Gulf Photo Plus, Slidefest VIII

Hala Salhi - GPP's very own Hala Salhi will take the stage to present her ongoing photo series 'Color of Dreams'. A project she has been working on for a number of years, Salhi has interviewed people from all walks of life, aiming to capture the light in their eyes as they talk about their hopes and dreams.

Diego López Calvín - The Spanish photographer and filmmaker, Diego Lopez Calvin, will share a specially prepared video showing the workings of his Solography project. Beginning with a team in 1999, Calvin has been experimenting with pinhole cameras, setting up these filmless devices to capture the changes within a single landscape over extensive periods of time, a year or more.

Munsif Molu - The summer, at its peak in April, would have to be the most uncomfortable time to travel around India. Temperatures easily soar into the 40s and journeys into the interior of the country are simply unpleasant. Travelling to Agra, to see the Taj Mahal, was like a journey through a bush of thorns to see a black rose. Despite this arduous journey, the Indian travellers are not hindered. From far and wide, regardless of caste, creed, race or religion, the young and old go to Agra to stand in awe of this monument of love. Munsif Molu is a Canadian photographer, currently based in the UAE. His fascination with people and their connections to society, traditions and history is what drives a lot of his photo stories.

Richard Allenby-Pratt - Imagine it's 2017 and Dubai is a ghost town. Due to unforeseen circumstances, everyone has fled the country and the only city dwellers are those exotic creatures who once populated the zoos and animal centres throughout the UAE. Deserted landscapes play host to surprising characters in this award-winning series titled 'Abandoned'.

Heike Buelau - In an attempt to capture The Essence of Architecture, the New York-based fine art photographer Heike Buelau climbs on to construction sites and cityscapes in order to depict what she feels is the ultimate art form. Accessible to everyone, architectural design by nature must lend itself to the public that it is exposed to. Rather than being intimidated by an elusive message or purpose, architecture can be understood kinetically, as it serves those who interact with it. Approaching her images with a minimalist sensibility, Buelau hopes to emphasise the beauty in raw materials.

Clint McLean - The Canadian, UAE-based photographer Clint McLean has taken part in exhibition projects throughout the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia (MENASA) region, alongside shooting for international and locally based magazines. 'The Girl Who Married a Snake' is a series of staged narrative images taking its name from a fable native to India. The fables in the series from the MENASA region depict brief moments from the stories staged in the country of the fable's origin. This body of work is a collaboration between myself, the locals acting out the scene and those helping me to source props, costumes and appropriate landscapes.

Now in it's eighth edition, Gulf Photo Plus has been cultivating Slidefest as an evening of photography to surprise, entertain, inspire and move you.

At each Slidefest, a new selection of photographers gather the courage to approach the stage and present their work to an audience of 450 close friends and photography enthusiasts.  Each presentation takes only five minutes, keeping up the momentum of the evening and allowing a few minutes in between for Q&A.

This editions photographers are Richard Allenby-Pratt, Heike Buelau, Diego Lopez Calvin, Catalin Marin, Clint McLean, Munsif Molu and Hala Salhi. Take a look at our slide show to see a selection of the work they will be displaying.

Slidefest VIII will take place on October 3rd in the Dubai Knowledge Village Auditorium starting at 7.30pm.

For more information go to www.gulfphotoplus.com