An Abu Dhabi-based photography agency is calling on digital enthusiasts living in the city to submit images to add to its collection of 1,500 stock pictures for sale throughout the world. Photolosophy, which promotes the work of more than 300 local photographers, currently has an exhibition at the Cultural Foundation called Unseen UAE. "We want locals that can give the insider perspective that international photographers might miss," said Laila Yousef al Hassan, co-founder of Photolosophy. "Local people know what is going on in which neighbourhoods, which can lend real insight."
Photolosophy was created by three Emirati sisters, none of whom are professional photographers, but who are all passionately interested in the subject. "We were looking for fresh concepts," Hassan said. "We were sick of seeing the same old images being used to represent the UAE. There was a lot of repetition and things were becoming stale. We felt it was time to move beyond images of the Burj al Arab."
Unseen UAE showcases 30 images from all over the Emirates, including landscape, architectural and wildlife shots, images of life in rural villages, abstract shots and close-ups of prayer during Ramadan. Particularly engaging are images of workers by Mohammed Arfan Asif, a Pakistani hospital pharmacist who has been taking photographs for 26 years. Asif's pictures include those of Afghani weavers working on fishing nets on the beach and traditional bakers in Dubai. In another of his images, shown here, Dubai's Emirates Towers emerge from between the minarets of the Jumeirah Mosque. "Most of our photographers, like Mohammed Arfan Asif or Abdulla Khunji, who travels around wildlife reserves, are not professional, they are just experienced," said Hassan. "They haven't ever really thought of pursuing their photography professionally so we are very happy to give them a platform for their work."
