One of my Lebanese travel images is currently being exhibited in the Kongresshaus Zürich in Switzerland. My photograph, ‘Beirut Sunset Dive’, has been selected for the Directors Choice Project at photoSCHWEIZ 25. This is one of Switzerland’s biggest photography exhibitions, and it’s great to see my work featured among a strong lineup of international photographers.
What is the Directors Choice Project?
The Directors Choice Project highlights photographers from international festivals, bringing together a curated selection of images that tell powerful visual stories. My shot, taken in Beirut, the Capital of Lebanon, captures a moment that blends light, movement, and atmosphere, turning a fleeting scene into something timeless.
Beirut Sunset Dive by Geraint Rowland Photography exhibited at photoSCHWEIZ 25
The Story Behind ‘Beirut Sunset Dive’
A few years ago I spent a couple of months in Lebanon, with the majority of the time spent in the Capital Beirut. Beirut is a fascinating and safe city with plenty of photographic opportunities. This image was taken during golden hour on the fascinating Corniche seafront area. The corniche gets busy each afternoon with locals and visitors walking, relaxing and socialising as the sun sets over the Mediterranean Sea. On this particular afternoon a group of teenagers were diving off the coastal wall into the Sea below.
To take some images with alternative viewpoints I headed down from the Corniche to the coastline below. For this image I stood on the beach looking up and along the coastline as I captured this young Man mid-air diving into the Sea below. The original shot showed the bigger picture, the sea wall and the rocky coastline which needed to be cleared to safely land in the Sea. The contrast of the silhouetted figure against the golden sky created a perfect minimalist composition. The mix of adventure, tradition, and natural beauty in that moment made it something special. For the final exhibited image, ‘Beirut Sunset Dive' I cropped the image removing the distracting landscape while still leaving a large open space above and around the diver. This left only the silhouetted diver floating mid air against the golden sky with just the communications tower in the distance intersecting the middle of the frame. By cropping the image, I refined the composition, drawing the eye to the lone diver suspended in mid-air. The result is something almost otherworldly—an ethereal blend of light, movement, and stillness that transforms a fleeting moment into something almost dreamlike
I took this photograph with the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV and their trusty 50mm f/1.4 USM lens. The camera settings used were: ƒ/4.0, 1/640 sec, and a fairly high ISO of 500 to balance the light and freeze the movement. Check out the image and some edits on my Flickr account here. I had a great time in Beirut and the rest of Lebanon, overstaying my visa by a Month or so. I captured some nice images, the ‘Beirut Sunset Dive’ being one of my favourites, I hope to return one day and take a few more.
What’s Next?
photoSCHWEIZ 25 runs from February 7-11, 2025, at the Kongresshaus Zürich, Switzerland, bringing together over 250 photographers from around the world. It’s always good to have my work seen by new audiences, and I’m looking forward to seeing how this image is received.
Check out my latest work at www.geraintrowland.co.uk.
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