I’m an amateur photographer born in Saudi Arabia. I was educated in the United States and lived there for 12 years. I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Information Systems from the University of Tampa. I live in Riyadh now and work as an IT Business Analyst.
For six years.
I was browsing a website called deviantART, and I stumbled onto the photography section. This, I think, opened my eyes to photography as an art form instead of as a method of taking everyday pictures.
Yes, it was a photo of a minaret reflected in a small puddle of water. It got me started on my love of reflections and surreal photography.
No I have never studied photography academically; all of the knowledge I have is self taught from searching the internet and being inspired by photos I like.
It is a way of expressing my vision artistically.
My favorite would specifically be reflections — they are not noticed by the normal person and require a photographer’s eye to catch them. I also like architecture and travel photography.
Black and white to me is a very dramatic and artistic genre and it just opens up so many emotions. It makes the viewer focus on the soul of the photo.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I may come across something seemingly ugly or uninteresting, but as a photographer, I could find it beautiful. Such as a plastic water bottle in the middle of the desert.
The title of “Travel Digital Photographer of the Year 2008” by Digital Photographer magazine is the award I value the most. I have also been fortunate to have won other awards as well in the 2008 Al-Thani Award for Photography, the 2009 International Photography Awards, and Prix de la Photographie Paris 2009.
In a number of international publications such as Digital Photographer, Amateur Photographer magazine, Digital Camera magazine, local newspapers and magazines as well.
I follow a lot of photography-related websites and inspirational photographers through Twitter, Facebook, and RSS feeds. These are great sources of information about the latest techniques and technologies.
There are a lot of photographers I like for different genres of photography, so I can’t choose a favorite easily. But in general I would say Chase Jarvis because his ideas on creativity are really inspiring and helpful.
Some months ago I took a photo of the Al-Faisaliah Tower in Riyadh reflected on another building with a wide angle lens. It has been my desktop wallpaper ever since. In terms of composition it is divided in half where the right side is the real view, and the left side is the reflection offering a surreal view. Lighting is natural as it was taken near sunset in the coffee shop alley by the tower.
To be honest every award notification or publishing request is special for me. But the most memorable one is the award of “Travel Digital Photographer of the Year 2008” by Digital Photographer magazine. Because it was awarded for my Taj Mahal series which I created on an inspirational trip to India.
I would love to have the opportunity to photograph in Iceland; it has been my wish since 2004. The nature and landscape there is so heavenly!
Currently I shoot with a Canon 500D. In the past I have used the Canon 300D and the Canon 450D.
I love photographing architecture and landscapes, so I would gladly choose a wide angle lens, such as the Sigma 10-20 or the Canon 10-22.
I think there is a fine line between modifying an image and enhancing it. There are photographers who add external elements to their photos, and there are others who enhance them conservatively within the boundaries. I’m more of the conservative type — I use Photoshop to enhance the colors and darken or lighten specific parts of a photograph, but I never add anything external to them.
I don’t have any plans right now, but with the increase in professional commissioned work I receive, I might upgrade to a camera that is suitable for such needs.
I mainly do architectural commissioned work such as photographing resorts and hotels, interior and exterior. In addition to photos that are related to travel and tourism, I also photograph ads which involve jewelry, watches and food.
I hope to have a photography business with a friend and do more professional commissioned work.
Learn the basics of photography from the artistic side and from the technical side as well. Practice everything you learn until you master it. Follow the work of photographers you admire and learn from them. Develop your artistic side and your personal style by looking at things differently.
If I weren’t in IT, I would have liked to go into marketing and advertising since it is related to creativity.
- www.thameraltassan.com
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