HDR Photography Tutorial & Blog - Dubai, UAE - Sunset Over The Burj Al Arab

Jedi mind tricks

If you google Dubai, pictures of The Burj Al Arab pop up first and It’s no wonder why. Look at that thing! It’s shaped like a freakin sailboat! — And did I forget to mention that it’s a 7 star hotel? And why is that fact pertinent to this picture?

Well, since 7 star hotels are a wee bit out of my budget, this is about as close as I could get to it… 😉 Seriously, I tried to get into the (much closer & adjacent) Jumeirah Beach Hotel but they wouldn’t let me stalk around with my camera. Awe shucks guys… Really?

Anyway, it’s important to note at this point that I did NOT use the words, “Awe shucks.” Instead, like I usually do, I tried to charm (lie) my way in. When that didn’t work, I of course thanked the security guard, said goodbye, disappeared around the nearest corner, and tried to sneak in another way. After some (self proclaimed) secret ninja stealth recon work, and after trying Jedi mind tricks on the 5th security guard (who was immune for some reason), I decided to walk over to the public beach instead.

I stayed on the beach for sunset, getting some pretty cool shots as the sun tucked behind the clouds. I sort of toyed with the idea of getting a reflection shot within the surf but I didn’t want to chance my gear.

After the sun went down, I quickly recognized the potential and decided to man up. I took off my shoes, rolled up my pant legs, and setup my tripod in the surf. I used a high f-stop (f/11) to increase the exposure times and soften the water and waves. When I reviewed the exposure brackets, I was immediately thankful that my Jedi powers had failed. If they would have worked on the security guard, I wouldn’t have found this beautiful spot.

Sometimes one door must close for another to open. 😉