Category: Photography

Photo of Kuwait at night taken by an astronaut from onboard the International Space Station with a NIKON D5 and a 400mm lens on May 6, 2023.

via Reddit

Yesterday while driving around futoor time, I randomly came across the largest wall I think I’ve ever come across. It was huge, really tall, and super long. Right away I saw an opportunity to take a photo so turned around and headed toward the wall.

I really have no idea why this wall is there. It’s not connected to any other structure, it’s just a wall.

If you’re looking for an interesting backdrop for your shoot and want to check this place out, here is the location on Google Maps.

AAB World which was already considered the largest photography and videography store in Kuwait now has a new and much larger location. The new location is still in the basement of Symphony Mall but is now located across from their previous store. The new store looks like it’s 6+ times larger than their previous store which was starting to feel cramped because of the large variety of equipment and accessories they were selling.

Thinking about it now, I don’t recall ever going to a photography store larger than the new AAB World. It’s so big they have a full podcast setup, a video broadcasting setup and an area dedicated to workshops and events. The majority of the cameras and equipment are also all on display for you to fiddle with and try.

I don’t need to tell you to visit AAB World if you’re looking to get a new camera or podcasting equipment since you most likely already know about them, but if you haven’t seen their new store then you should give them a visit because it really is impressive. @aabworld

I recently got back into shooting with 35mm film so the timing of this is pretty perfect. VO (I still have no idea what they do) are opening what they’re calling the largest photography dark room in the Middle East. The dark room will contain eight enlargers (6 for 35mm film, 2 for 120mm film) and will be a collaborative space for anyone interested in exploring and experimenting with this old art form.

If you don’t know how to develop photos that’s ok because they have a Darkroom 101 workshop that costs 30KD and will teach you the process. Developing your own photo costs 5KD (including the chemicals) and printing your own images starts at 1.2KD per photo.

The dark room is opening on January 10th and you can get more information by visiting their Instagram @vo.thedarkroom or their website vo.com.kw/darkroom

Speculative Horizons is a new collaboration between Kuwait and Australia that will feature contemporary Australian and Kuwaiti photography. The collaboration will be launched in 2023 with an exhibition and symposium focusing on still and moving imagery in Kuwait City. The symposium will provide an opportunity for Kuwait-based image-makers to showcase their work and the opportunity to have their imagery curated by renowned Australian curators and connect with international artists.

The inaugural event will explore ideas associated with ‘Land’ and ‘People’ and the interconnectedness between space/place and inhabitation/culture.

Theme: ‘Land’ and ‘People’

Submit: 12 photographs at screen size (1200 pixels on longest length at 150 dpi)

Deadline: 20th October 2022

Submit to: [email protected] via GoogleDrive

Successful applicants will be notified on the 1st of November 2022 and have their work exhibited at CAP in the month of February 2023. For more details or to sign up, visit speculativehorizons.com

If you’re still having difficulty finding 35mm film, here is another store that is selling them, Qomrah. Seems to be only an Instagram account but they have a selection of different films to pick from although most seem to be sold out at the moment. Probably someone who bought a few rolls while on vacation and decided to sell them. I think they’re expensive and you’ll find them cheaper if you go to photography studios in low-income neighborhoods. But, if you don’t want to put in the effort, this is another alternative. @qomrahfilm

To celebrate World Photography Day, Apple shared some of the most impressive photographs from their #shotoniPhone campaign from around the world and one of those photos was by local photographer Rashed Alajmi (@irashedc). The photo was taken in the Salmi Desert and uses a long exposure to capture the milky way. Rashed posted the photo on his account back in October so I assume that’s when it was taken. To see the rest of the photos Apple shared from around the world, check out this article on fstoppers.com

Thanks Raoul

A friend of mine recently took part in the launch of the new Leica M11 camera. Seven photographers were chosen by Leica from around the world to get their hands on the camera ahead of its release so they can capture photos with it. Abdullah was one of the photographers selected and he’s now featured on their main page.

All of the photos taken by the seven photographers are available to view on online including Abdullah’s which you can check by clicking here.

If you want to follow him on Instagram, it’s @byalsayer

Yesterday I passed by the newly opened Ajas’s Film Lab to check the place out. According to their bio, they’re meant to be the best place for all things film related but I don’t know how accurate that is. The store is small and fairly empty with mostly just a counter in the back and a small fridge filled with disposable cameras and some film. They had three kinds of film, one black and white, and two colored. The black and white is priced at 5KD while the colored were 8KD each. The disposable cameras were also 8KD.

Their main service though is developing films but turns out they don’t print them. They just develop your negative roll and then scan and email you the digital photos. The main reason I shoot film is so I can print film so it was disappointing they didn’t offer that service. The cost for developing and scanning your film is 5KD.

The place isn’t cheap but I think they’re trying to offer a nice trendy place for people to get their film developed. The developing and scanning cost is OK I guess at 5KD, there are cheaper places but not by much. When it comes to film rolls though I think they’re too expensive. I buy my color film rolls for 4KD from random studios around Salmiya where they still sell film (they aren’t expired), so I definitely wouldn’t pay 8KD.

If you want to check Ajas out, they’re on insta @ajasfilmlab and here is their location on Google Maps.

For a list of places that develop film, check out this link. For black and white film, Studio Khemia sell rolls starting at 3KD and also offer workshops where they teach you how to develop and print your black and white rolls, check them out on Insta @khemiae.darkroom

AAB World, everyone’s favorite photography and videography store is expanding! When I first started buying from AAB World they had a small kiosk-like store in the basement of Shamiya Coop (it’s still there) and what made them special back then is how specialized they were. They carried different camera brands and also brought in some of the best photography accessories so they quickly became really popular.

In 2014 they opened their Symphony Mall location a few years later they doubled their size by taking over the shop next door. Now it looks like they’re going to more than quadruple their size by moving to the old DXL space right across from them. I love how they’ve grown over the years and I still continue to get all my camera gear from them even though I don’t shoot as much as I used to.

I found a great collection of photos of different mosques around Kuwait taken back in 1985 by Taiwanese photographer, Tom Chu. I found these photos accidentally while I was looking for information on Contax cameras in Kuwait. All these photos are in a photo album on Flickr and were taken with a Contax 139 fitted with a Zeiss Distagon 28mm/f2 lens. Link to photos

What I think I like the most about old photos of Kuwait is how Kuwait didn’t look overcrowded. There was always empty space which we lack nowadays.

Also, the beautiful old mosque at the top of this post is still around today. It’s where Erth Cafe is located in Kuwait City. Google Maps

Last year I bought the Fujifilm X100V to use as my compact camera when taking photos for my blog and for when I travel. I just loved the way the camera looked and so convinced myself that my Sony A7 III was too big and bulky for traveling and I needed the X100v. I wasn’t really exaggerating much, the A7 was actually a bit big and heavy, even with a compact lens. I had tried taking the Sony with me on a few trips and I just ended up leaving it in the hotel room most of the time. I was hoping I’d carry the lighter and more compact X100V more and after having now taken it on three different trips, I can easily say this is the best travel camera I’ve ever had.

Most cameras nowadays can take great quality photos, but what sets aside the Fuji for me is the way it looks, the way it feels, and most importantly, the weight. Walking around a city for hours with the X100V hung across my shoulder was never an issue at all. When I traveled with the Fuji I always had it on me and rarely ever left it in the hotel. It was never annoying to carry no matter how long I was out of the hotel for. On trips that required me to wear a heavy jacket because of the cold, I could barely even tell I had the camera on me.

The battery life was also great, I’d go for days without having to recharge the camera and when I had to it used USB-C which is what I carry with me because of my MacBook. So I didn’t need to pack an extra cable or charger with me. The camera is also really well built and weather-sealed so I didn’t have to worry about knocking it around or being stuck in the rain with it. I think one thing I liked about the camera was how it made me want to take more photos, especially when it came to capturing moments I came across. No hassle, no having to think about anything, I’d just see a moment and quickly grab the camera from my side, turn it on and by the time it’s up at my eye it was ready to shoot. The simplicity and speed allowed me to capture a lot more moments compared to any of my previous cameras I traveled with.

The only issue I had with the Fuji was related to the transfer of the images from the camera to the phone. It’s all done wirelessly which is great but the Fuji software can be a bit buggy sometimes and I’d have to quit the software or turn on and off the camera a few times to get things working.

At around 400KD the camera isn’t cheap but it’s half the price of my Sony A7 III and so I felt a lot more comfortable taking it with me on trips. It really is such a great camera, I love it and can’t recommend it enough.

I posted these pictures up on Twitter last year and forgot to share them here. These two photos are of the Cumberland Yacht Club (CYC) taken back in the 1960s. The club was located in Mina Al Ahmadi and I first heard about it through John Beresford’s post on my blog. Since then I’ve been trying to find information on the club so I can put together a post similar to the one I did of the Ahmadi Desert Motoring Club but progress has been slow.

For now, I just wanted to share these two photos until I put together a more concise post on the CYC. It’s pretty sad how we don’t have anything visually as beautiful today.

I’ve had these photos in my archive for a couple of years now, I forgot where I got them from but I guess it’s about time to share them. Some of the photos are really great but I’m not 100% positive about the date of the photos.

They’re a mixture of photos ranging from 1975 to 1977. I think 1977 because in one of the photos you can see the Kuwait Towers in the background and it looks like construction on it was completed, but that only happened in 1977. But in other photos, you can see the dates 1975 and 1976 so it’s a mix.

No matter the dates the photos are really great and with all the silly drama with yoga taking place now, vintage photos like these are now more important than ever to share. You can view and download them all in hi-res by clicking here.

In addition to the photos, there is also a video taken from the AP archive showing the 1975 parade. Usually, I’d say bring back the parades but even if we did, I don’t think it would ever be the same. Kuwait was so different back then.

If you’re looking to buy film or film cameras, Laqta is a local online store that has the largest collection I’ve seen so far in Kuwait. They have cameras starting from 15KD going all the way up to 246KD for a medium format Mamiya. They also have three kinds of 35mm film for sale as well as 120mm medium format film for sale.

Their instagram account is @allaqtaa but if you want to check out their full catalog then visit their website laqtafilmstore.com