Dusty Wyndow Blog

This is the first time I sit cross-legged in the bus, I'm absolutely exhausted as I go back home 7 in the morning, after what I call a once a year event. I can even still feel the weight of the enormous bags I had as we climbed that magnificent mountain, Jabal Moussa. It was yet another unforgettable event with the Night Collective , lovers of the night, with whom I went to a night in Nahr Ibrahim . My group was set to meet at Adma, at around 8:30 to move up to our landing point, where we'd park the cars and start the hike. Due to some mishaps, the appointment was delayed and we had to spend a bit more time on the famous Casino highway. It's been a dream to me to be standing there on the side that overlooks the Jounyeh bay, and simply be taking pictures for a whole night. There it was, right in front of me, but the unbelievable traffic restrained me on the other side, leaving me to car trail photos and some compositions of the moon. Oh, the moon :) the event last night w...

On the 21st this month I was invited to the launching of the Media Association for Peace , MAP in short, at the Monroe Hotel in Beirut, by my friend, and one of the organizers, Aisha Habli. Having set up my schedule for the day, I decided to show up and squeeze-in an hour or so for the celebration, in between my work, the parliament protest, and the music festival happening all at roughly the same time. Vanessa Bassil giving her speach The place was packed, the organizers had apparently done a very good job organizing the whole thing. A welcoming lady at the entrance greeted me and showed me the way, a few more at the registration, and a lot more right at the door with a warm smile right before I stepped foot inside the auditorium. I blew a sigh of relief, thinking I was late to the ceremony; thank goodness we were all Lebanese: the organizers apparently sent invitations 30-minutes earlier, knowing there will still be people who would show up late, as always. "It is just...

I still remember that day, I was a bit shy at the beginning, shy in terms of never had the chance to wear the official Hajj clothing ever before. I was browsing through the old emails in my outlook inbox, when all of a sudden an email with the title "photos" from my old friend Adnan was showing there, it took me instantly back to the day he told me he was going to visit me and Sam again in our apartment in Jeddah, back in the days. Well, Adnan was first our flatmate, until he resigned and moved to Riyadh; he had wanted that day to come to Jeddah for a sleepover and a trip to Meccah. It sure wasn't my first, but was surely my first attempt to do the renowned muslim Omrah. Sam, my wonderful flatmate had given me his clothes, all washed and cleaned, and showed me a guide on how to wear them, and all the regulations and rules to go with the Omrah. I have to admit though, such an occasion having its own formalities and structure had definitely added to the glam of it. I re...

It's 5AM and I'm alone at the hotel restaurant, the Larsa hotel in amman, munching on those french bread pieces with some white cheese cubes and lipton tea on the side, while all through it, and among all the responsibilities lying on my shoulders in this very early day, all I could think of was how lousy the service at the restaurant was. Larsa Hotel Restaurant Lobby at 5AM, Amman I thought of the pasta I had yesterday and of how awful the finishing was. It wouldn't take more than a clean napkin to clean the edges properly and make it more presentable. Voila, hopped on from a 3 star to a 5 star dish with only a napkin, and a bit of wits. I looked around and saw an old toaster, the type of toasters that have a metal conveyor belt that runs over a couple heaters and then drops the toast off. The toaster was literally squeeking, dying, and it obviously needed either a fix-up or a replacement with one of those shiny expensive ones. But hey, I'm fine with this one if...

The aftermath, shot this morning. Last night was the night you'd smile for, such a peaceful, echoless evening. It was the type of night I'd obviously have to spend outside. What's so good about sleeping on the rooftop you ask? If it weren't sleeping to the clear black starry sky, then the chilly summer breeze should be tempting enough to drag you out of the warmth of your bedroom. Upon setting up the foldable bed we had, mattress and pillow, it was time for me to rest and enjoy the view. I love how, whenever I sleep outside, I get both sensations of becoming so warm on the body level, while head and hands are enjoying the summer breeze. It gives me a chance to play a little game before sleeping, where the goal is trying to equalize body temperature enough to the point where I could fall asleep :-) My companion whenever I sleep outside. Last thing I remember seeing was the starless sky above me, I remember closing my eyes and for the first time I shouted out m...

SMA Awards Trophies. By Nath Halawani It felt somewhat refreshing to be there with both highlights of having been nominated at the awards earlier at the prequal, and being an event photographer, with that shiny Media access tag on my chest. Last night was the night the Social Media Awards held their first awards ceremony on April 29th evening at the Phoenicia hotel, Beirut. Mustapha Hamoui, has the looks of a future PM. By Nath Halawani Hide 'n seek Just as a relatively large number of attendees, I got invited to the ceremony, and therefore didn't have to pay for the ticket. My invitation was through Lebanon Eguide , a start-up online social venue for travel and leisure around Lebanon and recently, the middle east. Upon registration at the doors, I met Rana and then found me a chair to leave my two bags at. I had my gorgeous D7000 with the all-time favorite 35/1.8 (for those who are not into photography, this is the combo gear that produces the beautiful pictures ...

There definitely were a guitar, a trumpet and a saxophone, yet they were played differently, in a way I had never witnessed ever before. That night was the first time I attended an experimental music concert, such a concert where you get tested on all levels in terms of accepting, questioning, admiring or rejecting the tunes emanating from that bouquet of artists. I was literally blown away and torn apart by the way that guitarist handled his instrument. Sharif Sehnaoui had the guts and experience as well to place a credit card between the threads, stick a metallic baton in between, and run a brush over them: This was too horrible for an eye to watch. This, to me, was simply my "how to ruin a good guitar in six easy steps". Mazen Kerbaj That poor trumpet got its share of the tearing apart and the unbelievable as well. To me, and as common as might be, a trumpet is to be handled with care, diligently played in order to arouse thy senses and expand your momentarily rea...