Feb 29, 20203 min read

The Best Photography Locations in Dubai

Welcome to Dubai!

Location: United Arab Emirates

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When I was 16 years old my family relocated to the United Arab Emirates, more specifically to Abu Dhabi. When I turned 18 I started interning as a videographer at Skydive Dubai, started assisting a sports car photographer, and began studying film production at SAE Dubai.

I had about a week free and decided to go visit the UAE to capture its beauty now that I'm a professional photographer. I hope you enjoy this blog and get some inspiration from it. These are my top five places for photography in Dubai!

The Video

1 - Burj Khalifa

It was only right for me to start out this Dubai photography journey at the tallest building in the world, Burj Khalifa. This place is absolutely magnificent and one day I'll pay the outrageous price to go to the top, but for now, here are some of my favorite photos from the ground.

If you'd like a print of any of these photos you can pick one up in my PRINT SHOP.

On your way out, head across the Dubai Metro station to the other side of Sheik Zayed Road and exit by the Tesla store.

If you head in the opposite direction of the Tesla store you will come across a construction walkway. Once you get halfway across the walkway you'll be able to get this photo:

2 - Dubai Marina

I used to spend quite a bit of time in Dubai Marina when I was studying film in Dubai at SAE Institute and interning as a videographer at Skydive Dubai. I used to walk from the Skydive dropzone into this area to get a cab home, or I'd walk to the metro station and ride it to my stop.

3 - Gold Souk

The next place I wanted to visit was the Gold Souk in Diera, AKA "Old Dubai." In the UAE it's a bit difficult to take photos, because you're not really supposed to take photos of people without their permission. It's important to be respectful of people's personal privacy here. Keep that in mind if you're planning a photography trip here.

4 - Burj Al Arab at Sunset

I highly recommend heading over to Burj Al Arab for sunset. I started out on the nearby beach, but my view was blocked by construction so we blagged our way into a hotel.

If you can get into one of the hotels, like Jumeirah Hotel, walk out the back door and onto the beach to capture a shot like this:

Shot on an 85mm Canon lens:

5 - Shangri-La Hotel

I have seen this angle of Dubai on Instagram as well as in a North Borders vlog and I was willing to pay the price to get to this observation deck. I realize now that I probably could have just gotten into the elevator and gotten my shot before anyone noticed, but that's beside the point. What's important is that I got this stellar shot of Dubai. Prints are available.

This particular photo cost me 250AED, in case you were thinking of going and recreating this shot; that's about $68. Again, if you'd like a print...:p

Overall I had an absolute blast visiting Dubai for the first time in seven years and while the jet lag is bad I'd do it all again just to get more shots!