Dubai Dry Docks - Reprise

The left overs from the Friday Dubai Dry Docks date....

Dubai Dry Docks

This is a quiet corner that you could almost miss - its right beside (below really) the Business Bay Crossing. Took me ten minutes to get there on Friday Morning. I really like some of these pics ...think i am getting a little better.

Dawn slipped in

One more from the UAE National Day Photo date! Dint mean to shoot this - was a random test shot to assess light - but with a bit of touch up, this missed "dawn" looks pretty cool.

The Dubai Labourer

There is enough written dope about how the labourer sweats it out in inhumane conditions to make a meagre $250 a month in Dubai and how they have not been given their due in this success story. Check out the newyork times story on this....

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/06/world/middleeast/06dubai.html?_r=1&ex=1187409600&en=a450487ba58cf8f5&ei=5070&oref=slogin

Well, the other day i was asked to speak to a few guys from near Thanjavur in TN - possible unskilled labour recruits for our factory ( was the only guy in office to speak tamil - so i was doing the "tele-interviews"!) but damn - here were 6 or 7 guys who were living with their 4 or 5 member family at about 1500 bucks a month!! Damn "inhumane conditions" - if these guys got here in Dubai - here will be another 4 or 5 families who might live a decent life and have a reasonable future.

Here is a picture of one such labourer starting his day - near my home. One of them treated with some SFX!

The Burj

What's a wanna be photographer living in Dubai without his own pics of the Burj al Arab!!! Well, here are mine taken on the dawn of the 36th UAE National Day. Kept rushing myself with the thought that the early morning light would go away ...dint think i did justice.

Dubai Metro Project

Now thing that many living in Dubai are looking forward to is the Dubai Metro - seems to be coming along pretty well.

One of the officials had quoted "its going to be luxurious by Dubai Standards" - i can get the picture!!! Its to be the largest driverless automatic system in the world...

Some pics from the wip - but one big question thats on everyone's mind - whats gonna take us from home to the station and back?? ( Some one was talking about a Dubai Version of our good old Auto rickshaw!!)

Sipping Tea

Drugs, Sex and Rock and Roll!!! You know the picture- the bad boys rocking?

Well, this man likes to drink Tea during his concerts!!!! Here's Mark Knopfler and his guitarist Richard Bent (? i think) in the middle of a concert!

Shop Windows at Dubai Festival City

Been a while since ive been shooting!!! Here are a few that were done (not so painstakingly, nevertheless quite fine) while on a shopping trip to the Festival City, Dubai

Aging Rockers and some cool new music!

Its been a while since i bought any new music.... i was either rebuying or (downloading!!) albums that i had worn off listening to or they were just convenient compilations of stuff that i like. Dint quite like some of the new bands and the bands i liked just dint seem to have it these days.

But, some refreshingly nice new music in the scene now......

1) Mark Knopfler : Kill to get crimson - Knopfler was God to me until i got so damn bored with his mournful style in all his solo work. But, this 2007 release is a real gem! A complete experience with characters, places, moods, emotions. Top of my charts!!

2) Bruce Springsteen : Magic - The last i heard Springsteen was when i had bought Ghost of Tom Jods. You know, rockers age and they try and make their music mellow and more "musical" and stuff and bore the shit out of you? Well, Magic is exactly not that - right out of his 80s superdom days! Really really cool album .

3) Robert Plant and Alison Krauss : Raising Sand - Well, this album is exactly what i normally dont want my favorite rockers to do - going mellow and doing pseudo "musical" stuff! But this
so Not "whole lotta love" Robert Plant's collaboration with bluegrass singer Alison Krauss is really nice. I just love the cover photograph...serene, calm, minimalistic, beautiful . A picture thats so apt for the music inside.

4) Eagles : Long Road out of Eden : We needed to wait since 1979 for this album eh?!! Ok, but its a studio album from Eagles at the end of it. There are parts where they sound like it was right out of the "hotel california" days but its mostly mellowed down. Worth it i guess.

5) Bon Jovi : Lost Highway : Hey remember when Bon Jovi used to matter? Me Neither!! But, you know, i think i just keep buying this ( i bought this one; no download!) for old times sake. Not worth it.

5) Megadeth : United Abominations : Dave Mustain likes his rock hard and fast. And i like it that way too!! No changing these guys - worth it if you are a Megadeth freak. And i like the name of the song "Amerikasthan"!

Photography is hard work indeed!!!!

Some really cute pics of people taking pics!!!

Brylcreem - Get the Looks!!

Bryl-creem, a little dab'll do ya, Use more, only if you dare, But watch out, The gals will all pursue ya,-- They'll love to put their fingers thru your hair. ... The classic Bryl jingle from yesteryears.

Brialliantine and Cream and therefore Brylcreem was a brand was created by Chemico works in England in 1928. ( Chemico works used to make kitchen cleaners, the last i heard of Chemico Works was a few weeks back - the Chemico brand was owned by a third generation indian in South Africa!) It was particularly popular with Royal Air Force pilots who became known as the Brylcreem Boys.

The brand itself had been through numerous hands including Smithkline Beecham, finally landing up with Sara Lee. ( i had managed the brand for a couple of years!!!)

Big names have been featured in Bryl's advertising. Sara Lee had signed with David Beckham for some really grand bucks and before full lenght advertising was to go on air, David went and shaved off his hair!!!

Much before Dhoni went to feature on Bryl ads in India - it used to be ...guess who...Kishore Kumar!!!

Growing up years brands!! Vintage Indian Advertising

Its been a while since ive written in! Here is a post that one more reason for this blog to stay alive.... a collection of brands from the yore...things that id grown up on.