What was once a vibrant resort in Dahab Egypt, on the Red Sea, now lays decrepit and dusty. Egypt is the place I fell in love with dust. How can someone love dust? Well, as a photographer, it adds a layer of natural grain and texture to every shot. Whether dancint in the sky between the sun’s rays, or settled on the buildings, the dusty villages of Egypt made for a unique element in my work. I’m unsure of how long this hotel has been like this. When i walked past it and saw the abandoned pool, I knewI had to shoot here. I heard static TV sounds coming from a room tucked away in the maze of the hotel, and perhaps unwisely followed the sound. I found an old man watching TV and enjoying dates. He speaking no English and I no Arabic, agreed that I could take photos there. I like to believe he is the owner, taking guard over his hotel, though it is unusable in this state. I fell in love with the way the dirt obstructed the name of the hotel, so I couldnt be sure where I was. Not that it mattered anymore. I’ve always been dran to pools. Especially as a child. I couldn’t swim; and perhaps that was the draw - morbid curiosity. But the sight of a pool got me excited in ways no toy ever could. Something felt magical about them. As if they were portals. How could that shade of blue be real? 6 years later, when I decided to make the image a print, I used Google reverse image search to see if I could find the hotel. I wanted to see what it looked like when the pool was kept and filled with pristine water. It was once called “The Nubia Village.” And one day for certain this will be remodeled and turned into something new. But this image tells the story of the in-between. And while most would have feared contracting something from standing barefoot in an abandoned pool, I could’nt pass up the opportunity to pose for a shot in this hauntingly beautiful scene.
What was once a vibrant resort in Dahab Egypt, on the Red Sea, now lays decrepit and dusty. Egypt is the place I fell in love with dust. How can someone love dust? Well, as a photographer, it adds a layer of natural grain and texture to every shot. Whether dancint in the sky between the sun’s rays, or settled on the buildings, the dusty villages of Egypt made for a unique element in my work. I’m unsure of how long this hotel has been like this. When i walked past it and saw the abandoned pool, I knewI had to shoot here. I heard static TV sounds coming from a room tucked away in the maze of the hotel, and perhaps unwisely followed the sound. I found an old man watching TV and enjoying dates. He speaking no English and I no Arabic, agreed that I could take photos there. I like to believe he is the owner, taking guard over his hotel, though it is unusable in this state. I fell in love with the way the dirt obstructed the name of the hotel, so I couldnt be sure where I was. Not that it mattered anymore. I’ve always been dran to pools. Especially as a child. I couldn’t swim; and perhaps that was the draw - morbid curiosity. But the sight of a pool got me excited in ways no toy ever could. Something felt magical about them. As if they were portals. How could that shade of blue be real? 6 years later, when I decided to make the image a print, I used Google reverse image search to see if I could find the hotel. I wanted to see what it looked like when the pool was kept and filled with pristine water. It was once called “The Nubia Village.” And one day for certain this will be remodeled and turned into something new. But this image tells the story of the in-between. And while most would have feared contracting something from standing barefoot in an abandoned pool, I could’nt pass up the opportunity to pose for a shot in this hauntingly beautiful scene.
