Force

The Arabian sun is a photographer's dream, particularly from mid-afternoon onwards. it's pure, powerful and rich in gold. Turning into this alleyway, I was intrigued by the way the sun looks as if it is trying hard to pull the air conditioner cover off the wall. Meanwhile, in the shadows, the rich detail of the tiled wall on the left lies hidden from the sun's powerful bleaching beauty.

Arch

You wouldn't notice this elaborately carved window screen unless you were looking for it. It's in a narrow alleyway - I was standing as far back as I could on the other side of the alley to get this shot - and it's hidden from view by being recessed under this arch. That's one of the things I love about photographing Muharraq, Bahrain's old capital: you never know what you'll find each time you go exploring. I love the not quite accurate symmetry and the way the arch seems to emerge from the darkness it harbours.

Intersection

This was one of those images that you don't realise you've got until you get back home and look at your shots. It was late afternoon. The sun was streaming into the alleyway you can see the entrance of at the centre of the photo. This meant it was striking the wall hidden around the corner and, in reflecting, illuminated the crossroads. The juxtaposition of shapes and light has created an image that I love the more I look at it.

Bicycle

The alleyways of Muharraq, Bahrain's old capital, sometimes reveal what lies behind them. As a student of architecture, I found the boundaries that people make and break in space reveal interesting insights into how cultures operate. Bahraini houses are traditionally formed around an interior courtyard. This means the boundaries between interior and exterior are blurred and whoever lives here has blurred them further by hanging clothes along an entrance wall.

Retreat

Underneath some stairs, an archway provides a welcome retreat. This alcove is in a restored building in the Muharraq district of Bahrain, the old capital. Many of the old and important buildings have been beautifully restored and provide a calm and tranquil oasis in the midst of a busy crowded area of the city.

Half

Railings

Grid

Jasra palms

Palm trees tower above an angled staircase over carved wooden doors in this sepia view of a restored traditional house in the Arabian Gulf.