Living in Cairo is affording me lots of interesting photographic opportunities, but none has been more enjoyable than shooting Ana and Tim's engagement session at The Bent Pyramid of Dahshur, a little outside of Cairo.
It is one of Tim's favorite local spots, because of the impressive landscape, fascinating drive to get there, and (to my dumbstruck amazement) lack of ANYONE around. When we arrived, there were only a handful of tourists leaving to board their minibus. After that, we had the pyramid to ourselves.
YOU GUYS: WE HAD THE PYRAMID TO OURSELVES. If you've ever waded through the riff-raff and catcalling at the Great Pyramids of Giza, you can imagine how blissful it would be to just listen to the wind and enjoy such an awe-inspiring sight ALONE.
Ana and Tim were naturals in front of the camera, of course. Their humor, love, and natural comfort with each other were apparent at every moment. Even when, or especially when, Ana gives Tim side-eye for making a bad joke. Sometimes he gets sent to bad-joke time-out. Ana is from Venezuela and Tim is American and they share an adventurous spirit. They are similar in the ways that count and different in the ways that make a relationship interesting and exciting (shall we say spicy?). There is never a dull moment when you're with them. Ask their friends :)
The Bent Pyramid of Dahshur is believed to be the first Egyptian pyramid intended to be smooth-sided from the outset, rather than others starting as step pyramids and later given smooth sides in their finished states. The Bent Pyramid begins at a 54-degree angle, but the top section (above 47 meters) bends to a shallower angle of 43 degrees. Archaeologists believe that the steeper angle may have been untenable because of structural instability. The adjacent Red Pyramid rises at a steady 43 degree angle and can be seen in the background of several images. Interestingly, The Bent Pyramid is also the only major Egyptian pyramid to retain most of its original smooth limestone casing. In this way, it is perhaps the best example of how the ancient Egyptians intended their pyramids to look.
How cool is that?
