rilindhoxha

Horned Viper

Although the whole world is mesmerized with the futuristic outlook of Dubai, not everyone dares to explore its vast desert wilderness, which is as unique as the...
Read more

Although the whole world is mesmerized with the futuristic outlook of Dubai, not everyone dares to explore its vast desert wilderness, which is as unique as the city itself. On one of the days of my visit, together with a local friend, a fellow photographer ( Baber Afzal from Baber Afzal photography ), we decided to escape the crowded city and conquer the sand dunes. We hit the road late in the afternoon and arrived just before sunset; the sun was going down fast therefore I needed to be quick at choosing an exotic composition.

The wind was blowing and the sun was already down, which led to a spectacular contrast on the golden sand and a beautiful backdrop in the horizon. If I only knew how difficult it would be to shoot this incredible scenery for an inexperienced in this conditions photographer, I would have prepared everything beforehand. First of all, as I already mentioned, the wind was blowing and the sand was getting in my face and in front of my camera. Then I realized that I needed to change the lens, which was very dangerous, since the sand could get in the sensor of the camera and damage it. On top of that, I could barely move around since my shoes were full of sand, and it was difficult enough to maneuver with the tripod in your hands whilst constantly getting stuck. Nevertheless, despite all the trouble, I managed to capture some very unusual for me photographs.

This time, I did go only with one exposure, the -1EV shot because I liked the dramatic and dark look on the shadows and I think it gives a better depth to the image itself. I managed to make the shot look warmer in lightroom by adjusting the white-balance, and keep the golden tones that I could see with my eyes on the location. With the help of luminosity masking, I succeeded in keeping the desired contrast between the darker parts and the highlights. I did also use some selective color adjustments for the image, and made some of the colors pop. In the end, I applied the Orton effect, which gives a nice glow to the brightest parts of the image, and it suited this view perfectly. For the final touch, I did some selective sharpening and the noise reduction as usual. I really did enjoy all this experience, both on the field and on the creative part that took much time and great effort when I came home.

Hope you enjoy
Read less