Mysterious skies

Just as a painter paints his canvas with the many hues of mind and mood, a photographer pictures the kaleidoscopic colours of nature, and nothing can be more catchy and captivating when all is combined in a format for us to enjoy. This is what the American photo-journalist, Missy O'Doherty tries to accomplish in Arabian Skies, a 'coffee table' glossy collection which reflects her penchant for the beautiful Arabian skies along with its cloud formations.
The book will be released at the Sharjah Book Fair which begins on Wednesday. Missy is excited about her creation and says: "The best part about doing this book is that I did it for myself and my family back home in America, to show them what Arabia is like. I love the Emirates and its camels, horses, falcons, boats, and above all, its skies and sunsets, and this book is a collection of those photographs from my favourite places and events around the Gulf."
Missy has been a sportswoman and a lover of games involving animals from a very young age. Taking pictures was her hobby, which has now become her passion and profession. The sky is indeed the limit for her as her fascination and love for the skies has taken her across all the Gulf states, plus the neighbouring countries, to watch and click the changing colours of the skies with every sunset or sunrise.
She says colours change like our moods with every sunset, depending on the terrain and season. Sometimes they are soothing, at other times they are fiery. They change in a jiffy in front of our eyes. No painter could replicate exactly the celestial phenomenon created by an invisible hand.
But, as a photographer, she feels she can try to capture the kaleidoscopic colours and interplay between the sun's rays and clouds on a film. That's what Missy's photographs are all about – with each picture captioned in her own inimitable style. Besides the evening glory, Arabian Skies also features camels, falcons, mountains of Oman and pyramids in Egypt, showcasing Missy's variedinterests.
Apart from the Arabian skies, has anything else attracted her in this cosmopolitan country? "Oh yes," she says, "the local people of this wonderful country are very caring and co-operative and have helped me with all conceivable contributions to compile my collection."
She advises newcomers to this field: "Put in your heart and mind, and you can accomplish anything."