AlUla had always seemed like an inspirational city. Stretching desert landscape, luxury stays, and UNESCO-listed sites; it's an impressive place, as well as being aesthetically unreal. So, when I had the opportunity to visit, I thought it would be a great opportunity to take my trusty Olympus OM-1 35mm film camera, originally owned by my grandad in 1972! There is a range of unique film rolls out there to use, but using Kodak Gold 200 film felt appropriate to capture the tones of the desert and historical sites.
We were driven and guided by The Alrowah. In essence, these are tour guides of Saudi Arabia (singularly known as a Rawi), though they go far beyond that. Rawi translates to 'storyteller' which is much more accurate, with specialist knowledge and a love for the area's heritage, culture and history. They are so much more than tour guides, often sharing their personal and family history as part of the journey too.
The whole city is steeped in history, with a remarkable 200,000 years of human legacy and 7,000 years of successive ancient civilisations. Seeing Hegra though was absolutely a highlight. It is one of the bucket-list things to do in AlUla, so I knew it was going to be a surreal sight.
This is Saudi Arabia's first UNESCO World Heritage site, offering an insight into both past civilisations and an interesting culture. It really is something, to stand in front of structures that have been there since the 1st century BCE. The site features 110 family tombs carved into sandstone, each decorated with inscriptions that ward off evil or unwelcome guests. It's so interesting to see how human history and the landscape of the desert collide here.
One of the great things about film photography is the enhanced focus required in capturing each shot you take. You're limited to 36 shots per roll of film, and it's a much more mechanical feeling compared to automated, digital cameras as used on our phones - turning the dials, adjusting the lens, clicking the shutter and winding the reel.
It's a fun experience and a great tool to learn about lighting, exposure and framing your shots! It is why I focussed my shots on the excursions over the relaxing moments - they felt a bit more special somehow.