Bahadi recollects that the stories retold to generations were the only form of perpetuity of our history. But it is not so now, he said. “In this age of technology, we can deliver more. Earlier, we did not have anything about the life of our great grandfathers because nothing was documented and all we know are stories passed on to generation.”
“I want to deliver more and give more to my children and to the whole new generation, I want to show them pictures of our old homes, dresses and lifestyles.”
Born and raised in Jeddah, the lensman said, “I have been always attracted to the streets and buildings of ‘Old Jeddah’ or what we call the historical area. I go there a lot and you will always see me looking at those homes wondering about the stories of the people who lived there. That’s the concept that drive me to take photos of them.”
Apart from stills, ideas of a documentary were always on the back of Bahadi’s head; he used to carry a video camera wherever he went. “I used to take videos of my friends’ weddings and family gatherings. I love to keep them with me as a beautiful memory of old times. I loved the fact that I could keep this memory alive just by clicking on the play button,” he reminisced.
Bahadi taught himself photography; he used to search the Internet and watch videos to improve his knowledge. “I used to follow a certain website that taught me everything I needed to know from how to capture a picture to how to edit it,” he said. “I kept searching for more and trying to apply my new knowledge through my camera, I’m still only half way there and I still have a lot to learn,” he added.
In 2009, Bahadi started going on trips with a group of photographers to downtown Jeddah, to take pictures of the historical area. “The photography group is called ‘Tasami’, I used to go with them even when I didn’t have a camera on me. I would occasionally borrow my cousin’s camera because I couldn’t afford my own.”
Producing images that show the old Jeddah lifestyle is Bahadi’s goal. “I want to show my own definition of my beloved city, I want the world to see what I see — which is an enchanted and beautiful city that comes with a historical background. I believe that what I’m doing is documenting those areas, trying to capture those old tales in a picture perfect shot.”
Bahadi is aiming to introduce the world to ‘Old Jeddah’ through his lenses. “Old Jeddah is fading, and I want to be the one with all the pictures of how life was back in the old days. It’s sad that we are not taking care of this heritage and our history and I believe that art is the only way to keep this heritage alive.”
After the floods that tore through Jeddah in January, many buildings and housing in this area fell apart, and Bahadi said, “I felt sad that our old homes were falling apart and we did not get the chance to document them, I believe that we all take this for granted, and our history might fade away soon. That’s why I’m very eager to take as many photos as possible to keep this memory alive.”
The young photographer claims that taking images in public is not a big problem for him. “Sometimes people ask me if I’m working for a newspaper, and when I tell them that I am not, they feel comfortable and let me take their photos. It’s easier to take photos of the younger generation since they are more open to this art but the older generation are the people who I have to explain why I need to take their picture and how this works.”
Bahadi has featured his images in more than one exhibition and most recently; he exhibited in the Courtyard Open-Air Exhibition in Al-Khaldiah in Jeddah. “It was out of the blue, I just received an invitation to contribute in this event and I did not hesitate knowing that this would give me the exposure I needed. I also managed to sell a couple of my photos at the event and that made me more than happy knowing that people are interested in my pieces,” he said, adding, “With the money I received from the photos I bought my own camera.”
Bahadi claims that he has not yet identified the direction his photography would take. “I’m fascinated by old buildings, homes and old towns. I want people to create their own story just by looking at those pictures. I also enjoy taking portraits of random people on the streets reflecting their life and character. Random memories of that time.” Abdullah Bahadi
