Picture Show: Four Days in Dubai

Dubai can seem more like a mirage than any place on Earth—even in the shade, it's marvelously bright. Whether the city is the most precious gem in the United Arab Emirates' crown or merely a piece of costume jewelry is up for debate; regardless, its very presence is remarkable. But for all its pomp and extravagance, there are real people who work and live there. Through the lens of the photographer Dustin Aksland, who recently traveled to the famed metropolis on a separate assignment, the city takes on a strikingly humble tone.

"Construction is going on 24 hours a day, but certain areas already have this ghost town feeling," says Aksland. "What I found interesting was not the malls and the excess, but the people building the city, and on the outskirts, and in the more vacant places. The juxtaposition of the Dubai skyline with the camel farmers in the desert just outside town who are basically living off nothing...it's really odd."

What follows is a selection from Dustin Aksland's "Four Days in Dubai."







































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