Tag Archives: sports
Catching the city’s dreams through the lens
Catching the city’s dreams through the lens 24 February 2014 Dubai-based shutterbug Daniel Cheong says about his escapades as a cityscape photographer and explains why light is the key ingredient for that ideal shot. He has scaled some of Dubai’s tallest skyscrapers to capture the ideal shot, and his image of Dubai’s downtown district emerging from the early morning fog caught the eyes of millions of people around the world. So what is it that makes amateur photographer, Daniel Cheong, tick? Dubai as seen through the lens of Cheong … The city gave him the perfect environment for creating the cityscape images he loves. — KT photos by Rahul Gajjar “It’s the adrenalin rush,” he tells Khaleej Times , before openly admitting he often sneaks onto the rooftops of high-rise buildings to freeze-frame Dubai in all its glory. “I do try to get permission from the building’s management first, but that only ever works out about five per cent of the time.” And on the rare occasions when he does get caught, Cheong says he just flashes a smile. “If they catch me in the act, I tell them straight. Give me access to your building and you can have the photos.” A compromise which usually works, he says. Just for fun Despite shooting more than 70,000 shots of 14,000 different cityscape scenes around the world, Cheong, whose images have garnered more than 10 million views on the photo-sharing site Flickr, says photography is still “just a hobby”. “I’m actually a technical manager for a mobile telecommunications brand here by day. Photography is just my passion.” Snapping his camera lens at different exposures, the self-proclaimed “tech geek” uses different exposures to emphasise the visual dynamism of the world’s modern architecture. He then takes to photoshop, and using a digital blending technique, creates “perfection in terms of the visuals”. “It’s a funny thing really. Because people who have seen my work often visit the cities I capture, then get back to me saying I make it look more amazing than it really is. “I call it eye candy for the people.” The perfect environment With Dubai taking on the role of home for now, Cheong says it’s the perfect environment for creating the cityscape images he loves. And with many of his images published on social networking sites including Facebook and Flickr, it’s the perfect platform enabling his creativity to reach the masses. “My photos have been noticed by several magazines thanks to these sites. Some have even been featured in National Geographic (China), travelling magazines and airline brand publications.” Championing bright, provocative colouring in his works, the Mauritius-born photographer says it’s rare to find black and white shots in his photo collection. “I want to create that idealistic vision, and the excessive use of colour helps me achieve this.” So what’s the most important ingredient for a successful freeze-frame? According to Cheong, the camera and production equipment take a back seat when it comes to getting that right shot, describing light as “a photographers best friend”. Harsh lighting can destroy any photo, so the best time to shoot is before 8am or after 4pm he says. “It’s all about the lighting and composition. I don’t think it’s something you can learn. You either have the knack for it or you don’t.” See his works Cheong’s debut photo exhibition: ‘Dubai – Lights of Dreams’ is on display at Alliance Francaise in Oud Metha till February 26, and is showcasing 35 of his favourite Dubai stills. With prices ranging from an affordable Dh450 to Dh1,500, he says he’s happy keeping his passion his hobby for now. “It’s not about the money for me. I am happy in my job and I love doing my photography. It’s a form of escapism for me. If I turn it into my career at this point, I will have to branch out into the corporate market and I don’t want to do that.” So for now, Cheong says he’ll continue to juggle his work and hobby, despite a severe lack of sleep in the meantime. kelly@khaleejtimes.com For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
Happiness, welfare of citizens our priorities: Mohammed
Happiness, welfare of citizens our priorities: Mohammed Staff Report / 24 February 2014 Vice-President says UAE to be one of the best countries by 2021 His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has praised the directives of the President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to review the applied programmes in the various government departments to ensure the happiness and welfare of citizens. Shaikh Mohammed, Lt-Gen. Shaikh Saif, Shaikh Mansour and senior officials being briefed about the work mechanism of e-portal on the sidelines of the Cabinet meeting in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. — Wam Shaikh Mohammed’s comments came during the Cabinet’s meeting at the Presidential Palace here on Sunday as they discussed the second report of the UAE Government review. “While evaluating the federal government review, we are aspired to learn from our experiences and prepare ourselves to serve this country,” Shaikh Mohammed said. “Since the very beginning, Shaikh Khalifa has been following up our work continually. Our priorities are the happiness and welfare of the citizens as they are the way and final objective of our development plans; moreover, innovation in the development of government work is limitless,” Shaikh Mohammed said in the introduction of the report. Shaikh Mohammed added: “We learned from our previous experiences that government’s strategies and plans require a clear vision. Initiating from this concept, we directed our teams to build on the vision that the United Arab Emirates will be one of the best countries in the world by 2021.” Addressing the Cabinet, Shaikh Mohammed said: “We would like review our work every now and then because we expect our government to be number one in everything; we want to increase our competitiveness in every sector.” Shaikh Mohammed explained that the world is changing and developing, and the development plans taking place in the UAE require continuous revision to keep up with ambitions and expectations. Shaikh Mohammed said: “The past four years were not just full with achievements, but challenges as well. Again, the United Arab Emirates had proven that the hard work and dedication will benefit the country and the nation.” During the meeting, the Cabinet reviewed the second UAE Government review 2010-2013. The report follows the first edition that covered the period 2006-2009. Composed of eight chapters, the report reviews the federal government activities in social development, economic development, foreign policies, government development, security and justice, infrastructure, environment and citizen and development. The Cabinet has also approved the re-appointment of Board of Emirates Investment Authority for three years. The board is chaired by Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs; and Vice-Chairman Mohammed Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs; Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy; Obaid Humaid Al Tayer, Minister of State for Financial affairs; and a number of experts are its members. It also restructured the Human Resources Development Committee in Banking and Financial Sector under chairmanship of Humaid Mohammed Obeid Al Qattami, Minister of Education. The act comes in compliance with the leadership’s Emiratisation agenda aiming to build and develop national capabilities in various sectors including banking and finance. The Cabinet has also approved several rules and regulations and amended number of laws. Moreover, the Cabinet has agreed to host the World Congress on Communication for Development 2014. It endorsed a number of recommendations from the Federal National Council (FNC) on policy of the National Media Council on boosting the media laws in the UAE. They included training of national cadres and emiratisation of media posts nationwide. The Cabinet approved the request of the FNC to discuss the policy of the Ministry of Health in a drive to upgrade the health system. In the field of international agreements, the Cabinet has approved number of cooperation, commercial, economic and judicial agreements with Japan, Benin, Morocco, Armenia and Hungary in addition to an investment protection agreement with India. The Cabinet has also approved number of air transport agreements with Afghanistan, El Salvador and Burkina Faso. The meeting was attended by Lt. General Shaikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior; and Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed. On the sidelines of the Cabinet session, Shaikh Mohammed and ministers registered in the e-portal project. They were briefed about the work mechanism of e-portal, which speeds up travel procedures for citizens, expatriates and visitors with entry visas, while departing or entering into the country. Earlier the Ministry of Interior conducted the media campaign to educate public about the benefits of e-portals. (With inputs from Wam) news@khaleejtimes.com For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
Mikhail Gorbachev calls for collective leadership
Mikhail Gorbachev calls for collective leadership Afkar Abdullah / 24 February 2014 Former Soviet leader says The root cause of the unrest in Ukraine was an interruption of perestroika and of the democratic process there. Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev says the crisis in Ukraine has been created by the government’s failure to act democratically. Speaking at the IGCF on Sunday, as the forum’s guest of honour, he dwelled briefly on the current political situation in Ukraine where protesters took to the streets of Kiev and seized the president’s office as parliament voted to remove him and hold elections. Speaking about the social conflicts across the world, Gorbachev said: “Today, the world is a kind of turbulent sea. The tensions that have accumulated can surface in the most dramatic way — although it will be difficult to say where. In such reactions, we have seen mass uprisings in countries such as Turkey and Ukraine that underline the failure of their governments to act democratically and talk to their people. The root cause of the unrest in Ukraine was an interruption of perestroika and of the democratic process there.” Calling for change, he said: “Weak crisis management indicates lack of political initiative and courage. Leaders have been content with small steps and have failed to act in the spirit of collective leadership, which is the only workable format in today’s world. The transition to a more sustainable world is imperative. If the current elite are not able to provide leadership to pioneer this change, it is time for the new race of leaders to take their place. Today, we need to look for solutions that lead to world peace. We need global governance — it is a multi-level initiative that covers the local, national, and regional levels. We have only years and not decades to resolve this problem.” In his keynote address, Gorbachev said: “The 20th century has turned out to be the bloodiest century. Although we are living in an interdependent world, we are yet to live in interdependence. We are, therefore, seeing the consequences of this inability in political, economic and social interactions. Globalisation is the dominant reality of the world. The end of the cold war gave impetus to this globalisation.” Gorbachev criticised the way issues are being addressed: “In as much, the assumption that the current model of globalisation will see us overcome the problems of inequality is not working. In fact, we see the development of new weapons and conflicts while old conflicts remain unresolved. For instance, the economic crisis of 2008 is not over. It should have been an alarm bell – but we have not responded to it adequately; there has been no sincere shared effort.” He said globalisation would achieve equality and spread tolerance in the world; it is now encouraging Muslim countries to confront the marginalisation by the Great Powers. afkarali@khaleejtimes.com For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
