British photo exhibit captures Dubai’s hustle and bustle

Richard Bentley, a British photographer whose time-lapse films have been a success, has attracted thousands of hits online, a newspaper reported on Saturday.

His latest work, “Dubai 3.0,” which aims to capture Dubai’s restless,bustling nature, is not a video camera creation but a compilation of 20,000 still photographs, The National said.

“Dubai 3.0,” as the name suggests, is the third part of a trilogy. Its predecessor, “Dubai 2.0” was screened at film festivals in Hollywood, Edinburgh, Philadelphia and London.

In the opening scene of Bentley’s new offering, the Dubai Fountain flares briefly in front of the Burj Khalifa before the view changes slightly and the same location is seen across the rippling surface of a swimming pool.

The viewpoint continues to change as different parts of the city - including the Dubai Marina, Business Bay, the Atlantis, The Palm - are showcased. A soundtrack, by the composer Athar Saeed, accompanies the visuals.

Bentley’s fascination with Dubai’s architecture is clear.

“Dubai is a photographer’s paradise if you’re into architecture,” he told the newspaper. “That’s what really captured my imagination.”

“The lighting in Dubai is incredible at night. In daytime it doesn’t capture the imagination quite so much but, after dark, Dubai comes to life,” he added.

Bentley lives in the UK but travels regularly to Dubai on business. He shot the stills for the new six-minute film, hosted on vimeo.com, during his most recent trip in May.

“Location is everything, so without the fantastic skyline of Dubai it would be impossible.

“What I’m trying to convey with the time-lapse is to represent the city in the best possible artistic way that I can and bring it to the internet. Dubai is a very fast, very bustling, 24-hour city.”

Bentley feels he has exhausted the city’s visual potential for the time being, although he might be tempted to revisit the emirate once new buildings are complete.

“I’d like to wait until some more great buildings spring up and the Dubai Pearl gets finished.”