An Emirati photographer who is a fun fraught with danger
Yaqoub Al Hammadi.. A camouflaged camera chasing hawks and owls in the UAE desert
Al Hammadi, in camouflage, lurks to take one of his rare photos.
From the source
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Perhaps it was the love of wildlife and his family’s long experiences in the field of falcon breeding, which prompted the Emirati Yaqoub Al Hammadi to attach himself to the hobby of photography and specialize in the field of photographing birds and wild animals, which abounds in the charming nature of the Emirates extending across its seven emirates, which opened the doors of excellence in this field, which He excelled in it clearly, dedicating a multifaceted experience and wishing to continue to progress and achieve greater successes in this difficult, challenging and risky field.
"Image Enhancement"
At the beginning of his dialogue with "Emirates Today", Yaqoub Al Hammadi stopped at the beginnings of his attachment to the hobby of photography in general, which his love for it dates back to the age of nine.And that, after his father gave him the first "camera", wishing to realize an old childhood dream that he could not embody in reality, pointing to his happiness with his first gift, which he quickly became excited to discover and experience, despite the simplicity of its techniques adopted at the time on the principle of « Image development” and I was waiting for the results of developing a full movie of 36 images to obtain a successful image, as Al Hammadi confirmed, “I clung to this hobby for many years, before returning to it professionally at the beginning of 2008, coinciding with my work in the field of training falcons in one of the reserves Private schools in Dubai, where Sheikh Butti bin Maktoum gifted me a special camera to photograph the animals of the reserve and document the wildlife pattern in it, opening for me the gateway to the world of photography and opportunities to discover its secrets, details and various techniques. About the most accurate matters related to my hobby, as I have more than once to participate in variousThe forums for this art to learn about its latest techniques and benefit from them further to develop my knowledge in the field and then develop my experience in the field of wildlife photography in the Emirates.”
"Sniping" trips
With the passage of time and daily practice, Al Hammadi succeeded in drawing attention to his apparent talent in this field, accompanying a number of sheikhs on “sniping” and falconry trips, in which they traveled between various regions inside and outside the Emirates starting in 2018, when he accompanied the Sheikh the following year Ahmed bin Rashid, on a private hunting trip, and the late Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid, on a falconry hunting trip in Pakistan, through which Al Hammadi managed to shoot more than 10 albums, each of which includes more than 80 photos.
On the specifics of the art of wildlife photography in the Emirates, and its challenges and difficulties in the field, Emirati photographer Yaqoub Al Hammadi confirmed that each type of bird and animal in the wild environment has its own peculiarity and different advantages from others, whether in terms of its nature or ways of its wild life, which makes the photographer required every time to know these details. And delving into it to understand all its aspects and to deal well with it in the process of taking pictures, which may sometimes require a long stay in its environments and then “camping” in one place for more than four continuous months to take a picture “For example, it required photographing one of the types of owls known as owls ( The desert insect, intensive search for its nests and then digging a hole or setting up a small tent near it to monitor its movements and seize the awaited moment, as well as the multiple shooting times that vary between morning and afternoon periods to ensure high quality and quality of the captured images.
always fun
On the other hand, Al Hammadi adds that “every picture has its own aesthetics and privacy, and its most appropriate moments. However, photographing wildlife is always a pleasure that is not matched by pleasure, despite the endless surprises and challenges that surround it every time,” pointing to his great tendency To experience photographing owls as they move in their desert surroundings, in which he revealed that he finds exceptional happiness and magic.
He also referred to his movement in the wild photography experience between several regions of the country, saying, "The UAE enjoys a desert environment and wonderful nature reserves in Dubai, Al Marmoom and Al Qudra areas, as well as other reserves in Umm Al Quwain, Liwa, Al Dhaid, the Shaam Mountains in Ras Al Khaimah, the islands of the Western Region and other areas. Wonderful places.”
ambitions
In addition to his constant passion, research and investigation, Al Hammadi’s experience in the field of wildlife photography relied on his current work in the field of falconry and his great knowledge of it, which he inherited from his family, who long ago embraced this authentic Arab passion.
Regarding his participation in exhibitions and special occasions in the field inside and outside the UAE, Al Hammadi confirmed his participation in the “Sikka” exhibition in 2018, and his intention to participate in its subsequent sessions when the opportunity arises. We exchange ideas, experiences and experiences,” indicating his eagerness to expand his experience and travel to global reserves in Europe, Africa and Russia, to photograph the various types of birds and rare animals there.
Funny positions
Speaking about the funny situations he was exposed to during his experiences filming desert life, Al Hammadi pointed out that “on one occasion, I happened to be near an owl’s nest and its young, so I took the initiative to hide and camouflage the camera in an unattractive way, but I was surprised when I saw the large camera lens, One of the young owls hiding in it.
He added, "I was also attacked by a falcon once, while I was accompanying him on his training experience by a friend in the reserve, but I was happy at that time that the camera survived this sudden attack."
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