate failure.

Shot with iPhone XS @ 26 mm: f/1.8, 1/35 s, ISO 400.

My Photography (68) — The View from the 124th Floor of Burj Khalifa, Dubai, UAE, 2019

July 5, 2019 · 22:19

So this happened! I actually had a minute or two of vertigo after looking straight down. The view really is quite stunning. Just try to avoid the haze if possible (which I didn’t).

The Burj Khalifa has a number of terraces and it’s actually cheaper to go up to the 124th floor than the one even higher up (150+) and I’m not sure if that one offers an outdoor terrace. The one I was on has viewports that can fit a lens, if it’s not very big in diameter. I managed to fit my Sony FE 28 mm f/2 without major issues but I couldn’t use my Zeiss ZF 100 mm f/2 Makro-Planar T*. Forget trying to use any larger zoom lens, e.g. a 24-70 f/2.8 or 24-105 f/4. You can shoot through the glass itself of course, but there are so many reflections, you might want to use one of those special flexible anti-reflection hoods.

Don’t forget to look at the fountain show down below!

Shot with Sony A7R II + FE 28 mm f/2: f/8, 75 s, ISO 100.

My Photography (65) — Level 43 Sky Lounge View, Dubai, UAE, 2019

July 3, 2019 · 21:08

The Four Points by Sheraton has a pool and restaurant/club on the roof — Level 43 Sky Lounge — with outdoor seating and a beautiful view. It’s not cheap but then you are paying for more than just the drinks and food.

Notes on the photo: The shot above is heavily compresed and you might see banding in the sky. The original has enough tonal capacity not to exhibit this effect but I had to compress it, to save on bandwidth and load times.

Shot with Sony A7R II + FE 28 mm f/2: f/8, 8 s, ISO 100.

My Photography (45) — Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, UAE, 2017

June 11, 2018 · 15:33

The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque was completed in 2007 and can hold over 41 thousand people at the same time. It truly is an amazing architectural sight to behold, so if you’re in or around Abu Dhabi (a layover perhaps — you’ll need at least 4 hours to get there and back in time for your next flight) make sure to visit it. This shot (here’s another) was taken on our way back from our trip to the Seychelles, and since we had close to 7 hours at our disposal…

One more photo below →

My Photography (26) — Sheikh Zayed Mosque, UAE, 2017

March 20, 2017 · 16:55

We had a 7-hour layover in Abu Dhabi, on our way back from the Seychelles, so naturally, we had to go see the city, with the Sheikh Zayed Mosque being our first stop. I still remember when I first saw the city over 30 years ago, basically, a village in the desert — the contrast is amazing — but this place of religion is simply stunning to behold.

Shot with Sony A7R II + FE 28 mm f/2: f/6.3, 119 s, ISO 100.