A tipoff from a local led Otten to visit Dubai's public beach in the middle of the night, when on Fridays, all the workers and their families get together and swim in the dark, after the tourists have gone home. Otten used a high ISO and the magic of Photoshop to enhance these images, but in real life, passersby wouldn't be likely to notice the ritual. "There’s something really pure and intimate about these pictures," she says. "In Dubai there's so much stress and obedient behavior in the service industry, to the point where it's almost too much sometimes. These people wear uniforms all day long, but here they were in such a relaxed atmosphere, they literally dropped their costumes. You're able to see everyone for who they really are."