Street Focus 79: Streets of the World – Dubai with Bjorn Moerman

Street Focus 79: Streets of the World - Dubai with Bjorn Moerman

In this new Streets of the World segment on Street Focus, I am taking you to Dubai and your local guide for this adventure is Bjorn Moerman, a.k.a. The Flying Photographer.
Who is Bjorn?


Bjorn Moerman
Björn Moerman often refers to himself as "the flying photographer"; combining his passion for aviation with a photography hobby that got out of hand. As an airline captain for a large Middle Eastern airline, he visited over 85 of the worlds countries so far and always comes home with exciting stories and freshly taken images from around the world. Bjorn has been living in Dubai for 14 years.
He mainly shoots architectural, travel and aviation photography but rediscovered the world of street photography when he picked up his first FUJIFILM camera more than three years ago. Since that moment he has switched 100% mirrorless and became an official X-photographer for FUJIFILM Middle East in 2014. Whenever he is not traveling, he can often be found skimming the markets and streets of Dubai, looking to capture those fleeting moments of life.
Contact Info
• www.bjornmoerman.com
• Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BjornMoermanPHOTOGRAPHY/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bjornmoerman/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/bjornmoerman
• Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+BjornMoerman
His popular "Pic(k) of the week" blog-series
( http://bjornmoerman.blogspot.ae ) features an image that stood out that particular week; a personal project he has maintained for more than 5 years! For all you photo-gear fans, he regularly reviews the latest and greatest from FUJIFILM on his blog.
About Dubai
Google Map: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=zybmkrntcTSY.kOQVBj0ZKoW8
• most Western countries 30 days free on arrival, easy process
• others pre-arranged with VISA through the embassy
Population
• UAE: just under 10 million with about 1.5 million UAE nationals (15% local)
• DUBAI: 2.5 million
• UAE is independent since 1971
• 7 emirates - capital: Abu Dhabi
Best time of the year • Mid October to end of April
• Summer is mostly indoor only; hot and humid
Currency


UAE Dirham, pegged to the USD; 1 USD is 3.675 AED
Bring dollars or euros and change in one of the many exchange places
Most ATM cards work

Arrival at airport
• normally arrive at Dubai international airport in the city center. Worlds busiest airport when only counting international passengers (+70 million/year)
• new airport: Dubai World Central. So far for some flights, not many
• airport is great place for shooting especially on the return, check in early for return flight
Transportation
• Bus and metro network; most expats limit themselves to metro and taxi
• Uber is there, but slightly more expensive than taxis
• Day pass for metro/bus 4 USD/€ per day
• Taxis still relatively cheap, much better than Europe. Almost all metered; some illegal taxis at airport before you exit
• Car rental is also a good option if one wants to do more extensive traveling in the country.