Back To The Desert.......... — Steve Chivers Photography

Well the new year started with a blur and Christmas already seems a world away. Although I would class myself as semi-retired I still undertake consultancy work which necessitates a couple of visits back to Dubai each year.

I consider myself one of those fortunate people who, in the final stage of my full-time career worked for and with some absolutely wonderful and life-changing people. Whilst I do enjoy spending time with loved ones I also occasionally enjoy pitching up in the office and spending some time back, albeit briefly in the corporate world.

Dubai itself holds so many many memories for me personally and for us as a family. Our kids grew up and were educated here, we made some enduring friendships, we stayed during a Gulf War and we were quarantined there during a pandemic. So each time I return I do so with mixed emotions.

Room with a view - Layers of Dubai - Novotel Suites Hotel.

Whilst each business visit to Dubai involves charging around town and attending meetings, we do get some private time. This is when Mrs. C and I like to revisit old haunts and catch up with the friends we miss.

You have probably guessed that most of our old haunts involve food. So what better place to start than breakfast at Tashas in Dubai Marina Mall. The food and service is always delightful and is a great place if, like me, you are a people watcher.

The beautiful people enjoying their Sunday morning breakfast at Tashas.

Of course, with my stomach full and my wallet considerably lighter (they are not giving it away at Tashas), I do enjoy a stroll around the Marina to capture a few images.

Dubai Marina - enjoying the highlights and embracing the shadows.

“Fly Dubai” - The infamous zipline across the Marina.

As regular visitors will already know Dubai has more than its fair share of iconic buildings, many of which I have captured and discussed at length in previous blogs. However the Burj Al Arab is one such icon that always continues to fascinate. So its off to the Souq Madinat and coffee at Costa Coffee, whose terrace offers one of the best views of this wonderful structure.

Two flat whites later and I am buzzing, so time for a walk around the Souq. It is a photographers dream and full of light and shadows.

The artist who draws pictures in a bottle full of sand.

I can never get enough of the shadows and highlights.

I can photograph buildings and cultural sites all day but for me, I just love to capture people.

My favourite model is Raif. We have known Raif since birth and have seen him grow into a wonderful young man. He has the most beautiful nature and every time he walks in front of my lens I seem to capture a different view of him.

Then there is his brother, the lovely Horatio. Each time we see him he seems to have grown another couple of inches. Both have a brother, Atticus but for some inexplicable reason he managed to avoid my lens. I will definitely make up for that omission when I next see them.

Ralph Shipley is one of my oldest and dearest friends. This is the man responsible for taking me out of the Uk and introducing me to the world of the professional expatriate. We were in business together and have had so many adventures together. One morning, over poached eggs and coffee, I managed to capture one of my favourite images of Ralph.

As regular followers will know, whilst living in Dubai I fell in love with the world of Leica. Indeed, in my honest and unashamedly biased opinion, Dubai is blessed with the best Leica store in the world. Credit for this and the development of the wonderful community of Leica devotees in the region must go to the owner of Leica Middle East, Mr. Assad Abboud. Everything he does is about quality and service.

This brings me to Gina. She manages Leica Store Dubai and is responsible for my complete collection of Leica cameras and lenses. Every Saturday morning I would pass by the store to have a coffee with Gina, talk photography and browse through the store’s new and used offerings. This is one of the things I really do miss after leaving Dubai. Of course, we all stay in touch through the medium of social media and I always block out a morning to visit Dubai Mall, see Gina and enjoy my morning coffee with her.

The Leica Girls - Anna Christina and Gina.

Back to our favourite haunts and afternoon tea at Al Qasr Dubai. It is still a most wonderful way to while away a couple of hours. This time we were looked after by a most wonderful lady from Malaysia. She had one of those smiles that I just had to capture.

Another of my oldest friends is Jeremy. A lawyer by training and a writer in his non-business life, we have done many a business deal together and he was my regular breakfast partner. We would meet at Stomping Grounds, just off the Jumeirah Beach Road, enjoy poached eggs (runny of course) with a side of bacon cooked extra crispy, all washed down with a steaming cup of the old Colombian marching juice.

Last year was a signature year for Jeremy ad his Spanish wife Marina, as they were blessed with the birth of their first child, Pelayo (which I believe means “of the sea”). So I was on a mission to update my people collection and grab a couple of images of Pelayo and the happy family.

No trip to Dubai would be complete without a visit to our special and most favourite place in the U.A.E., the wonderful Al Maha Desert Resort. For those that want to see more of Al Maha I would encourage you to read my blog of 24th May 2019 “A Desert Staycation”.

We had a Saturday free so we booked lunch and took the 1 hour drive along the Al Ain road to Al Maha. The minute we drove through the main gates of the nature reserve the calmness descended upon us.

Yes you really are a world away when you visit Al Maha.

I even managed to capture an image whilst paying the bill!

I know I go on about food a lot but let me assure you, lunch at Al Maha is sublime. Do you really think I would drive an hour in to the desert for mediocrity. Carpaccio of beef with a remoulade topped with caviar followed by lamb chops and a divine salad with a fresh lemon vinaigrette followed by a creme brulée that just melted in my mouth. Oh yes, you have already guessed that Steve was in one of his very happy places.

However, in addition to the food there is also the nature. The beautiful Arabian Oryx and Arabian Gazelles roam free and so for the nature photographer there is plenty to keep you occupied.

This is at 28mm uncropped so you can guess how close I was!

However, what really makes my time at Al Maha special is to share it with the wonderful Mrs. C. We have so many wonderful memories of our time in the Middle East and we really do have so much to be thankful for.

Mrs. C - Enjoying the view over Al Maha.

Well there you have it. I do hope you have enjoyed the highlights from our recent visit to Dubai. We have a great deal planned for the rest of the year including some visits to pastures new. So stay tuned and watch out for notifications on Instagram and Vero.

Ah yes, you thought I had forgotten. How could I finish without Mrs. C modelling The Bench of Contemplation……..

Its has been lovely to share or journey back to the desert with you. May I wish you all good health, good light and hopefully inspire you to grab your camera, get out there and capture some memories.

Warmest regards from a calm and sunny (yes really the sun is out) Plymouth U.K.