Omani woman photographer showcases country’s diverse terrain

Muscat: She wanted to feel and live the experience of being an adventurer. And her passion for photography amalgamated her adventure exploits over the past few years.

Al Hajar Mountain range is home to stunning natural wonders and some of Oman’s most important historical sites. Its mountainous, arid setting is broken up only by the occasional lush oasis.

Showcasing the adventures through her lens is well-known Omani photographer Muna Khalfan Al Shidhani with an exhibition, ‘Adventures of the Hajar Mountains’, at The Water Front, Shatti Qurum.

The exhibition, which opened on Sunday, brings alive the various adventures one can undertake on the Hajar Mountains. With the terrain offering plenty of options, adventure-seekers can enjoy mountain trekking, free climbing and rock climbing.

The exhibition showcases exploits of adventures in a creative way and highlights the beauty and charm of the vast natural landscape in the Sultanate of Oman.

Each photograph has a story to tell and the details in each exhibit speak of the thrill, risk and excitement that Muna Khalfan experienced during her many adventure trips she completed.

A total of 40 exhibits are on display with few clicked during trekking trips on the mountains, crossing of valleys and gorges, rock climbing, and few portraits of adventurers in the midst of action.

The photographs were clicked during a total of 27 adventure trips Muna Khalfan undertook at 18 different locations. Muna Khalfan’s memorable clicks underline the progress made by Omani women in field of adventure and photography.

Muna Khalfan says: “My journey in the world of photography began in 2010 with my participation in the Photography Club. After learning the basics, I started to take part in several local and Gulf exhibitions.”

“My works got accepted in international exhibitions and competitions in several categories. Some of my adventure photos have been published in leading newspapers and magazines, as well as on social media platforms, including the National Geographic Arabic magazine.”

She added: “In 2020, I began to focus on adventure photography in the Sultanate of Oman to highlight its beauty with a distinct artistic character. I started taking active part in adventure expeditions and followed international channels such as National Geographic Adventures. I followed professional photographers and specialists who excelled in adventure photography. The magic of the adventure photographs bowled me over and I decided to bring together the two fields – adventure and photography.”

Muna Khalfan said that the reason for taking up this project is her deep love for adventure, sports and discovering nature.
A couple of years ago, Muna Khalfan volunteered to accompany YallaGo 2020, an adventure expedition that took the adventurers from the northern part of Oman, Jazirat Salamah in Musandam to the southernmost part in Mirbat over a 47-day trip.

She said: “The emotions of adventures are reflected in photographs. Each terrain brings its own set of challenges. The challenges give me great opportunities to capture and tell the real story of the adventure trip. Through my photos, I tell the world what Oman has to offer and promote Oman as a destination for adventure tourism.”