Photography has fascinated 25-year-old Anique Ahmed since he was a kid. “I was the one snapping pictures with any camera I could get my hands on, be it old film cameras or the digital ones,” he says. “The major thrust that motivated me to take it to the next level was in 2010 when I won my first DSLR. A year later I found myself doing commercial photography. This opened up a wide spectrum of genres to choose from.”
In your field, where are you now and where do you aspire to be?
Studying architecture in Dubai influenced my interest in architectural and cityscape photography. I’m working towards making a name as a fine art architectural photographer, and possibly being featured in some popular galleries in town.
How will you try to achieve this?
My photography is my brand and I’m working on its marketing. I’ll try to reach out to as many people as I can and get my work acknowledged. While doing this, I’ll work on improving my skills as well as perfecting the techniques of fine art photography. Technology is evolving and you need to keep up with it. I keep upgrading myself with the current trends. And lastly, I’ll do what I do best… take more photos.
Which is the best camera for beginners?
I’m not going to talk about brands. But I’d suggest starting with a mid-range DSLR — not too basic and professional, one that is on the lower end of the full frame range. There are two types of sensors used in cameras: crop sensor (costs less and non-professional) and full frame (expensive and professional). My first DSLR had a very basic crop sensor. Within a year I saw the need to get a full frame camera. It made a big difference and was a massive change — with a price. So if you see yourself getting into photography seriously and can afford it, go for a low-end full frame DSLR.
If beginners fail at first, what should they do?
Whether we like it or not, failure is a necessary stepping stone to building our dreams. Every expert was once a beginner. All you need to do is keep practising and training your eye to see and compose images well. That will happen in time with practice. Attending seminars and workshops will give you a boost too and provide motivation.
How do you access high-rise buildings for your pictures?
Roof-topping is a current trend among most of the city’s photographers. Earlier it was quite easy to get to [the top of] high-rise buildings. Now due to the roof-topping hype, it’s close to impossible. There are many ways photographers access rooftops. They sneak their way up, bribe a guard or get official permission from the building’s management, which I always do. And if I know anyone living in a high-rise, I use their influence to get up there, or simply use their balcony.
How important is social media for photographers to display their work?
Social media plays a very important role. There are professional photo-sharing sites such as 500px and Flickr, but if you want to reach out to the layman, you need platforms like Facebook and Instagram. These are used by professionals as well as common people. You can share your pictures with other photographers and the rest of the world. Social media helps to create awareness about your work among online masses. Chances are that many of your potential clients are on these platforms. Most importantly, you receive feedback, good and bad, from followers, which provides insight into your work.
Do you think Instagram is killing the hobby?
The idea of Instagram is to share photos and videos shot on mobile phones online and various other social media platforms. This has given rise to a new genre of photography called phoneography or iphoneography as Apple calls it.
But Instagram will never replace photography for the simple fact that the quality of a photo is concerned with the lens of a camera. You will never get the depth of field of a DSLR photo in an image taken on a phone.
Nonetheless, professional photographers use Instagram to share photos taken with their DSLRs. It is a great platform to gain inspiration, connect with other photographers and promote your work. I use Instagram to share images taken with my phone and DSLR. You can follow me on @anique_ahmed.
How many photos do you take a week?
When I’m shooting for my own interest, which would be cityscape and architectural images, the average would be 15 images a week. But this depends on the weather.
During winter, when the sky is clear and weather good, I tend to go out and shoot every day. When I’m working commercially, let’s say for a five-day exhibition — which is the maximum I have done so far — the average would be 2,500 images.
Do classes, internships, apprenticeships and mentorships help to improve skills or is it just about practice?
You need both, but as they say, practice does make perfect — you need to practise. Before you go ahead and take up any photography classes, give it a try yourself.
I am a self-taught photographer and I know many others who are. Start with the internet. Everything you need is there. Look at images by other photographers, connect with them and gain inspiration but do not copy.
Moreover, there are always professionals looking for assistants during shoots — this will expand your knowledge.
But in the end it comes down to practice. Classes, internships and apprenticeships are a plus.
