Dubai desert is known for its breathtaking beauty and gorgeous landscapes, which make it a paradise for any photographer. However, everything is not as easy and simple as it may appear. Capturing the essence and true beauty of this gorgeous terrain can be pretty tricky without the right gadgets and techniques. While a seasoned photographer having experience with terrain and dunes photography would know the basics of Photography Tips for Desert Safari and how to make the most of dunes, beginners can make a note from this blog which will help them on how to capture some of the most beautiful moments in their Dubai desert photography.
Capturing the dunes or the terrain is much more than just pulling out your smartphone camera or carrying that expensive DSLR camera with wide lenses with you. All the photographic feature that comes with them will have no impact if there is no prior knowledge of how to utilize them effectively. However, this blog will address all those concerns like carrying the right tools and equipment to even post-processing techniques. While you may not become an overnight professional photographer with this blog, it will certainly help to capture some of the most beautiful photos of your Dubai desert photoshoot ideas.
Selecting the right camera tools
To capture Desert landscapes and their terrain, it’s mandatory to come prepared with the right camera equipment to make the most of the view. These tools will be essential for Photography Tips for Desert Safari.
- Camera: Having a good camera is vital. While there is nothing that can beat the crisp photography of a DSLR, even a good camera smartphone with an ultra-wide lens and zooming capabilities can do the trick. However, make sure to invest a little or rent it during the trip.
- Tripod: To make sure that you capture stable and long exposure shots without any hassle, carrying a tripod becomes Vital. It especially becomes effective to avoid blurred shots due to shaky hands or uneven terrain.
- Lenses: Having a wide-angle lens is important for being able to capture the vast landscape of the desert. Make sure to pack an extra set of telephoto lenses with your DSLR camera or if you will be carrying a phone then it needs to have a telephoto and ultra-wide camera lens which you can find in the flagship phones.
- Dust Blower: The desert’s environment gets dusty, which can affect the camera lenses. So make sure to carry that dust blower and safeguard the lenses of your camera.
Technique and Timings for the Dubai Desert Safari photoshoot
Now that the basics are out of the way on carrying the right equipment, the next step would be to identify the time and conditions for taking your shots and capturing those moments at Dubai desert photoshoot locations.
- The Golden Hour: This is a timeframe that is referred to shortly after sunrise or just before sunset. One of the primary reasons why this time is referred to as golden hours is because as the sun sets over the landscape, it provides a golden hue to the sky which creates soft shadows that become magical. Here make sure to capture photos in a portrait-style shot which allows for the flattening of skin tones without the bright shadows to avoid any distraction.
- During Sunset or Sunrise: This is one of the best times to click photos of the desert. It’s during this time that the light creates long shadows which provide a warm glow and adds depth and texture to the photos.
- Night Time Photography: In case you have booked overnight photography then you will be in for a treat for Night Sky Photography as the clear desert sky provides the best opportunity, especially for astrophotographers of stars, the moon, and the Milky Way galaxy. Here a tripod is essential to position the camera at the best angle and have a wide aperture lens for jaw-dropping night-time photos.
- Candid Photography: This captures the true essence of an adventure expedition. These photos can include fellow travelers’ journeys group interactions with the locals, and your picture of trying out activities like Sandboarding and camel riding among many other things.
Post-Processing Techniques for Enhancing Images
This is a very essential aspect of the final edits of your photos after you have captured them. With the right technique, you can transform a simple desert landscape into a gorgeous masterpiece which can be helpful Photography Tips for Desert Safari
- Shooting in raw Format: Clicking your photos in RAW format provides more flexibility for post-editing.
- Adjusting Contrast & Shadows: Here you can start by adjusting the exposure and the white balance which ensures that the photos appear more well balanced before moving to other adjustments. The next step will be to adjust the contrast and shadows in the photos to add depth and dimensionality.
- Implementing HDR: Using High dynamic range techniques can provide in-depth detail capturing during high contrast scenes like sunset or sunrise over dunes.
- Sharpening: While sharpening images is an important process, avoid going overboard with it as it leads to an unnatural texture of the final image quality.
Conclusion
It may sound easy at first but capturing the beauty of desert landscape can be tricky and challenging. However, all it takes to overcome that challenge is having the right set of equipment and being well-versed in the timings and techniques of taking the photos. Doing so will help you achieve great results for Dubai desert photoshoot ideas.