I feel utterly spoilt in Dubai, The light is amazing, and the locals are so kind and enthusiastic about having their photo taken... This is the kind of portrait which is difficult to achieve in the UK or in France, random people will not let you take a photo of them. Here, they ask for it, and I think their generosity appears on the photos as they look sereine, sometimes severe because they pose very seriously, but humour and smiles are behind it...
When I ask to take a photo of people, I am greeted with joyous welcome and a great human exchange.
I wander alone all over Dubai, and feel very safe. 95 % of people in the street are men, and they are curious about me, as it is a rare sight, a woman walking about on her own. But rather than harrassment, I get help and friendliness. Dubai is such a mix of culture that an openness is created. Sometimes, somebody will ask me to take their portrait which I do with great pleasure of course, and a crowd quickly aggregate around us, then I am asked to take more and more portraits, and when it's finished, the crowd disperses in an instant. I feel amused by it, and have not felt threatened once. I can only understand curiosity too well...
