Snapshot
www.true-dubai.com
In a bid to look beyond the airbrushed image cast by glossy holiday brochures and gleaming guidebooks, a pair of photographers, Stefan Zwanzger and Jessica Franz, embarked on a pictorial tour of the City of Gold discovering and documenting what they saw as the ‘true’ Dubai.
The results of their efforts can now be seen on their newly-launched website named, unsurprisingly, www.truedubai.com. The 1,000-plus picture project was completed over an intense two-week period and makes for a photographic A-Z of the city taking in detailed aerial shots of the Palm Jumeirah (above), the obligatory construction worker images, Emiratis sipping on Frappachinos and Creek life.
‘Our motivation was twofold,’ explains Zwanzger. ‘I am new to the city and so wanted to explore and I also wanted to discover more about the people who make up the city. Everything you read about Dubai focuses on the Burj Al Arab and the five-star hotels. We wanted to uncover the real essence of the city and certainly went to places you wouldn’t go if you were a tourist.’ Michelle Byrne.