one of the challenges of doing street photography is being there at the right place at the right time. you can capture an “extraordinary” shot easily if you know where to look.
i was invited by pep-oman to conduct a basic photography workshop last november and one of the topics i discussed was composition. after the lecture, we headed out to muttrah souk in muscat to apply what they have learned. they say there were a lot of interesting subjects to shoot and so we chose the place beforehand.
located at the corniche, the muttrah souk is said to be one of the oldest and well-known marketplace in oman. it consists of interconnected pathways leading in and out of each other. most of the shops sell household goods and tourist souvenirs such as incense, gold and silver jewellery, traditional weapons, shishas, clothes, and ornaments.
unfortunately, just like any other arab cities, the shops were closed on friday noon for prayer.
tough luck.
some of participants opted for patterns or “sniping” (shooting) each other instead. i did not have the luxury of letting the opportunity pass by because i have only two days stay. i had to gamble, took the empty souk and search for my shots. as i walked with the president of the club and asked if the people in the area are approachable, he said some of them were ok but if we’re unlucky…
i have to risk it.
luckily, this man was accomodating even if he had customers that time. i even asked if he could give me some “approved” sign while taking few snaps. i thanked him and left.
then we heard the azan (call to prayer) from the mosque nearby.
i told my buddy to take me there and might be an another opportunity for pictures. as we arrived to the mosque, i instructed my buddy not to take snaps of people during prayer as a sign of respect. so we waited till the prayer finished and stood near the staircase when suddenly a man came late…
we waited for few more minutes, sat near the mosque entrance and targeted a spot where there were few shoes and slippers near the wall. as the people finished their prayers, we patiently waited for the owners to grab their footwear and hopefully to get a clear shot. a few moments later, the crowd dissipated.
the footwear we targeted were orphans.
photography is a hit or miss opportunity in capturing your subject. you can either prepare for it, venture to the unknown, or make the best of what is left. in the end, it is up to you to make the decision and produce your perception. 
shots were taken by nikon d300 using 70-200mm 2.8 and 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5 lenses.
