Cybertron City – Dubai Skyline

Twilight in ‘Cybertron City’ – taken from the Sheraton Level 43 lounge, overlooking Sheikh Zayed Road and the Dubai skyline.

Years ago, I saw images of Dubai online (in particular, the Burj Khalifa), and was awed at how such a large and modern city could exist in the middle of the desert. Those photos were taken above the clouds, with skyscrapers shooting out through the fog. Fast forward several years later, and on my second visit to Dubai en-route to Greece, I found myself with the privilege of photographing one of those beautiful viewpoints.

Note that the lounge is open and free to the public – just buy a drink! I ordered some food aswell to nibble on while I shot. Tripod use is allowed only with prior permission from management. Just send them an email and let them know when you’d like to visit. I visited once at sunset, and once at sunrise. The Dubai skyline looks amazing at either time of day.

TECHNICAL INFO
Nikon D750 | Nikon 16-35mm @ 16mm | f/11 | 10 sec | ISO 50
Location – Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai
Post Processing:
– Verticals straightened (Transform > Vertical) and barrel distortion corrected (Lens Correction) in Lightroom
– Two seperate colour temperatures blended from the one RAW file – warmer for the road and glow on buildings, cooler for the skyscrapers and sky
– Highlight dodge on the skyscraper tops, car light trails, warm glow on lower half of buildings
– Shadow burn on middle section of skyscrapers and overall to add contrast