My Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi-based photographer Beno Saradzic on his top spots in the emirate
“Sir Bani Yas Island
[1] is a good spot if you like to photograph the sea, really nice sunsets and landscapes. It’s mostly untouched, except for the shoreline where you have a hotel or two. Delma Island
[2] used to be the capital of pearling but right now the island is a place where time has sort of stopped, because there’s not much development going on. This is the only island in the area that has volcanic origins so you have long beaches that need to be seen to be believed. You have shores with volcanic rocks – I’m talking green, blue, brown, red rocks – crystallised on the beach that are incredible to photograph. The most interesting of all is the Shuweihat peninsula
[3]. What is so famous about it is the sandstone formations – one formation looks like a mini Grand Canyon – and you have high vantage points so you get interesting shots. The Al Ain Oasis
[4] is such a calm place. Even though it is in the middle of the city, once you’re in it – it feels like you’ve left the country. Another spot in Al Ain is the road that leads to Jebel Hafeet
[5]. It looks like a snake wrapping itself around giant rocks. We have some of the biggest dunes in Liwa
[6]. If you’re strong enough to walk up to the dunes you can get some spectacular views that were even used in Star War: The Force Awakens. It is ideal for close-ups of textures of the sand or night photography. The darkest sky in the UAE is in the Razeen desert
[7], 150 kilometres south of Abu Dhabi. Everyone who is into astrophotography knows this place, because it has the least light pollution in the country. You can see the Milky Way
[8] and will find a lot of wild camels there. If you’re in the city, visit the Eastern Mangroves
[9] off Salam Street. Get yourself on a boat and get your camera and lose yourself in the maze of canals in the mangroves. There are certain compositions where you can see the mangroves in the foreground and the skyline of Reem Island
[10] peeking above the horizon that you can’t find if you’re in the city itself.”