That discovering new and interesting visuals in Qatar can be extremely challenging is something almost all seasoned photographers in Qatar would agree. While some give up on the search and settle for the tried and tested, some like Oscar Rialubin remain eternal hopefuls, embracing the daily challenge of seeking something new and creating striking images.



A child offers a prayer at The Grand Mosque in Doha.

The award-winning photographer is not the one to stick to the template. “Qatar presents us with some fascinating subjects for photography that range from cityscapes to culture, from street buzz to sand and sea. We have a variety of opportunities in Souq Waqif, Katara, West Bay, Al Zubara fort, modern architecture, landscapes, rock formations, and even seascapes on the outskirts; there’s a lot to explore,” Rialubin says. “But it’s also very challenging to present it in new ways; to discover new angles and vantage points to make it unique. It takes a lot of time to do research, hone your creativity, and develop a style to achieve a visual impact.”
The Filipino expat sure has made good use of his time to nurture his visual signature. It was eight years ago that Rialubin embarked on his photography voyage as a “hobbyist”. He says, “Since the day I picked up the camera, it has been a continuous journey. I am glad that I embraced it as part of my job as a 3D graphic artist.”
Keeping an eye out for the unusual has done him well. Last year, the big accolade came in the way of Rialubin’s photograph of a watch repairman at work in Doha, titled Xyclops, bagging the prestigious CBRE Urban Photographer of the Year competition, besting more than more than 21,000 entries from 113 countries. Now a proficient craftsman, Rialubin has come up with a photography workshop to share his knowledge of being behind the camera and also beyond it.
Titled Cityscape 2.0, the post-processing workshop will be held on September 13 at The Westin Doha Hotel & Spa from 1pm to 4.30pm – for reservations, you can write to doha_shutterbugz@yahoo.com The topics covered in the workshop are digital blending concepts, simplified blending, camera RAW adjustments, image clean-up, perspective correction, colour correction and enhancing, plugins – colour efex pro, selective sharpening, and exporting image for web. Rialubin says, “If used judiciously and smartly, editing and post-processing can do wonders to our pictures. Many people, however, overlook this aspect of photography.”
Although Rialubin’s work spans across categories and labels, architecture and travel photography are his favourites. “The reason I love architecture photography is because I find myself drawn to the character and feel of nearly every building, be it futuristic, classic or ethnic. While it requires a great lot of patience to create a dynamic photographic composition of a piece of architecture, I find it to be more rewarding. As for travel photography, it’s basically about capturing the expression of time and place. It’s a more challenging type of photography where you don’t really have control over the light and natural conditions. But every moment spent in any place while travelling is special and capturing the moment and the ambience is lasting.”
Speaking of research and preparation, Rialubin follows a few pointers that have never failed him. “I always learn about the subject and the ambience that I am about to shoot in. More often, I shoot between the golden to blue hour – the interval between night and day,” he explains, “I plan the visual composition that would tell a story, by creating a sense of place and time that connects the viewer with the image.”
Of the many memorable experiences shooting pictures, Rialubin shares one that he feels made a significant difference. “I had captured one of my favourite images which I call ‘Arabian Dama’. It’s a juxtaposition of old men and boys playing Dama, in the ‘master meets the apprentice’ vein. This image eventually won the Qatar National Sports Day competition in 2013 and the prize I was awarded was a trip to London. During that trip, I captured ‘London Blue’, an image of the City Hall and the Tower Bridge against a purplish lavender sky and water fountains. The picture became a finalist at the Wanderlust Travel Photo of the Year 2014. I consider this experience as a key to my becoming a better photographer and also opening the doors for commissioned works,” he says.
As for his other award-winning image ‘Xyclops’, Rialubin chose to compose a spectacular portrait devoid of false pity that usually accompanies images of working class heroes, elevating a regular subject to a superhero level. The striking black-and-white photograph has the watch repairman stare at the viewer with one eye, while the other is fitted with a magnifying glass, and in his one hand is a tool and in his other a watch.
Rialubin admits that being named as the CBRE Urban Photographer of the Year was another milestone for him. “I have been passionate about street photography for a number of years. I knew my shot of a watch repairman in the middle of his work, fitted the brief fantastically. The urban environment is a fascinating subject as it is one of constant change and activity, and capturing that one perfect moment was a great feeling.” 
The annual competition invites amateur as well as professional photographers to capture the essence of the urban environment through the brief of “Cities at Work”. The top prize was a luxury trip to a destination of the winner’s choice.
Always the enterprising one, Rialubin’s photographs often get featured in Community as well. For budding photographers, Rialubin has simple words of advice – read, shoot and have fun. “Focus on your composition and basic camera techniques, rather than looking for the best and the latest camera out there,” he says, “I believe in what Chase Jarvis says – the best camera is the one that you have with you.”