Dubai Photographers Shoot Fujairah and the UAE East Coast

Amazing dedication was on display when more than 20 Dubai photographers arrived in Fujairah at 5.30 in the morning last Friday.

The Friday Shoot Out (FSO) is a group drawn together only a few months ago by Lal Nallath. They have been averaging a dozen every Friday but the attractive East Coast location yesterday almost doubled the attendance.

Why arrive so early when it is dark and cold? These photographers know that the early morning light has a rare quality. They wanted to capture those magical 15 minutes before the sun came up over the Indian Ocean at 7am—the rich hues, especially the golden colours when the sun begins to beam on the Hajars.

After an enlightening talk in the dark by Fujairah photographer, Alan Nambiar, the tripods came out with the camera bags. The starting point was the estuary at Khor Kalba where the warm light lit up the mountains in spectacular fashion. The early morning was still so the reflections were true, the subjects were sharp and the distant landscape emerged with clear definition.

Among the photographers (only one woman) were amateurs who shoot scenes in their spare time and ad-agency professionals who use their best images to create a portfolio and showcase what they can do for a company. Some of them strolled in solitude while others shot in pairs or hunted in packs.

After a couple of hours the Dubai Friday Shooters gathered at Fujairah’s Malabar Palace for an Indian breakfast of dosa with sambhar, chapatti and chai. Lots of chatter, laughter and stories of prize-winning photos snapped.

For many this was their first or second visit to Fujairah and Sharjah’s East Coast. Judging by their reaction, they’ll be back. In fact the Dubai FSO has already scheduled a return visit next month. They loved the location—the combination of water scenes, the greenery and the mountains in what for many camera enthusiasts is an unexplored paradise.

Take a Look
If one picture is worth a thousand words see some of the action and learn some photo shooting lessons from these enthusiasts. Here is the link.

Geoff Pound

This article is also posted on the Fujairah in Focus Facebook Page.

Image: A frenzy of photographers.