Abu Dhabi-based Maha Nasrallah developed a passion for photography only a year ago, but already has a calendar to her credit. The 24-year-old architect tells Shalaka Paradkar how she went about capturing vignettes of the UAE's capital.
With its sombre greys and playful use of shadows, Maha Nasrallah's work shows that you don't need to be an artist to capture slices of a city's life. A camera will do just fine.
Her black-and-white pictures of life in Abu Dhabi adorn the pages of a 2006 calendar she has produced ... with a little help from her oldersister, May.
A unique, melancholic air pervades her images: a way of life, an evanescent moment frozen in monochrome - whether it's the date souq or the iconic Abu Dhabi Corniche shot in splendid, dusk light against a cloudy sky.
You wouldn't guess the artist is just 24, or has only recently learnt how to use a camera.
"My interest in photography developed only recently. More specifically, after I attended the Gulf Photo Plus Workshop last year (on a whim) and discovered that I really enjoyed photography," Nasrallah says.
"After the workshop experience, I invested in a semi-professional camera, a Canon EOS 350 D, not really as serious about photography as I was about my chosen profession, architecture."
Yes, Nasrallah is an architect working in a demanding job at Pan Emirates during the week. But on weekends, she sets off camera in hand capturing surrealistic scenes of the city of her birth and residence, Abu Dhabi.
An Iraqi by nationality, Nasrallah studied architecture at Jordan University before returning to the UAE.
"These are pictures of everyday life, scenes that people pass (by) on their daily routine," she says.
Nasrallah was intrigued by the date souq, where vendors pile their produce in colourful mounds, with the hulking market building in the background.
"I went there twice to get the perspective right: the straight lines of the shed vanishing into the distance, with the fruits displayed just so," she says.
However, she says her favourite place for photography is the Corniche. "It's new, yet also has lots of atmosphere; a romantic air, like it is part of a movie scene."
Her pictures of the Corniche include joggers and strollers, and portray images of warmth and intimacy.
"When I went to photograph the Corniche, there was a group of men who (took note) of my equipment and the fact that I was a professional photographer. They wanted me to take their pictures too. So I obliged. Those pictures didn't make it to the calendar,'' she says, "but they helped me establish a rapport with them.''
Pretty soon, they let down their guard and became unself-conscious when she started clicking pictures. Being a woman photographer attracts attention at times, but Nasrallah says she is unfazed by this.
"It's a bit hard when you're a woman, of course, but you have to be able to tune out the extra attention and take the picture. By now, I am quite used to (getting) strange looks, but it doesn't bother me any more," she says.
The fish market presented another challenge: frenzied movement.
"I reached the fish market on a Friday morning, when it's a really busy place and people (are busy with) business to bother about someone taking pictures.
"Though the vendor was aware I was photographing him, he continued with his work. He didn't stop to pose. I'm grateful that his cooperation resulted in such natural photographs," she says.
The idea for making the calendar, ?Portraits of a City: Abu Dhabi 2006' came after she had photographed a range of the scenes around Abu Dhabi. To choose images, she sought the help of her older sister.
"May is a graphic designer by profession and I needed her fresh eye to help select the images for the calendar," she says.
She has much praise for the Gulf Photo Plus Workshop, which helped her unlock this hidden talent.
"Last year, I signed up thinking that I could take a couple of days to pick up a new skill. What I liked most ? was the welcoming atmosphere ? I knew no one there, knew nothing about photography, yet I was made to feel comfortable. The workshop is like learning in a family atmosphere," Nasrallah says.
"I attended a workshop on digital photography by the ace Australian photographer, Robin Nichols. This year I want to learn more about interior and food photography, as well as setting up a website for my portfolio."
Maha Nasrallah's photographs can be seen at the gallery section of the Gulf Photo Plus website, www.gulfphotoplus.com
