This is the time of the year when uncontrollable waves of gloom start rolling in over my life in Doha. The beginning of May is when the relentless summer heat officially becomes too uncomfortable to enjoy the outdoors, which basically signals the end of the season for my outdoor street photography outings too.
Doha, Qatar (Fuji X100s)
This has been the real, and predictable cycle of life in the Gulf region, which I've been calling home for about twelve years now (with a short break in-between), and I'd guess also applies to many other regions in the world that experience extreme climates. I can certainly imagine that it would be equally unpleasant trying to enjoy one's outdoor photography passions in minus degree winter temperatures.
Doha, Qatar (Fuji X100s)
The extreme summer periods, which are usually also accompanied by unbearable humidity, usually lasts until beginning November, when it finally becomes safe to start venturing outside for longer periods again. We always tend to forget that our bearable winter weather are from November through to April (which I call "low summer"), which is a full six months. This can surely be considered as a reasonable trade-off for the six months of "high summer" we have to endure.
During the summer months, I find it really hard to keep my street photography passions going in any active way. Just this past weekend, I tried again to hunt for a few usable shots at a new local shopping mall, but I always leave disappointed. Some street photographers are probably highly skilled in indoor mall photography, but it is not my strong point or main interest. I guess it lacks the unexplained, deeper qualities I search for in daily life and environments on the streets, not the cliche temples of excess and imitation that the typical shopping mall represents.
Doha, Qatar (Leica Q)
I used to ensure that I photograph as much as possible during the cooler months, and then spend the better part of the hot months processing and editing my work. I would (and still do) also try to travel as often as possible during these hot months in order to avoid cabin fever, but that's no longer the case. My processing workflow has become much simpler and streamlined throughout the years as I gradually moved form highly processed work to a more "purist" approach. I tend to now process most of my shortlisted, usable work shortly after shooting, and in most cases (if I'm travelling) while on the road. Everything in this world is becoming more immediate, I guess.
Time to start searching for some great travel deals to give me a few regular escapes from the Gulf summer of 2017 ...
Doha, Qatar (Leica Q)