Burj Khalifa Photo Guide: 25 Best Angles + Settings

  ![Bottom pools perspective](https://2gbzzxp7mkrqpgpz.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/dubai-burj/bottom_pools_00.webp)

  > Bring a small cloth and a rubber lens hood; they’re the difference between OK and great through‑glass shots. Work the room: move, crouch, and change corners to find cleaner glass and better angles.

  ## In this guide

  - The 10 must‑shoot angles and why they work
  - Smartphone vs camera setups
  - Settings for day, sunset, night, and LEDs
  - Reflection control and glare killers
  - Composition prompts to avoid “just another skyline”

  ### Top 10 angles

  1. Bottom pools (symmetry).  
  2. Foot of the tower looking up (ultra‑wide).  
  3. 124th corner windows (leading lines).  
  4. 148th lounge chairs (human scale).  
  5. Dubai Fountain bursts from above.  
  6. Downtown grid at night.  
  7. Desert horizon on clear days.  
  8. Reflections in Fashion Avenue water features.  
  9. From Dubai Frame axis.  
  10. From the desert dunes at sunset.  

  #### Suggested settings

  - Day: ISO 100–200, f/8–11, 1/250s (polarizer optional).  
  - Sunset: ISO 200–400, f/5.6–8, 1/125s.  
  - Night (through glass): ISO 800–1600, f/2.8–4, 1/60s; brace on the frame.  

  ### Smartphone setup

  - Clean the lens; enable grid lines; use exposure compensation.  
  - Night mode on; keep elbows tucked; use the railing as a brace.  
  - Take a burst of 3–5 at each composition; pick the sharpest.  

  ![Lightning strike capture](https://2gbzzxp7mkrqpgpz.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/dubai-burj/lightning_strike_00.webp)

  ### Reflection killers

  - Rubber lens hood or cupped hand tight to glass.  
  - Dark clothing reduces self‑reflections at night.  
  - Shoot diagonally into corners where interior lights reflect less.  

  > Try burst mode for fireworks or fountain sequences to catch peak shapes.