Photographer Captures Skyscrapers in Dubai Rising Above the Clouds
There are a handful of times each year when the city of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates gets blanketed in a thick layer of fog. Photographer Albert Dros has captured beautiful photos of skyscrapers rising above the clouds after spending years trying to experience the fog for himself.
“I have been traveling to Dubai lots of times over the last 6 years and have shot many spectacular images of the skyline,” Dros tells PetaPixel. “But I never managed to capture the infamous ‘Dubai Fog’ that only happens a few days every year.
“I rescheduled my flights multiple times to try and catch it but never had any luck. Up until this visit.”
“I actually didn’t plan to shoot too much, but the weather had other plans,” Dros says. “Suddenly, the weather prediction predicted fog for the next morning, right after I arrived. Knowing these forecasts were not always accurate, I still set my alarm and went to a nearby rooftop bar to shoot from. And I couldn’t believe my luck.
“The fog rolled it, and just like that conditions I had dreamed of for years, happened.”
“The fog combined with a beautiful sky of clouds made for dream conditions,” the photographer continues. “I was already as happy as a little kid, but the weather didn’t stop. From that day, day after day, we shot from different places with incredible conditions. Every morning there was fog, for 7 days in a row. I shot a total of 8 sunrises in a row waking up 4:30 AM every day.”
If you’d like to experience the “city in the clouds” yourself, you’ll need both careful preparation and a good amount of luck.
“About 7-10 times per year, photographers and residents get to enjoy a truly surreal landscape when thick fog covers the city,” writes photographer Teemu Jarvinen in his guide on shooting the Dubai fog. “The fog appears during early mornings and usually fades away by 11 a.m.
“The fog in Dubai most commonly appears during the end of the year. If you are visiting Dubai as a photographer, I would recommend picking November or December for the best chance of some interesting weather. It might also appear in October or January. As the spring progresses, the weather turns drier – but there’s always a small possibility of fog, even as late as May.”
Unfortunately, the weather and fog are so unpredictable that there’s no way to know prior to your trip whether or not you’ll actually get to experience the phenomenon. But if Lady Luck is on your side and you have access to some good vantage points, the resulting photos will be well worth the effort.
You can find more of Dros’ work on his website, Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, and Instagram.
