DUBAI: British fine-art photographer John Balsdon is set to undertake his first-ever project in the Middle East this month as he heads hundreds of miles into Saudi Arabia’s isolated Harrat Rahat volcanic field to capture shots of Harrat Khaybar.
In late January, Balsdon will shoot images of lava flows, black basalt formations and sprawling desert plains while accompanied by a small film crew, drone pilot Chris Davies, and a Saudi guide.
“Saudi Arabia felt like a place of immense creative potential, one that is still largely unexplored from a visual storytelling perspective. I was drawn to the idea of documenting a country at a moment of transformation,” the lawyer-turned-artist told Arab News.
“During the research phase, I was genuinely surprised by the diversity of the landscapes. The scale and contrast, from deserts and volcanic terrain to coastlines and mountains, challenged any single perception of the country,” he added.
The photographs will be part of Balsdon’s ongoing project “Always Look Twice,” which features stunning, textured photographs from Australia, Botswana, Argentina and beyond.
