The Kingdom

“Why Saudi Arabia?” was the question. My family and friends wondered why I’d journey there on a photography adventure.

My parents took me to see the movie Lawrence of Arabia as a ten-year-old in 1963. The movie depicts British officer T. E. Lawrence's World War I experiences in the Ottoman provinces of Hejaz and Syria.

I found myself completely drawn in. The film received ten Academy Award nominations and took home seven Oscars, among them for best picture, cinematography, and musical score.

The Library of Congress recognized the film in 1991 as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant," adding it to the United States National Film Registry for preservation. In 2007, the American Film Institute ranked it in seventh place on their list of most inspiring movies and first on their list of "epic" genre American films.

My fascination with the movie’s Saudi Arabia locations continued over the ensuing decades. In 2002, when the film was restored and shown again, my wife and I saw it at the Tivoli Theatre in Downers Grove, Illinois, allowing me to relive the excitement I had felt as a child.

I remember thinking that the movie was as close as I’d ever get to experiencing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The Shot

I was thrilled when a photo workshop leader mentioned he was leading a future workshop in Saudi Arabia. I enrolled, hoping to see the landscapes I admired as a child.

We stayed in the tiny village of Al-Disah. It was so small that there were no hotels or restaurants. We stayed on a date farm, the only date farm in town offering rooms instead of tent pads.

Our “hotel” grounds.

The only block of rooms in town.

 Our tent, where we ate breakfast and dinner.

In these remote locations, I hope for electricity, hot water, and heat. I lucked out as my room had electricity and hot water. An extra blanket compensated for the lack of heat.

On the morning of January 17, we left the comfort of our rooms to head out into the desert. Without clouds, we needed to capture a scene as the sun began to kiss the landscape.

This location, with the tree framed between two sandstone towers, seemed ideal. Our timing was perfect; the light only lasted a few minutes before it overpowered the scene. Afterwards, I soaked in the beauty that attracted me to a movie 63 years ago.

Thanks for looking,

Chuck Derus Zenfolio | Chuck Derus