GALLERY OF THE MONTH OCT 2023: S I D E W A Y S

This month's Gallery of the month is SIDEWAYS, a personal project born after having been confined during the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

Once the lockdown was lifted the hot and humid Dubai summer was already in full swing. Going on extended road trips around the UAE quickly became the new photo "walk". The allure of impromptu photography road trips lies in the freedom they provide. No specific destination or long shot lists to tick off. Merely a solo drive into the unknown, in an attempt to bring the joy of photographic storytelling back to life.

Whenever something caught my eye, the open side window acted as a gigantic viewfinder. While the focus was mainly on the side of the car, looking back through the side mirror often gave the image an extra dimension.

The title "Sideways" was suggested by somebody on social media. Obviously primarily referring to looking to the side, but also suggesting to go off the beaten path on smaller side roads.

Sometimes just a misspelled sign would draw my attention. 

Mainly showing a more rural part of the UAE, the images had one thing in common: the lack of people. 

For me they captured a sense of stillness and serenity amidst the urban and personal chaos we had been living in since the start of the pandemic. As a lot of friends had recently lost their jobs, the images also gave me a desolate feeling where everybody had left.

Last summer the project ended with the making of a self-published book with 51 of the strongest images of the project.

The small book is available on blurb here. Blurb, does regularly give out discount vouchers through their email list. Just register for free with them to receive the promo's. It might be worth the wait...

The entire SIDEWAYS gallery can be found here.

BJORN

X-Photographer

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