the dubai chronicles

nikon d300, 80mm, f2.8, 1/25sec, iso800

one of the highlights of safari tour was a visit to the bedouin camp for barbecue dinner and watch some performers such as the belly dancer. as we reached to the campsite, the place was already busy with tourists trying out the amenities such as sandboarding, camel rides and quad bike rides. there were henna painting, shisha or hubbly bubbly, and traditional costumes as well but we didn’t bother to try any of them. instead, we looked for a sitting spot close to the centerstage.

nikon d300, 80mm, f9, 1/2sec, iso800

the first stage performer was the fire dancer. unfortunately, the lights around the place were turned off and did not make in time to setup my tripod for long exposures. the second one, a male dancer with a heavy costume started to perform the sufi whirling. prepared mounting my camera on a tripod already, i tried long exposures and managed to capture the motion he was doing.

nikon d300, 200mm, f2.8, 1/50sec, iso800

the final act was the belly dancing performed by a russian performer. she used different props such as butterfly wings, veils, canes, tambourines and swords. it was a challenge to photograph her since she was moving randomly and there were lots of distractions (light, poles, people, etc). using high iso, fast lens, and a bit of luck, i managed few keepers out of many.

after the dance, we were brought back to the city, had a few drinks and called it a day.

Tagged: dubai, lahbab, long exposure, low-light, safari