The photographer usually shoots fashion-related events, garments for look books or conceptual for editorial and commercial purposes.
Hakeem has been working with young local fashion designers to help them showcase their collection through creative photo shoots. She worked with local fashion brands such as Sotra Boutique and Fyunka.
Aside from her education in design school, Hakeem took intensive courses in fashion photography and other fashion related courses in London College of Fashion.
She pursued fashion photography because she feels that this specific field is not sufficiently covered here in Saudi Arabia. According to Hakeem, advertising for yourself is the best way to find work as a fashion and beauty photographer. “Social media and networking is key. I tweet about my shoots and upload my work on Facebook, and that's how I get the needed exposure. Word travels fast,” she said.
The young photographer’s photo gallery shows her passion and well-developed eye for fashion, thanks to her background in graphic design. “I work best in a studio set, most importantly, the lighting equipment. As for software, I use Photoshop when editing is needed,” she said. “What attracts me most about fashion is texture, color, shape and form.”
The use of light in a photograph can be the deciding factor of whether that picture will be spectacular or terrible, says Hakeem.
“Besides the technical importance of lighting in photography, the lighting is significant in the message intended to be delivered in the shoot. So, I mainly think of the mood, and I adjust the lighting accordingly. Technique and vision complement each other. Both form a good photo shoot,” she explained.
Hakeem gets inspired from everything around her in her everyday life. “I get my inspiration from traveling, reading books, blogs,
magazine and, of course, I find major inspiration is the latest fashion trends. My favorite photo shoot session was in London where the theme was circus,” she said. “My shooting style is usually laid back with good music in the background and good company helps a lot too.”
Hakeem looks up to international famous fashion photographers but makes sure to use local approach in her photography. “I admire Tim Walker and I appreciate artistic photography, I also like Sebastian Kim's recent work, Steven Meisel and Emin Kadi,” she said. “When it comes to people who see my pictures, I would like them to see local fashion photography that is done professionally.”
If Hakeem had to choose between artistic or commercial aspect of fashion photography, she chooses the artistic aspect. “This aspect is the only way for me to exercise my creativity and it also gives space to explore more techniques, settings and lightings. When I’m working on a job with a rather commercial direction, I try to work with an art director or stylist to push the boundaries,” she said.
The photographer prefers indoor shoots rather than outdoor shoots. “In indoor shoots, the environment is controlled. However, if the outdoor shoot is relatively controllable in terms of lighting and setting, then I like working with that too,” she added.
When asked what her main focus in a photo shoot is — whether it’s the model, fashion or technical aspect, she said: “Every shoot has its particularities, and that’s why I cannot give a general answer. In beauty shots, the model is important. In a look book, it’s all about the garment and the pose, and in an artistic shoot, it’s usually about a mood or theme, depending on the art direction.”
The most difficult aspect of professional fashion photography in Saudi Arabia is finding the right model, says Hakeem. “Finding a model and getting her to feel comfortable in front of the camera is a problem I face in almost every shoot,” she said. “The issue is that Saudi Arabia has a particularity of culture: Very few are willing to have their pictures taken or published. There are interesting upcoming designers with a promising future,” she said.
“Another problem I face is educating a client on the importance of working with an art director and a stylist during the photo shoot, because many clients are not aware of the need to work within a team,” added Hakeem.
