Allan’s first DSLR was a Nikon D50 with an AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II, and with it taught himself to shoot night and long exposure photography. “I am stimulated and inspired by the exquisiteness of the transition of light during the day in contrast to its surrounding. I feel I am plunged in a profound exhilaration witnessing beauty in a small window of time and somehow try to freeze some of it.”
With its hidden qualities, dotted with gypsum plateaus, desert and rock carvings, some of the most interesting places to visit in Qatar is Ras Abrouq and the “Singing Sand Dunes”. Its natural rock formation and sand animate the area, creating a humble exterior to Allan’s photos. His most memorable moment in Qatar was while he was walking along the beach in Ras Abrouq.
“I noticed a formation of greyish silts on the shoreline with rhythmic patterns, I rushed to climb the plateau to take a shot in the elevated position. When I reached the top, I witnessed a very impressive scene. The parallel and intersecting curving lines of the foreground facing the sky, greyish silt formations and sunlight contrasting the landscape, it was astonishing.”
As a landscape photographer, Allan often uses maps to mark interesting places to take images of then explores the area to find impeccable compositions to shoot his subjects. Weather, he says, is a major factor to take into account in the Middle East. In Qatar, temperatures can soar up to 50 C, making it extremely difficult to handle equipment. However, it seems it is all worth it when the right components come together. “My favourite image is ‘The Isle of Brouq’. When elements like patterns, textures, lines, colours and light are summoned in a frame, it results in a stunning landscape photograph.”