About
Deep in the Arava desert of southern Israel, 100 kilometers north of the resort city of Eilat, lies the small moshav (agricultural collective) of Faran. Moshav Faran is home to Arava Photography Tours, a unique company that blends the vast arid landscapes of the desert and the rich farming character of the local area with professional photography guidance and one-of-a-kind opportunities for novice and experienced photographers.
I’m Danny Hadas, and it is my pleasure to introduce you to my world, and the incredible natural haven that is the Arava desert. For the past 40 years, my family and I have lived at Moshav Faran, operating a dairy farm and taking every opportunity to explore the surrounding desert and to capture its wonders on camera.
My love of nature and landscape photography began during my childhood, when I would pore over my father’s collection of photography books, from Ansel Adams to National Geographic magazines. Over the years that I have lived and worked at Moshav Faran, the Arava desert has become as familiar to me as the back of my hand.
After completing my professional photography training at the School of Visual Arts in Beer Sheva, my work has been exhibited in galleries worldwide, including Australia, England, Thailand (for a project in conjunction with the Thai government), and at the UN Visitors Center in New York.
Where the desert meets the lens
Besides farming and family, my passion is teaching landscape photography to others. Today, I run Arava Photography Tours where I help people discover new ways to interpret the beauty of the desert with their cameras. The first time you set eyes on the Arava landscape is a moment like no other. At different times of the day and different light settings, the desert takes on a unique character, whose first impression never leaves you.
“See the landscape as a first encounter, live with it as an old friend.” – This is my philosophy. While we travel, meet new landscapes for the first time, and learn about their different characters, we must also respect them as an old friend. During our tours, we are considerate to the natural environment around us, taking every precaution not leave an impact on the landscape or the flora and fauna of the Arava desert.
Although my heart and home remain in the Arava desert, I have also traveled and photographed in other parts of the world, which you can see in my Gallery.
I look forward to welcoming you on a unique Arava photography tour.
My photography equipment
I often use a wide lense, controlling what goes in the frame and choosing an interesting subject to put in the forefront, giving the photograph a sense of depth. I always carry my tripod with me.
In my bag you can find:
Canon 5D mark 3
Canon 5D mark 2
Canon 70D
Canon 24-105 f-4
Canon 100-400
Sigma 17-35
Sigma 105 Macro
Gitzo tripod
