Kamaan Al Kamaan
Kamaan Al Kamaan has a true passion for his country, and has obviously worked innumerable hours, often in remote locations, to capture stirring images of Saudi Arabia in the optimum light. Prior to the publication of this book in 2006 he had won numerous awards for his photography, but this is unquestionably his "magnum opus." The book is approximately 200 pages in length, with no more than one photograph per page (sometimes the photograph extends to two pages.) The book is divided into three sections, roughly equal, based on subject matter. The three areas are: Nature, Life, and Heritage. There appears to have been financial support from several entities, including the Director of the Tourism agency which permitted a high quality edition to be printed in Singapore. The text is minimal, simply identifying the location with a very brief description of the scene. The book is bi-lingual, Arabic / English, and is formatted with Arabic first, meaning that the book opens, and is paginated the reverse of the standard English format.
Al Kamaan loves the Asir, the mountainous region in the west of the country, and has captured its essence which shatters the stereotypical view of the country held by all too many non-Saudis as a "big sandbox." The first picture of a garden could have been taken in any European country. To the best of my knowledge, only Pascal and Maria Marechaux have captured the beauty of the western portion of the Arabian Peninsula in such books as "La Route de l'Encens". But Al Kamaan does strike a good balance in his landscapes, incorporating the more traditional desert scenes, including the rarely photographed Samman desert in the central region. He managed to capture numerous images there after one or more rainstorms. The Nature section includes the flora and fauna of the country, including the now protected gazelles and re-introduced Arabian oryx. The author is also a Scuba diver, and there are several underwater photographs, apparently taken around the Farasan Islands.
The "heart" of the country is depicted in the central section, "Life." Even for those who think that know, and have experienced the country, there are a number of startling images, including paragliding and an international mountain bike race in the Asir region. For me, the most surprising picture was of the Annual Grand Camel Race in Riyadh - the riders are now required to wear helmets! There are also numerous images of the participants in the traditional Saudi dance, the "arda," along with more contemporary cultural activities, including dance. For a book with at least some official sponsorship, although images of men clearly predominate, there are a few images of the women in daily activities. Religion, sports, culture, hunting, agriculture, and warm images of tales around the campfire are the themes in this section.
The final section is devoted to the Heritage of the country, naturally with pictures of the Mismak fort in Riyadh, and the Nabatean tombs in Madain Saleh., but there are also less photographed sites and buildings, and a nod to traditional crafts as re-enacted at the annual National Festival for Heritage and Culture at Janadirya.
Al Kamaan unquestionably had "access," or, as it is so often phrased in the Kingdom, "wasta," based on the numerous aerial photographs. It is not everyone who is permitted to casually fly around! He made good use of the wasta, and has produced a solid 5-star book that should be in the library of anyone who has ever been touched by the beauty that is in the Kingdom.
