Dubai
Everywhere you look is an opportunity for a great photograph — and this is especially true of landscapes. In his book, Photography Field Guide: Landscapes, veteran photographer Robert Caputo says: ‘Our field of vision encompasses a great deal of the scene, but our eyes and brains have the ability to ignore all except the most alluring details. Lenses and sensors or film cannot do this by themselves. They need help.’
Planning the picture then, is imperative, and time is the biggest gift a photographer can give to him/herself when trying to capture a scenic view or the perfect moment.
In the month of May, our reader photographers took their time, making the most of natural light, to capture a view of the world that they felt must be shared. Picture Editor K. P. Devadasan selected the top three entries, with the most ‘alluring details’, and here, we present the photographs that stood out from the rest.
Editor’s note: Do you want to participate in our monthly Reader Picture Competition? Send us your best photographs, with captions, at readers@gulfnews.com.
Profile:
Mohsin Abrar is a marketing manager, based in Dubai.
A keen photography enthusiast, Abrar travels the world to take pictures. However, his winning photograph in May, was from home ground – Dubai.
He said: ‘As tourists in any country or city, we try to capture as much as we can through photography. But in our daily routines, we become so busy that we forget to enjoy the place we live in.’
Reason for winning:
For Picture Editor K. P. Devadasan, Abrar’s photograph gave an interesting twist to a common subject.
He said: ‘The picture is very dramatic and well composed. The reader has made good use of a wide lens, to show the entire scene. It’s a fresh perspective of Dubai’s skyline, and one of the city’s most photographed buildings – the Burj Khalifa. His picture has the ability to surprise you, and that’s the main reason it won.’
Profile:
Stanley Robert is a health, safety and environment compliance manager, based in Dubai.
His winning photograph from Salalah, Oman, captured his love for Nature.
Robert’s visit to Salalah was an eye-opening one. He said: ‘With all the beautiful beaches, lagoons, caves, fishing villages, wadis and world heritage sites, one will always feel like staying back and exploring, and will quickly make plans to return again.’
Reason for winning:
Picture Editor K. P. Devadasan said: ‘The timing of this picture is what compelled me to select it as a winner. It’s common knowledge that Salalah is quite lush and green, but with the mist rising in the reader’s photograph, the mystery and mood created gives the impression of this being a completely different country.’
Profile:
Saravanan Selvarajan is an IT consultant, based in Dubai.
He is part of a photography group in the city, called Shutterbugs, and captured his winning picture during one of their excursions.
He said: ‘I took this picture in the Hatta desert, when I went for an early morning desert safari.’
Reason for winning:
Picture Editor K. P. Devadasan said: ‘Technically, this is a very good picture. Great use of light, creates a nice silhouette. The fine details are still visible, so viewers are able to see the emotions on the faces of those pictured.’
