Adep, Doha, June 2012

It’s been some time since I was looking for images to add to my series on fear. I know that the images will appear out of the ether. I just have to be patient and keep an open eye.

Yesterday, I went back to Souq Waqif here in Doha, to pay a visit to the stable that belongs to the Emir. Dusk was falling and it was quite dark in the hallways of the stable. The lights were all on and the day was slowly coming to an end. It has been one of the hottest days in the season and my eyes were really tired. As I lazily turned around, my eyes met the unflinching glare of this tall dark stranger. Adep, the horse, was in full alert, ears all perched up, hair tossed casually to one side and the glowing eyes never leaving me. I stopped dead on my tracks. It took a moment for me to compose and hit the trigger. I could have waited another half an hour and still got the shot. Adep was not going to lower his stare.

The overhead harsh lights accentuated every vein on the horse and provided an eerie glow. When I think again of the stare, I still get goose bumps. For the whole five minutes that took to complete the shoot, I saw nothing but the eyes of the horse.