Story behind the Still
ABOUT THE SHOT: Aerial views of cities can be truly magical, especially those captured after dark. The mix of cool ambient colour and warm artificial lighting provides a very unique atmosphere that can be almost painterly. Dubai in the United Arab Emirates has become a magnet for photographers looking to study its futuristic architecture. Sebastian Tontsch set out with a very specific goal in mind – to capture the famous skyline blanketed in fog.
“This image was taken on a beautiful foggy morning, from the 77th floor of a high-rise building in Downtown Dubai,” recounts Sebastian. “I have seen how beautiful the city covered in fog looked from up high, so I worked on getting access to a high-enough flat to witness this beautiful natural phenomenon and photograph it.” There are several key exposure challenges to shooting foggy scenes, not least in a city, where contrast is often very high. However, for Sebastian, the biggest difficulty was gaining access to a good vantage point. “The biggest challenge at the time was to get access to a flat above the 60th floor, in a building that has a good lookout on Downtown Dubai. Nowadays I don’t have that problem because I’ve got far more contacts, but back when I shot this I didn’t have many good connections in Downtown Dubai, only in the Marina.”
When faced with an excellent photo opportunity such as this, it can be difficult to know what to focus on first, to ensure a great capture. “The thought process at the moment when the fog rolled into the city was basically to just check my settings were right and to watch the composition – then it was all about just capturing the situation.” This approach helps focus the photographer’s mind to see the best possible image, without getting swept away by the brilliance of a location.