https://shoayb.net/blog Writing on architecture photography, awards, workshops and practice across the Middle East and beyond. en https://shoayb.net/blog/architecture-photography-editing-tips https://shoayb.net/blog/architecture-photography-editing-tips Fri, 21 Aug 2026 09:00:00 GMT Editing is not the part that rescues a bad shoot. It is the part that finishes a good one. Ten principles behind real commissions, no slider values. https://shoayb.net/blog/what-is-fine-art-architecture-photography https://shoayb.net/blog/what-is-fine-art-architecture-photography Thu, 20 Aug 2026 09:00:00 GMT Fine art architecture photography starts when the building stops being the subject and becomes the material. What that means in practice, and when it is not the right choice. https://shoayb.net/blog/drone-permits-uae-saudi-architectural-photography https://shoayb.net/blog/drone-permits-uae-saudi-architectural-photography Fri, 17 Jul 2026 09:00:00 GMT The camera is the easy part. Across the Gulf, whether an aerial frame happens is decided weeks before the shoot, by paperwork. https://shoayb.net/blog/how-to-brief-architectural-photography https://shoayb.net/blog/how-to-brief-architectural-photography Thu, 16 Jul 2026 09:00:00 GMT The strongest briefs are specific about intent and loose about execution. The weakest are the opposite: a shot list, a day rate, and no explanation of what the building is for. https://shoayb.net/blog/hiring-architectural-photographer-dubai https://shoayb.net/blog/hiring-architectural-photographer-dubai Wed, 15 Jul 2026 09:00:00 GMT Most briefs get written around a day rate and a shot count. Neither predicts whether the images will be any good. Here is what actually separates one commission from another. https://shoayb.net/blog/lighting-interiors https://shoayb.net/blog/lighting-interiors Sun, 15 Mar 2026 09:00:00 GMT The single most common mistake in interior photography is over-lighting. Here is how I approach lighting decisions for interior commissions — preserving what the designer intended rather than replacing it. https://shoayb.net/blog/architizer-visionary-100 https://shoayb.net/blog/architizer-visionary-100 Tue, 17 Feb 2026 09:00:00 GMT Named Architectural Photographer of the Year in the Architizer Visionary 100 — an annual selection highlighting individuals redefining how architecture is communicated through images, film, and visual media. https://shoayb.net/blog/getting-published-dezeen https://shoayb.net/blog/getting-published-dezeen Mon, 02 Feb 2026 09:00:00 GMT Most architects and photographers who want Dezeen coverage send the same thing, and it does not work. A practical guide to what actually gets architecture projects featured, from a photographer published there multiple times. https://shoayb.net/blog/cda-2026-winner https://shoayb.net/blog/cda-2026-winner Tue, 20 Jan 2026 09:00:00 GMT Honored to receive the award for Best Project Photography for Noir Matiere at the Createurs Design Awards 2026 in Paris — a ceremony bringing together designers, architects, and creatives from around the world. https://shoayb.net/blog/medium-format https://shoayb.net/blog/medium-format Sun, 18 Jan 2026 09:00:00 GMT The jump to medium format is not just about resolution. It changes how you compose, how you relate to a space, and what the final image is capable of. A practical account of the shift. https://shoayb.net/blog/cda-2026-nominated https://shoayb.net/blog/cda-2026-nominated Tue, 13 Jan 2026 09:00:00 GMT Shortlisted for the Créateurs Design Awards for a second year — a peer-to-peer honor with an international jury of 300 members from 55 countries, for work on the Noir Matière project with BooBrook. https://shoayb.net/blog/xposure-workshop-2026 https://shoayb.net/blog/xposure-workshop-2026 Mon, 12 Jan 2026 09:00:00 GMT Kicking off 2026 with a hands-on architectural photography workshop in collaboration with Xposure International Photography Festival — an immersive four-hour session from concept to final edit at one of Sharjah's iconic landmarks. https://shoayb.net/blog/amp-2025-winner https://shoayb.net/blog/amp-2025-winner Tue, 23 Dec 2025 09:00:00 GMT Honored to be named Architectural Photographer of the Year in the Exterior Architecture Photography category at the 5th Architecture Photography MasterPrize — a competition that received submissions from 72 countries. https://shoayb.net/blog/grands-prix-2025 https://shoayb.net/blog/grands-prix-2025 Thu, 27 Nov 2025 09:00:00 GMT Named Grand Winner in Architectural Photography at the GRANDS PRIX DU DESIGN 2025 in Montreal — recognizing a year-long documentation of KAFD in Riyadh, featuring architecture by Zaha Hadid, Foster + Partners, and Henning Larsen. https://shoayb.net/blog/ipa-2025-winner https://shoayb.net/blog/ipa-2025-winner Sun, 12 Oct 2025 09:00:00 GMT First place in the Architecture — Cityscapes category at the International Photography Awards 2025, with the awards ceremony held in Athens — recognizing a year-long photographic documentation of KAFD in Riyadh. https://shoayb.net/blog/orangebox-psarokokalo-2025 https://shoayb.net/blog/orangebox-psarokokalo-2025 Mon, 09 Jun 2025 09:00:00 GMT Orangebox, an architectural art film set within The House of Courtyards in Dubai designed by STUDIO VDGA, officially selected for the 2025 Psarokokalo International Short Film Festival in the Architecture and Environment category. https://shoayb.net/blog/binghatti-award https://shoayb.net/blog/binghatti-award Fri, 16 May 2025 09:00:00 GMT How months of preparation — studying angles, renting apartments inside Binghatti towers, and planning for every lighting condition — combined with an unexpected fog season to produce the first-place image in the 200/20 Binghatti Photography Award. https://shoayb.net/blog/architecture-hunter-jury-2025 https://shoayb.net/blog/architecture-hunter-jury-2025 Mon, 07 Apr 2025 09:00:00 GMT Invited to join the official jury panel for the Architecture Hunter Awards 2025 — one of the most influential digital platforms in architecture, celebrating creativity and excellence through visual storytelling and digital curation. https://shoayb.net/blog/diwani-house-calligraphy https://shoayb.net/blog/diwani-house-calligraphy Mon, 02 Oct 2023 09:00:00 GMT In collaboration with Shape Architects, documenting Diwani House in Sharjah — a remarkable fusion of Emirati culture and the art of calligraphy, captured through architectural photography and film. https://shoayb.net/blog/architizer-vision-awards-2023 https://shoayb.net/blog/architizer-vision-awards-2023 Tue, 19 Sep 2023 09:00:00 GMT Named one of the Top Architectural Photographers of the year at the prestigious Architizer Vision Awards 2023 — a recognition that acknowledges the transformative power of visual storytelling within the architectural realm. https://shoayb.net/blog/arab-film-studio https://shoayb.net/blog/arab-film-studio Tue, 23 May 2023 09:00:00 GMT Honored at the Arab Film Studio Recognition Ceremony in Abu Dhabi for UMAH — a non-verbal audio-visual documentary that communicates entirely through images and sounds, recognized at international film festivals. https://shoayb.net/blog/urban-photography-workshop https://shoayb.net/blog/urban-photography-workshop Thu, 13 Apr 2023 09:00:00 GMT A keynote speaker at Ajman University's urban photography workshop at Ajman X Hub — covering composition, lighting, and storytelling in architectural photography, with a hands-on session at the Ajman Museum. https://shoayb.net/blog/house-of-wisdom https://shoayb.net/blog/house-of-wisdom Fri, 20 Aug 2021 09:00:00 GMT The House of Wisdom photography portfolio selected as Jury Winner at the Architizer A+ Awards 2021 — documenting Foster + Partners' landmark 12,000 sq m library in Sharjah across multiple light scenarios throughout the day.