Missing in action: A subject for the perfect rain backdrop

It had been raining intermittently since morning. I wasn’t working that day, and spent most of my time outside the house. My eyes, however, were glued to my WhatsApp account, which kept pinging with the latest photos and videos of rainfall from around the country. While the plains seemed to have had it easy, it was much worse in the valleys. Cars were stuck, and the police worked overnight to ensure everyone reached home safe and sound.

The sky changed many hues as I travelled from Al Mamzar to Deira to Bur Dubai.

I, and my colleagues who weren’t working that day, were asked to carry our cameras around wherever we went. The downpour in the hilly areas was getting intense, and it was only a matter of time before rain drenched Dubai as well.

By late afternoon, what started as a drizzle in Dubai turned into a downpour, and along with that changed our plans for the next day’s local pages. Merely a weather story with a picture was no longer going to suffice. A full-page coverage was being planned, and everyone was asked to send in pictures and stories.

I looked around. The sky was overcast. Clicking a picture in the absence of sunlight was going to be a hit-and-miss affair. There was also no point getting in the car to look for a better venue. The rapidly changing weather and serpentine traffic jams were strong deterrents.

At about 7.30pm, I walked into the bookstore with my son. It was still drizzling in our area. I waited while he picked up his supplies. That’s when the weather changed for the worse. The dark sky turned darker, and the light rain turned into a thunderstorm in an instant. Lit up by the headlamps of passing cars and the diffused amber glow of street lights, the raindrops drew up the perfect backdrop for a photo shoot.

Now I waited for my subject — a woman struggling to hold an umbrella in the fierce wind, or maybe a man pedaling his bicycle, wearing a drenched shirt. Unfortunately, all I got was a few cars. With the deadline approaching, I decided to make the most of it. I ended up capturing the intensity of the rain quite well. Lesson for newbies: Never underestimate the weather, and always keep your camera handy.