Photography: Dubai, UAE – Burj Khalifa and Downtown Dubai

When I mentioned that I was going to Dubai for a short holiday, my friends said “Oh, fantastic! You’re going to Shop till you Drop!”  I gather most people think of Dubai as one big shopping Mall! Well, apart from gifts for my family and friends, a book, a bag for my iPad, a few t-shirts and a Canon 7-15mm f4 Fisheye lens, I didn’t do any shopping….. For me, this was the ultimate Photo Safari, and I’d like to share some of my images here.

When you drive around Dubai you are immediately struck by how everything is so MODERN and CLEAN. Many of the buildings are less than 10 years old, and there are many  more under construction.

The Burj Khalifa, completed in January 2010, is the world’s tallest man-made structure (almost 830 metres!), and is situated on Sheikh Zayed Road in Downtown Dubai. We had booked online to go to the observation deck, which is at 425 metres (just over half-way up the Burj.)

Don’t worry, it doesn’t really bend like that – the only way to get the whole building in the frame was to use my Canon 7-15mm f4 Fisheye lens – 1/400 second at f10, hand-held

The view from the deck is mind-boggling! Having driven around Dubai for two days before going up the Burj Khalifa, I knew just how tall the buildings in that area are – and yet from the observation deck they look like toys!

Looking north: the Trade Centre. (Canon 20mm f2.8 lens – 1/250 second at f6.3 hand-held)

The view directly downward: The Palace Hotel and the magnificent musical fountains. (Canon 20mm f2.8 lens – 1/500 second at f9, hand-held)

If you enjoy photography, I recommend that if you are in Dubai you take a trip up the Burj Khalifa. Take your widest lens, as well as a zoom lens, so you can get shots like this:

(Canon 70-300mm f1.4-5.6 zoom lens –  1/500 second at f9, hand-held)

After our visit to the Burj, we had dinner at an outdoor restaurant, with views of the musical fountains. As the sun set and the light faded, the Burj and surrounds became even more exciting to photograph!

Looking back at the Burj, from the Palace Hotel (Canon 20mm f2.8 lens – 0.8 sec at f11 with a tripod)

The Burj Khalifa, seen from the Palace Hotel (Canon 20mm f2.8 lens – 0.8sec at f11 with a tripod)

The stunningly beautiful musical fountains! (Canon 20mm f2.8 prime lens – 1/6 second at f13 with a tripod)

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Dubai: it’s clean, the people are kind and friendly and I felt safe wherever I set up my tripod. There was so much to see and do I could happily have spent another two weeks there….. I’ll be back!

Next time, I will share my photos of some of the architecture, and the Dubai Marina.