The Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, in Muscat, is the main reference of contemporary Islamic architecture in Oman and one of the few places of worship in the region open to non-Muslim visitors.
The photoshoot aimed to produce high-quality photographic material for editorial, cultural and documentary use. Pre-production meetings served to define the criteria I followed throughout the two days of production: faithful representation of dimensions, respect for the colour palette of the space and geometric compositions. The logistics had to be organized in detail to carry out the shoot in a context of great discretion, with a constant presence of visitors and strict time restrictions.
During the session I used polarizing filters to reduce the reflections and brightness of the marble under the strong midday sun, knowing that their use would require some adjustments to the sky colour in post-production, as they tend to saturate it. The human figures appearing in some of the images are key because they help convey the scale and understand just how imposing the complex is.
The gallery also includes some images of the Royal Opera House and Al Alam Palace, also located in Muscat, and Nizwa Fort, which, without being part of this architectural photography project from the outset, broaden the fascinating architectural context of Oman.
The "why not" mentality generates volume, not a career.
There are projects where the right question is not whether you can do it, but whether it is the project you want to say yes to.
Read reflection:
→ The power of no and the trap of always saying yes
(original article in Spanish—translation available)
THE GEOMETRY OF FEELING
Architectural photography by Dani Vottero