Qatar

[stalker]

I'm being sent to Doha in Qatar for work next week and will have not much to do so thought i'd take the camera - anyone else been there and aware of anything interesting from a photographic perspective??

[codachrome]

Re: Qatar

Never been there but......im sure you will find plenty of intresting things to record...and we will all be here waiting to see them.have a safe trip.

Coda

[Muscat]

Re: Qatar

Not been to Qatar but a number ofother Arab countries, if Qatar is similar you can get some fabulous sunsets and incredible landscapes iff you get out into the desert or even hills. In the other countries I have been to there are normally some fantastic buildings both old and new.

I don't know how long you will be staying out there but Ramadan starts around the 12th August so be careful where and when you eat and drink

Most of all enjoy yourself

[Nathaniel]

Re: Qatar

Have been to Oman and I think Qatar is also one of those englightened Middle Eastern countries. Quite a lot of dust and dirt and so be careful when changing your lenses. Yes,be careful of what you eat and drink

[djguk47]

Re: Qatar

I would have thought sunsets in the desert with shadows across the sand. The sky when a sand storm is approaching would be spectacular.

David

[Muscat]

Re: Qatar

Hi, Something I didn't mention before but if I were you I would keep my lenses and cameras in zip lock plastic bags whilst in Qatar and that part of the world, 2 reasons for saying that firstly the buildings that you will live and work in will almost certainly be airconditioned and when you take your gear outside into the heat and humidity they will mist up pretty badly, the plastic bag helps keep the moisture outside of you expensive kit. Secondly as Nathaniel has mentioned you will get lots of very fine and abrasive dust everywhere, the bags help keep a lot of it away from your equipment.

[Nathaniel]

Re: Qatar

I don't wish to be a wet blanket but being the "coward" I am, I 'd rather not change lenses in the open air but only in the hotel; requires anticipation as to what lens to put on. This is one of the main reasons I prefer to take two camera bodies, one fitted with a reasonable zoom lens and the other one with a shorter zoom lens. OR take a P&S as the second camera.Anyway have a good trip and good photography and do post some of your images for us to see.

[stalker]

Re: Qatar

thanks for all the replies and advice - tickets now booked, flying out monday, back saturday - unfortunately they only work over there till mid day thursday and don't do fridays - should leave me plenty of time to have a quick explore :-)

[Muscat]

Re: Qatar

Have fun and enjoy the experience

[stalker]

Re: Qatar

right - this is not working!!!!

Today is my first (and only) free day to get out an about but the camera is useless..

Moving from Air-conditioned hotel to outside (low 40s today, but very high humidity, weather report days "feels like 57"!!!!!) - the lenses just fog up..
Even after best part of an hour the inside of the lenses still contain a cloud - cant even see through them - and after 20 minutes I myself am a puddle..!

I would like to get out again to the sea front this evening - sun sets at 6.30pm, and should drop to about 32C at night so a bit more comfortable - but is there anything i can do to make my gear usable??

best i can do is take a photo on my blackberry!!!!::

[Muscat]

Re: Qatar

Do you have a balcony in the hotel? If so put the camera in a plastic bag and place the lot outside for a while to acclimatise before you go out. If not the keep the camera in a plastic bag but wrap it in blankets or towels to try and prevent it cooliong down so much in the aiconditioned rooms. The idea of the plastic bag is that it hopefully keeps some of the humidity out of the equipment and reduces the amount of misting you get in the lens / camera

[stalker]

Re: Qatar

hmm, no balcony...
hmm, i have a sachet of silica gel, maybe i should pick the one lens i want to use, but camera+lens in a bag with the silica gel sachet - then take outside, but not open the bag until it's been long enough for the contents to heat up?!?!

- i cant stop it cooling down in the hotel room, it's in the room more than its outside...

[Muscat]

Re: Qatar

When in similar climates I always leave my kit in ziplock or sealed bags until they have had time to warm up to ambient temperature otherwise you spend hours trying to get rid of the humidity fog. Hope you have better luck later today and can post some pictures.