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According to My Modern Met, the Dubai nighttime photographs are the latest works in Xavier Portela's Glow series. This photography project compiles images of the famous city illuminated by neon lights at night. He has made the most of both architecture and lighting to create a vibrant collection of Dubai nighttime photographs.
Dubai harbor, where luxury yachts dock, is surrounded by buildings glittering with lights.
Xavier shared that he took these photos of Dubai at night after participating in the Xposure International Photography Festival in Sharjah, UAE in 2019. "I can confidently say that Dubai is a very suitable location for the Glow project. I didn't have much time to explore the entire city, and the weather here is indeed very hot. Hopefully, I can return here for another project in the future when the weather is cooler," the photographer expressed.
Alongside the winding avenues and dazzling car lights are towering skyscrapers, the most famous of which is the Burj Khalifa (828 m) - currently the tallest building in the world. Visiting this structure, you can admire Dubai from above at the observation deck, explore the food and shopping areas, ice rink, mosque, ocean park, and enjoy water fountain shows...
With its dense network of boulevards interwoven with skyscrapers, the Dubai nightscape truly provides the perfect backdrop for Xavier's photographic vision.
By focusing on the headlights and taillights of vehicles, Xavier's works still stand out with their shades of blue and pink, which help to "cool down" the city.
The primary technique used by the Belgian photographer in this project is long exposure. The streaks of light stretching across the streets and across the surface of the lake showcase the dynamism of Dubai at night.
Before the Dubai photo series, the Glow photo series included many other photo sets that Xavier had taken using similar techniques in locations such as Kobe (Japan), Taipei (Taiwan), Bangkok (Thailand), New York (USA), etc.
At night, millions of lights illuminate the city, combined with the constant flow of traffic, creating a breathtaking scene, as if this city never sleeps.
Despite only being in Dubai for a short trip, Xavier still made time to take these elaborate photographs. The new collection was published on his social media pages from the end of April 2021.
