Stars in the UAE: Gulf News photographers’ top picks

Katy Perry brought the colour to the du Arena on Yas Island to kick off 2018. She put on a colourful show, along with a massive troupe of dancers, and judging by the reactions from the audience, she delivered exactly what they wanted. Perry’s interactive show and infectious energy translated into beautiful images for me.

I like the seriourness of former One Direction band member Niall Horan playing Pro-Am at Emirates Golf Club. Photo: Virendra Saklani/Gulf News

Ricky Martin performance during the Jazz Festival, taking place at Media City, Dubai. Photo: Antonin Kélian Kallouche/Gulf News

This picture of Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach at the Amato outlet in Dubai Design District could just be one of my favourite celebrity shots, simply because of the stunning backdrop and how it perfectly blends in to the beautiful Amato outfit she has on. Interestingly, this backdrop is a showcase booth built inside the store where dresses are on display.

International K-Pop star Luna of the group f(x) is a beautiful and amazing stage performer, and gave me the opportunity to capture this moment in the last 25 minutes of the show at the Autism Rocks Arena. The crowed was absolutely boiling over and Luna gave them all her energy, I captured this shot with a tele lens, which reinforces the enthusiasm of the crowd and I feel this photo best represents that energy from the fans, turning the whole performance into a magical night.

Bollywood actress Sonam Kapoor oozed confidence during this shoot, and created a fun working environment for me during our interview at the Burj Khalifa. When a subject feels confident, they will always deliver photograph with the best impact.

I like this candid picture of Indian tennis star Sania Mirza when she was in her mid pregnancy and colourful sofa was a great help. . Photo: Virendra Saklani/Gulf News

This picture of Pakistani actors Ali Zafar and Maya Ali is one of my favourite shot. Before reaching to the venue i was little sceptical because it was an informal brunch interview in a hotel restaurant, but it came out nice. Photo: Virendra Saklani/Gulf News

This casual picture of Pakistani actors Mehwish Hayat (left) and Fahad Mustafa at the Gulf News office studio was a challenging shoot due to the space and time constraints. Studio shoots are all about light play and a two-point lighting did justice to this picture.

I am particularly fond of this picture of Miss World 2013 Megan Young, taken at Jumeirah Rotana Hotel, because it captures the fun and innocence of the model. And most interestingly, this picture was taken in the hotel lobby as she arrived tired from the airport.

We shot supermodel and actress Alessandra Ambrosio in her hotel room and it was quite tough, since we were only given a few seconds to get that shot — less than 30 seconds to be precise. However, thanks to the model’s experience, those few seconds proved to be enough time to capture her grace and beauty.

An American media personality, businesswoman, socialite, singer, model, and actress Paris Whitney Hilton known to be completely down to earth and never have a celebrity air around herself and talks to everyone as a friend. She talks nicely to everyone she meets. In this picture I feel a breath of fresh air taken at the launch of her fragrance Platinum Rush at Brands4U at Dubai Festival City on 20 November 2018. Photo: Pankaj Sharma/Gulf News

I always get worried before shooting celebrities, as we often get limited access to take pictures. In this case, I had limited time but with more access. I should mention that Entrata’s pleasing personality was the cherry on the cake for me, as she was very friendly, which always makes life easier for a photographer. We shot the Philippine social media at the Amato Couture atelier in Dubai Design District, owned by designer Furne One, ahead of his show at the Arab Fashion Week where Entrata was the showstopper.

I like this photo because of the lighting and the way the South Indian icon moves. Mohanlal performed at a stage show for a charity event to raise funds for victims of the Kerala floods this year.