As a product of an increased presence in the Middle East we recently accepted a shoot in Doha on the Qatar peninsula. Our brief was to photograph the potential views from various levels of an, as yet, unbuilt skyscraper. On arrival the Doha project manager, an expat aussie, Tyler Scott, made us very welcome and gave us the full tour.

The challenges associated with the shoot were many and varied and included 1. Limited and extremely expensive helicopters available. 2. Full written Defence Department permission to photograph any part of Qatar 3. A requirement to carry a Qatari military special forces officer on the chopper during the shoot and of course 4. The weather!

Set back a full week by red tape and that unpredictable weather, we finally got the go ahead on the 16th of Feb 2007. Arriving at the Gulf Air chopper base on a beautifully clear Doha morning, we briefed our pilot, a very affable pommie chap called Mick Chatfield, and prepared for the flight. After a rigorous security screening and short wait for the arrival of our special forces chaperone we took off mid morning and procceeded to the site. Doha is a truly beautiful spot and currently undergoing massive growth as with other areas in the region like Dubai, and the skyline is filled with cranes and buiding projects. All went without a hitch in the air and Mick flew us into perfect position time and time again. We needed him to stop at various levels over the construction site, and with a bit of wind thrown in it presents a difficult task for any pilot, but being the consummate professional he is, Mick handled it with ease.

With the job complete we caught a flight back to Dubai for a few days of business then on to Sydney to start the endless post production process. After many hours, days and weeks stitching, matching and FTP uploading we managed to complete the job with clients and agencies all delighted with the results. All in all a great shoot and we look forward to our next project in the Middle East.