1-Sunset Over Sand Dunes

Here, you can see one of my favorite captures. It’s really very simple, with a good composition. 

I was visiting a desert at sunset when I captured this. Even though the desert is often thought of as a hot and barren place, it holds the power to mesmerize with its awe-inspiring beauty. As the sunset unfolded, I managed to seize this beautiful moment.

Later, while reviewing my shots, I stumbled upon this one. The original photo was about seven times larger, so I cropped it significantly. To my surprise, I had still managed to retain important details, and the image remained presentable with minimal compression.

I color graded it, darkened the sand dunes and made the sky purplish.

2-The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

I was blown away while visiting this beautiful mosque in the heart of the UAE’s capital. I captured the picture from outside of the main premises of the mosque, where I noticed still water bodies perfectly mirroring the beautiful openings of the mosque’s veranda.

The picture was meant to reflect symmetry however, I somehow failed in doing so. Notice how there are more pillars behind the left opening compared to those behind the other two. 

Moreover, this picture would have been a lot better if the dome-shaped tops of the entrances had been left uncropped. Things to remember for next time! 

3-The Skyward Signal

Whenever I visit new places, I look for different opportunities to capture good shots. I try to imagine my eyes as a camera and try to frame the perfect shot, keeping the basic rules of photography in mind.

This specific one reflects simplicity. Over the past couple of years, I’ve learned that subtlety often produces the best results. Here, I tried to capture the details of the sky behind my subject (the tower). Those clouds added details to the photo. Color grading this one in post also enhanced it.

The only flaw I noticed in this one was that I should have healed the huge light in the bottom right corner of the tower. It would have helped in maintaining a symmetrical composition. However, it still gives a very contrasting outlook. 

4-Museum Of The Future

Here’s the story behind this shot.  The day before I captured it, I was using the metro to visit the museum (main subject). 

One station prior to the station where I had to hop off the train, I noticed this amazing composition. With the Museum of the Future being my subject, rail tracks being my leading lines, this shot could have been a perfect one.

So, the next day, I went back to this station, only to capture it. But I didn’t know that I would have to capture it through a stained glass window. 

The stained glass muted the vibrancy of the colors, which I struggled to restore in post-processing. Other than that, there are some objects which might distract the viewer's eye from the subject. Otherwise, it’s quite a decent shot.

5-Macro Fly

For those of you who are interested in macro photography but don’t have macro lenses, here’s a very useful hack which helped me produce this photo.

So, just dismount your lens and invert it. Hold it in front of your sensor with your hand. Now you have your own macro lens setup ready. Just keep in mind that the focal length is quite limited. You would have to move quite close to your subject in order to get a clear and well-focused shot. 

This fly was quite patient with me as it didn’t fly away like most flies. I used the rule of thirds and some basic color grading to enhance the photo.