The Dubai desert, with vast stretches of golden dunes, endless skies, and unique landscapes, offers one of the best places for photography, especially during the golden hours of sunrise and sunset.
It is basically a paradise for photographers. Whether you are a professional photographer or a mature person with a smartphone, capturing the golden hours could be tricky. It is all about the right time and right techniques.
Here in this article, we will guide you on the best times to capture the most stunning clicks. From the softly golden glow during the sunrise to capturing the golden hues of sunset, we’ve got you covered.
Best Time for Desert Photography
The atmosphere of the desert is very versatile and can change according to each season. We can say there are four best times for desert photography, including:
Sunrise:
Early morning hours from sunset will create a golden canvas for you to get picture-perfect shots.
The warm glow and long shadows make the perfect background for capturing vibrant colors and unique textures. The color shift from warm yellow to orange to red will let you capture the best photos of the desert with a gradient sky and its serene beauty. In Dubai, the sunrise timewould be roughly in between 5.00 AM to 6:30 AM
Golden Hour:
Just before the sunset, i.e., about an hour before the sky will be painted in orange and red, as the time passes, you will be able to witness this gradient changing accordingly.
This is the best time to capture portraits and landscape images of the desert, as we can witness a light glow on the sand dunes.
Sunset:
As the sun sets, the sky will burst into hues of pink and purple. This will let you capture the desert images with deep shadows, and the dunes will start to get darker, which will help you to get some of the best clicks.
Sunset is an ideal time to click panoramic shots, which will capture the vastness of the desert.
The significant gradient difference of the sand dunes and sky offers you breathtaking moments to capture.
Blue Hour:
The blue hour occurs just after the sunset when the sky shifts from soft pinks to deep blues.
During this time the color of the desert becomes more subtle and muted in tone, which will scream the emptiness of the vast landscape and give the best contrast color.
This is the ideal time for capturing more dramatic and moody clicks and long exposure photography.
Midday:
Midday is generally avoided due to harsh and direct sunlight; still, it is best to experiment with your creativity.
The intense daylight creates strong shadows and highlights, which can be used for specific effects like silhouettes against the bright sky.
However, be cautious of the long exposure to open direct sunlight.
Tips for Maximizing Your Desert Photography Experience
Capturing breathtaking photos of the desert can be challenging and thrilling at the same time. Here are some tips for you to keep in mind.
- Use a polarizing filter: Using a polarizing filter in desert photography will help to reduce the glare from the sand and enhance the color and contrast of the sky, which will make the photos richer and more vibrant.
- Experiment with Angles: Try to shoot from different angles and see how the depth of the shadows and light adds a complement to your clicks, which will help you to capture more interesting frames.
- Shoot in RAW: Make sure that you shoot everything as raw as possible, which will allow you to have more flexibility while doing the editing part. It captures more details and helps you to adjust exposure, colors, etc., without losing quality.
- Respect the Environment: Always be mindful to respect nature. Do not disturb any wildlife habitat, and always make sure that you leave the landscape as it is for the future explorers and photographers.
Seasonal Considerations
Summer: Taking photos in summer can be physically challenging because of the high temperatures and hot weather. However, it is time to offer the best skies, and the sandstorm makes it a rare opportunity to click some amazing photos. Be sure to take extra precautions for direct sunlight.
Autumn: As the temperature starts to drop during this time, it becomes a pleasant time to shoot the desert. Even though deserts don’t have any traditional fall foliage, some parts of the deserts may show a shift in colors, which can be captured beautifully.
Winter: Winter offers cooler temperatures, and the lower angle of the sun will offer longer shadows for your clicks. Clearer skies make this season ideal for landscape photography.
Capturing a desert’s beauty is all about timing and techniques. At Trawey Tours, we believe that every sand grain has a story to tell, and it is our job to let you capture it. From golden hour to starry skies, the way the sky changes its color, we will help you to capture every single detail.
If you are a photographer planning to visit the Dubai desert, then Trawey is the best option you could ask for. Join us and explore the photography journey like never before.
