Pic(k) of the week 20: BACK TO SCHOOL - JAZIRAT AL HAMRA

In the North of the UAE, there is another abandoned village, called Jazirat al Hamra, not to be confused with the one near Al Madam that was part of last weeks Pic(k) of the week. "Deserted about forty years ago, Jazirat Al Hamra (arabic for Red island) is one of the only complete villages of its kind, still standing in the Gulf Region, which gives a glimpse of what life was like before the discovery of oil. 

My first visit to Jazirat al Hamra dates back to more than 10 years ago (DEC 2009). Once pointed in the right direction, one quickly arrives at its outer edge, where an old fort and tower watch in eerie silence over empty streets and abandoned buildings, some at least a century old. Mosques, shops, and houses – with courtyards overrun by vegetation and quaint features like star windows, wind-towers, and carved doors – all lie in varying states of decay and disrepair. 

Varying accounts exist as to why the village was deserted. Some tell of a dispute between the tribe residing there and local authorities, which resulted in the tribe appealing to Sheikh Zayed and moving to Abu Dhabi after the formation of the UAE; while others claim that the town was gradually deserted, with most of its inhabitants moving away simply because they were attracted by the job opportunities, lifestyle and conveniences found in larger cities and modern housing communities. 

Since my last visit several year back, a large part of the village has been cleaned up and will likely be opened up as an official heritage village.  Some of the most interesting buildings in the town is a school with about 6 or so classrooms with the blackboards still in place. The image below shows such a classroom. Not sure what the function of the ladder is, but this is how I found the place...

Everybody left

Image detail:
  • Fujifilm GFX50R with GF 45-100 lens
  • ISO 1600, f 20, 1/7s, 59mm
  • Lightroom CC for RAW development using Classic Chrome Camera profile
  • DxO ColorEfex Pro 4 for contrast adjustments
As you can see, the image above was shot with the new Fujifilm GF45-100 lens mounted on a GFX50R; a great "compact" medium format camera. Shot handheld at 1/7s, it shows that the OIS (Optical Image Stabilisation) really lives up to the expectations. 

 I've used the time off during the COVID-19 lockdown to revisit some the older images and galleries. Such was the case for reworking "The village that always sleeps" gallery which can be found here. The harsh HDR look some of the images had 10 years ago, is all gone now. 

 Remember: "Life is a ladder. Not a bed"

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