Whether you provide scenic, fashion, or commercial photography, Dubai is a heaven of breath-taking backdrops to your pictures. Although, with such a dynamic, modern city, it can be difficult to choose the locations to take your photography talents to. The sea of skyscrapers can look intimidating to beginner photographers. However, they provide some of the best views in the city.
With its array of tourist attractions, you can be certain that Dubai will provide the ideal background for your photos. The location you should opt for should be based on your style of photography. The locations listed below comport all forms of attractions, ranging from restaurants to rooftops, beaches, and grandiose sculptures. They will make for the most memorable pieces of Dubai Photography.
Selecting A Location
Before we go into our pick of best photoshoot locations, you will need to know, as a freelance photographer in Dubai, the factors that should dictate your choice.
The first question you must ask yourself when selecting a backdrop to your photography is how well it will compliment your chosen objects. High fashion photography is often taken in large, open spaces, to avoid busy backgrounds distracting from the subject of the picture. Commercial photography, however, will often build an atmosphere or plot around the subject of the picture, which will match the product for sale. Scenic photography, on the other hand, will simply depend on your area of expertise. Whether you are an architecture or art fanatic, Dubai has every type of striking scene to offer.
One of the many tips for beginning your freelance photography journey is to select a less busy location at first to avoid distractions. This will allow you to take your time to set up the picture, adjusting the frame, focus, or lighting where need be.
The Top 5 Trendiest Dubai Photoshoot Locations
The Burj Khalifa
You probably have heard of the Burj Khalifa as the tallest building in the world. It is also potentially the most breathtaking. Its architecture is perfect for both commercial and high-definition design photography. Whether you choose to take a picture of the hotel or from one of its skyline windows, you will want to plan your trip to the Burj ahead. The top of the Burj is one of the most in-demand photography spots. Therefore, you will need a two-week advance booking to ensure you earn a spot. The security at the Burj is extremely tight. You will need to be prepared for several security checks, which will take about an hour.
The top of the Burj is one of the most popular tourist locations in Dubai. For this reason, you should expect the location to be relatively busy at all times. It may take you time to find your perfect angle, as the best spots are likely to be taken. If you are looking to take a picture of the incredible view of Dubai from above the clouds, you will need to bring your tripod and set it up carefully. This will allow you to capture the skyline in High Definition.
Because the Burj Khalifa is such a popular, universally known location, tagging this location on your shots may help market your photography. As a freelance photographer in Dubai, the Burj is a necessary eventual stop for you.
The Dubai Marina
Capturing the essence of a city is often based done at night, with the bright lights reflecting onto the water. Dubai is twinkling with millions of bright lights every night – and this breathtaking vision is yours for the capturing.
The Dubai Marina offers an incredible view of Dubai’s most famous shore and its skyscrapers. Unlike the Burj, the marina has minimal security and is rarely busy. The best time to head towards the marina is about 6 to 7 pm. This will provide you with ample time to set up your shots.
While the Marina is deemed most striking at night, it is also a daytime backdrop for a lot of commercial photography. The grandeur of the buildings increases the appeal of any picture object. When taking pictures of the skyline at night, the use of bokeh is necessary to capture all the detail. The Dubai marina rails allow for clamping, which facilitates the taking of hyper-quality pictures.
Palm Jumeirah
Nothing exemplifies the luxury and tropical appeal of Dubai as much as the Palm Jumeirah. The massive palm is located right in between the Dubai Marina and The Burj hotel, which makes for fantastic panoramic shots. The Dubai cityscape is known for its unique combination of beautiful sandy beaches and titanic glass skyscrapers. Therefore, the Palm Jumeirah is a necessary stop for all landscape and scenic photographers.
The rich coloring of the palm Jumeirah allows complex picture editing and color correction. This means you can play with the vibrancy and definition of your Palm Jumeirah pictures with relative ease. The Palm Jumeirah features an extensive water view. Therefore, your camera focus will need to be precise to capture the more distant objects in the Palm Jumeirah backdrop.
The Palm Jumeirah is most striking during the day however night-time pictures with increased exposure will provide interesting results too.
The Business Bay
It is practically impossible to live in Dubai without being an architecture adept. Dubai’s architecture is known for being at the forefront of modern design. It’s a business district, in particular, features one of the most photographed bridges in the world. The curve of the bridge, with the Burj Khalifa hotel in its central background, is a great location for luxury commercial and high-fashion shoots.
The business bay sees millions of photographers – both amateur and professional – set their tripods on the water edge every year. However, because of its primary location and Dubai’s constant developments, there are often large construction sites around the most desirable photography spots. These sites can be difficult for tourists to navigate. Therefore, research should be done prior to your shoot on surrounding under-construction buildings before you plan your trip to the bay.
The curving water edge of the business bay is an ideal high-fashion shoot background. It features a stable, cemented ground on which models can pose to display sophisticated gowns and other garments.
Because this location is so iconic, it is wise for every freelance photographer in the UAE to visit the spot at least once.
The La Mer Beach
There is little need to explain why beaches are great locations for most types of photoshoots. Glamour shots, in particular, are commonly set on the La Mer beach as a result of its popularity among socialites and celebrities.
The Burj Khalifa Hotel can be seen distantly in the background of the La Mer beach. This provides a classic Dubai flair to even the simplest photography. It is also an ideal background to model headshots, as it is always fantastically lit with natural light from the generous UAE sun.
The beach does not feature any photography-friendly installations. Therefore, the use of a tripod is practically out of the question. Your beach photography will have to include manual shots, which may jeopardize the quality of the image. Therefore, you should be willing to use your phone to capture the best snaps, as opposed to a weighty, large camera susceptible to shaking in your hands. For tips on using your Android phone for professional photography, consider phone and photography blog reviews online.
Notable Mentions
While the locations listed above are the go-to backgrounds for Freelance photography in Dubai, several other spots have caught the eye of seasoned Dubai photographers.
The Dubai Miracle Garden:
The Dubai miracle garden has a collection of breath-taking plants and flowers of incredible exoticism and striking coloring. It makes a wonderful addition to both commercial and high fashion shoots.
The Dubai Opera
The architecture of the Dubai opera is unmatched. Bringing a modern twist to a classic spherical structure, the Dubai Opera is ideal for sophisticated architectural photography.
The Dubai Butterfly Garden
The Dubai butterfly garden is a choice destination of many. For this reason, tourists the world over have been flocking to this brightly-colored butterfly heaven to take incredible pictures for the past decade. The butterfly garden has some of the rarest forms of butterflies found around the world. Because of the insects’ affinity with the frequent tourists, they appear quite happy to be the objects, or supporting subjects, of pictures.
The Dancing Fountain At The Dubai Mall
While malls may seem like odd places to take quality photographs, the Dubai mall is very different in that it features a picturesque over-water bridge and a huge dome-like structure. The Dubai mall also hosts the Dubai aquarium, which is known for its wonderfully varied sea life. The grandiose Dancing Fountain and Aquarium, in particular, will make for pictures with beautiful coloring.
The Dubai Canal
The Dubai canal cuts through Dubai’s business bay. It features 3.2 km of brightly lit waters making for striking contemporary shots. Along the canal are some of Dubai’s most luxurious hotels, such as St Regis. Its architecture is bound to captivate you.
Al Seef Street
Al Seef Street captures the essence of Dubai with its lavish storefronts. It makes for a European-like background to luxurious photography. Al Seef St is the perfect location for fashion and commercial shoots.
The Burj Al Arab
The Burj Al Arab is located on an artificial island at the heart of Dubai. As the 7th tallest hotel in the world, it provides incredible views over the whole emirate.
Ain Dubai Bluewaters Ferris Wheel
As the tallest Ferris wheel in the world, the Ain Dubai offers fantastic observation and photography opportunities. It is over 250m tall and features views of the entire Bluewaters island.
A Concluding Note
Dubai is a den of photography opportunities for both photography amateurs and experts. If you are just beginning in Freelance photography in Dubai, you may need to engage in frequent excursions to Dubai’s primary attractions to see their pictorial value for yourself. Make sure to book your ticket in advance where applicable, as the most incredible Dubai views are often crawling with tourists and photographers. The beauty of Dubai is yours to capture in a few simple snaps. For professional services of taking scenic snaps of Dubai’s memorable skyline, register with our team of skilled freelance photographers in the UAE today.