Corniche Oryx City View of Doha Skyline

This photo of Doha's city skyline was taken along the Corniche Promenade, a short distance north of the famous Orry the Oryx statue. The parking in Doha can be difficult, and traffic in the early morning and afternoon is heavy. To save time, we suggest getting dropped off by a taxi. You can tell your driver to take you to "The Oryx City View." The spot will be at the north end of the paved area that juts out from the corniche, the road that runs along the edge of the waterfront. The spot is about 600 feet north of the Orry the Oryx statue along the same waterfront area. Once here, you'll see the three triangular jetty staircases that lead down to the water. For this shot, we positioned the model at the bottom of the one of the staircases, and then stood on the staircase behind her and faced the camera north towards the city skyline.

You can photograph this view of the skyline any month, although the winter months between November and April are the best time to visit Qatar, when the temperatures are most bearable. Summer temperatures can be extraordinarily high, and going out to shoot during the day can be extremely uncomfortable — even at sunset!

While the city skyline is impressive to photograph anytime of day, between sunset and blue hour look especially beautiful here. The sky glows behind the buildings, and the twinkling city lights make for a more interesting photo.

To create a soft, smooth texture of the water, try using a tripod and lower your shutter speed. This will allow you to capture detail in your model, but will cause the water to blur in frame.

Experiment with your model's positioning. Try to get your subject to stand extra close to the water, as the negative space around them will create an aesthetically pleasing balance in your composition.

We recommend waiting for the city lights to turn on, to add some magic to your blue hour photo.

In post processing, we suggest editing with our "Wanderlust Collection” presets to achieve this same color grade.

Doha is an incredibly photogenic city, a perfect amalgamation of old and new! Discover stunning architecture and design at the National Museum, or explore the alleyways of a traditional souq market.