Month: November 2023

A visit to the fish market in Mutrah is one of the best ways to experience the local hustle and bustle, as the fishermen arrive in their boats, bringing their catch. You need to arrive at dawn, because the activities start very early in the day. It is interesting to see the fish being unloaded and carried into the nearby market building; or simply being sold right there on the spot, as restaurant owners come by to negotiate.

As a photographer, it is a place full of opportunities, and I simply walked around for a while with camera in hand, greeting people along the way. I find it a good approach to be nice and open about what I am planning to do, which is take photos. After a while, nobody pays me any attention anymore. For this visit, I used the Fujifilm X-T4 and the Voigtlaender X 35mm f/1.2 lens, which is manual focus. I like this lens very much, it is small and manual focusing is a breeze.

After 14 years, I am working in Oman again, and living in Muscat, the capital of this beautiful country. Even though there are more buildings, roads, and development, the unique cultural heritage of a romantic Arabia is still very much present in the old forts, markets, countryside, and of course its friendly people.

This set of photos was taken during a very early visit to the old part of Muscat, along the shoreline and Mutrah Corniche, with the old Portuguese forts surveilling the sea. I am looking forward to revisit some familiar places in the mountains and deserts, while finding new ones.

Note: photos were taken with Fujifilm X-T4 and X-T5 cameras, plus Fujinon 16mm f/1.4 and 56 f/1.2 lenses.