Al-Attia Sand Dune

This image was taken at the Al-Attia Sand Dune in Al Wakrah, Qatar. I recommend going with someone who's familiar with the area, like a guide or a local resident. After the pavement road ends on your way to the dunes, you'll enter into the desert. You can take the coastal side off-roading and dune bash all the way to the farthest point, or take the "back way", which will be less dunes and more flat sand/dirt (I recommend this if you are coming for sunrise and want to arrive quicker). Once you've reached the very far end of the Inland Sea, drive to the tallest dune in the Al-Attia Sand Dune area. Upon entering and arriving to this dune, drive to the backside of it, and then as you start to hike up the dune, you'll see the beautiful curves on the landscape (as pictured in my shot). Reference the GPS coordinates and you'll be able to see exactly where I stood for this perspective.

I went during April, which is time of year when the temperature isn't too hot or cold. Our driver told us that the water levels will be higher near the dunes if you go during other months, so that's something I would look into prior to going to Al-Attia Sand Dune. When I was there in April, the water levels were very low and some of the dune valley's were completely empty.

I took this photo at sunrise. A general tip when shooting sand dunes is that the best time of day to take photos is when the sun is lighting up one side of the dune so that the other side is darker in contrast (sunrise/sunset).

Visiting the Al-Attia Sand Dune will most likely be a long excursion. I recommend bringing food and water so you're full and hydrated all day.

Using a 35mm lens allowed me to capture the portrait, as well as the landscape. If the lens was longer, it wouldn't be able to include the detail of my face.

In order to get this perspective, I stood close to the camera and then worked with my clothing so that it complemented the landscape—it almost blends into the dunes!

On the same note of blending into the landscape, I think it looks best to dress your model in muted, monochrome clothing.

Make the most of the area while you're there. Hike the Al-Attia Sand Dune, swim in the water of the Inland Sea or dune bash in a 4x4 around the area. This destination is for the adventurous, so get ready to have some fun!