Its not every day that you get to do something good with your job but Saturday was an exception. I was sent to Al Ain to photograph Guilam and his Son Abdullah for the National Newspaper’s, Helping Hands section which reports on the work of the Dar Al Ber Society, a registered charity in the UAE.
In this edition of ‘Behind the Lens’ I want to share some insights on getting the best out of photographing stage performers by looking at a photograph I made of Omid Djalili for the National newspaper several years ago. Omid Djalili is one of the most media savvy performers I have photographed and is a great example of the relationship between a photographer and a performer. More on that later, firstly I want to talk a little about the technical …
It was late in the day when I finally arrived at the small apartment on the upper floor of a villa in the Abu Hail district of Dubai. I was to photograph ‘Shemi’ the author of ‘Nadavazhiyile Nerukal’ (The truth in my path) for the National newspaper. I didn’t really know a great detail about Shemi before I arrived but the little of her story I did know fascinated me. Shemi was tragically orphaned at the age of 13 and …
In this edition of Behind the Lens I want to look at a car shoot I did for Audi magazine. The brief was very open. “Here have an Audi Q5, go to Salalah and take lots of pictures of the car”. Myself and Noel Ebdon the writer on the story set off on our journey from Dubai which would amount to a gruelling 2 day drive. I had also picked up a bad case of food poisoning from a certain …
The image was taken when I was a student in Brighton University (not so long ago) but it taught me some important life lessons. For me it’s a ‘hook’ image, a picture that changes everything, an image which literally redirects you in the way you think as a photographer. It also seems an appropriate image to kick off the new blog series, ‘Behind the Lens’. The picture was taken in Hastings in Sussex, England. I had been working on a …
Photographers by profession are optimistic people. This is a pretty bold statement so let me try and justify it. I’m not talking about subject matter, I’m not going to argue that corner. When a photographer walks out of the door they are certain that they will make some great images that day. Why leave the house if you felt any other way.
The UAE is one of the most liberal countries in the Middle East however issues of culture and religion are obviously taken very seriously. Nobody wants to cause offense or cross the line yet sometimes it’s a little tricky to know what may or may not be offensive.
Whilst I am happy to share my technical knowledge in this blog, I am acutely aware that such emphasis on technicality simply diverts conversation away from what’s really important in photography.
For my first real blog I wanted to tell you a story. I think its a story of success but also of determination and self belief. Its a story about a client of mine, someone I have known for a long time whom I have watched grow and evolve.
Finally I have started to listen. I have been told for ages that I should start a blog. How can I ever hope to change the world by grumbling to myself.
