Fotograaf Mohammed Aadil

—Ten eerste - wie beschouwt u als de beste fotograaf in Chennai, India? :)

—I believe that nobody can define oneself better than another person can. Any photographer who can bring out a couple’s story in the most artistic form, and captures the values and traditions of marriage, is in my opinion the best at what they do.

—Bent u fotogeniek?

—I am shy whenever I find myself in front of the camera. I’m more of a ‘behind the lens’ kinda guy.

—Hoe bent u beland in de fotografie-industrie?

—Photography has always been what makes me get out of bed in the morning. I was always that kid who spent more time with cameras growing up. I feel an adrenaline rush when I work with them. During one of my travels, I found an opportunity in a friend’s wedding, and have been in this business ever since. Crafting fine memories for real people started giving me a happiness, one that I haven’t found anywhere else.

—Wat zijn volgens u de belangrijkste elementen van een goede foto?

—Understanding what you are going to capture is the key first step. As a wedding photographer, we have access to knowing what couples actually want, in addition to knowing specific locations, venues, décor themes, and style choices. Knowing all this, we gain a clear understanding of what type of lighting is going to be available to us. Preparing in advance then becomes a crucial phase. We also need to stay inspired throughout. Composition techniques also play a significant role, as well as how you implement lighting and shadows. At the end of it all, an emotional element surely needs to be present. The final album will then contain photos that speak for themselves.

—Houdt u van reizen?

—I adore travelling. I feel that it removes ‘creative blocks’, at least for me anyway. Travelling makes me feel light, and fills my soul with Nature and Humanity.

—Wat vindt u het leukst aan uw beroep?

—Plenty of factors have made me fall in love with my work, starting with how it allows me to create memories for newlyweds. These memories also serve and benefit their family and any children that they plan to have in future. Entire families cherish what we create, and that makes me feel enormously responsible because I’m given the special task of serving memories to generations. Most weddings in India are large-scale compared to anywhere else in the world. Amidst even the largest gatherings, us wedding photographers hold a powerful place owing to what we are capturing for posterity on behalf of couples. And when they appreciate what we do, it all comes home to me, and makes me feel warm and happy. They treat us like family or friends, and that is something all the money in the world cannot buy.

—Wat vindt u het minst leuk aan uw beroep?

—Sometimes it becomes rather difficult to deal with certain wedding guests. They prove challenging mainly because of differences in their backgrounds and personal perspectives. Some such people fail to understand the value of what we as wedding photographers bring to the event. Misunderstandings that arise from such parties make me feel low and uncomfortable, but my team and I do come prepared to diplomatically resolve such matters before they get out of hand.

—Wat ziet u de toekomst van fotografie?

—This business has come a long way from its purely traditional roots. Modernity has given us fresher ways to freeze moments and capture smiles. I place credit on Photobooks, and their unerring ability to make people relive the memories we captured for them. Quality Photobooks are, in their own right, a major portion of the future of photography.

—Wat is er bijzonder aan het fotografiegenre waarin u zich specialiseert?

—I feel I come under the category of ‘fine art photography’ wherein we capture emotions and moments, familial celebrations, friendships, and more.

—Hoe gaat u om met kritiek?

—I look forward to it, actually. If my work is being critiqued, I believe it opens my mind and heart to further improvement. It evolves my work and style, to be honest.

—Zijn er bepaalde trends in fotografie?

—In the wedding photography field, there are indeed several trends worth appreciating. Storytelling through pictures has fast become a major stylistic trend in this field. It is no longer about random photo-captures but rather choosing how to capture each photo so that it tells a story in a flow that doesn’t require words to explain them.

—Welke criteria moet de klant hanteren bij het kiezen van een fotograaf?

—The first question they need to ask is, Does the photographer suit the style requirements that they, as a customer, absolutely want. Genre and Quality are two other factors to consider when choosing a photographer. A conversation must follow, one where everyone is clear on what is needed for a wedding shoot, and how best to provide it.

—Wat is er totaal uit den boze bij het fotograferen?

—Anything that disturbs the setting at the location/venue must be avoided or resolved as soon as possible. Be presentable, Kurtas recommended, and especially clothes that do not slip or appear sloppy to viewers looking at the stage and watching some of the photography team members working to capture memories. Nobody should feel uncomfortable at a wedding.

—Welke details die vaak onopgemerkt gaan, kan een fotograaf vastleggen?

—Memories. Some of the best moments can go unnoticed by the untrained eye.

—Wat beïnvloedt de waarde van een foto? Wat zijn de elementen ervan?

—The couple and both their families. Wedding photos are nothing without them in it.

—Welke persoon kan volgens u symbool staan voor de 21e eeuw?

—No comments

—Wie wil u graag fotograferen?

—I would love to shoot an Elopement Wedding. Don’t get me wrong, I am not endorsing running away and tying the knot without one’s family knowing. But there is something genuinely romantic and passionate about two people so desperate to be together that they are willing to say yes to one another and only later worry about parental consent. Also, I have always dreamed of shooting a tropical wedding, a woodland one, and one atop a mountain.

—Heeft u bepaalde taboes op professioneel vlak?

—I am unsure how to answer this, but I can offer an opinion that may fit the question. I personally believe that not everyone can be a professional photographer just because they own a high-end camera. I get miffed when someone says otherwise. It takes a lot of training and experience, thought and hands-on learning, time and energy, to become a professional photographer. Not something that happens overnight. Newbies cannot therefore claim to be professionals, not just yet anyway.

—Met wie zou u graag fotograferen?

—Any photographer who has a keen eye for Art. They should be proficient in varied compositions, aside from the regular ones. They need to think out of the box, and be quite patient.

—Waar maakt u zich zorgen over en waarom?

—Indian Weddings and Time are not always a great match, and are a main source of worry for me. No mater how much planning has gone into the wedding, there is always the element of time-limits. Running short of time has always been a nagging worry for me, despite the fact that we cover all our events on time. Strangely ironic, I admit.

—Wat is het meest indrukwekkende moment van uw leven?

—Two moments come to mind.
First: when someone trusts me to handle their Big Day and doesn’t control every step of the process, but allows me to do it my way even though I have only a few years under my belt. Second: When the same client calls me to their home and tells me that my team and I did a fabulous job. Such appreciation is what photographers like me live for, to know that we literally made their day.

—Als u een personage van een cartoon, boek of film was, wie zou u dan zijn?

—I would prefer to fly or be invisible. Any character with the ability to fly or turn invisible makes me want to be them. I think flight will help me achieve more with my photography, especially where angles are concerned. I can’t believe I said that so seriously.

—Wie inspireert u in uw leven en waarom?

—Budding photographers actually inspire me in more ways than one. They bring a heightened sense of dedication and effort to what they do and learn. Couples and their love stories also inspire me. Their families, and the bond they share, also inspire me in several ways. I see so much trust placed in me, and it makes me push myself to give my best.

—Hoe definieert u succes? Hoe meet u het?

—Completing a project and still being able to hold the same level of love and respect with that client is, to me, a prime example of success. I measure success with the happiness and satisfaction of my clientele.

—Bent u liever graag gezien of gerespecteerd?

—Liked. Because respect follows after.

—Wat is de grootste fout die u ooit begaan heeft op professioneel vlak?

—I wanted to shoot a beautiful picture of the bride’s lehenga; a traditional bridal outfit. I couldn’t find an ideal spot to hang the outfit for the shot. All I could find was a water sprinkler nozzle-head, and as bad luck had it, the sprinkler came on and almost ruined the dress. But I managed to salvage the situation, thanks in large part to the hotel where the wedding was taking place. It was one of the finest hotels in India, and I offer all due credit to their laundry services. In my attempts to take the best shot possible of this lehenga, I made a rookie mistake, one which taught me a valuable professional lesson.

—Wat neemt u mee op reis en waarom?

—I carry all my equipment, as many as possible. You never know what you might need and when. I keep my destination contact(s) at hand, ready to contact in case of aid or information.

—Is er iets dat u liever niet gekocht had tussen de gadgets die u bezit? Waarom?

—I explore all the gadgets I possess, and find the best ways to use them. So nothing is truly wasted with my team and me.

—Hoe leert u bij om betere foto's te maken?

—I pursue cross-inspirations, meaning I gain inspiration from movies, architecture photographers, generic business styles in photography, and try to implement the best elements into my wedding photography field. Photography is all about ‘lines’, so I tend to focus on those elements from my cross-inspirations. I also definitely study the work of other photographers. I like to try out various styles, actually practically try them out. I feel I’ve learned a lot through this approach.

—Wiens werk heeft u het meest beïnvloed als fotograaf?

—I keep track of the work of varied photographers. Most especially, a sense of ‘fearless photography’ most captures my interest.

—Wat had u graag geweten toen u begon als fotograaf?

—I wish I knew what ‘K’ meant, namely Kelvin, which is essentially increasing/decreasing the warmth in a picture. Technically, this could have saved me a lot of effort early on.

—Wat wil u graag zeggen met uw foto's?

—I wish to craft the finest memories for both the couple and their families.

—Wat motiveert u om foto's te blijven maken?

—The love and trust from families and couples makes me feel responsible to the fullest, which in turn motivates me to keep getting better and giving better.

—Hadden uw ouders strenger of minder streng moeten zijn?

—One of the best gifts I have in this lifetime are my parents. They never once complained about my career choice. I wouldn’t be where I am without their continued support. This was true even when I lost several cameras, and they still supported me with new ones. I learned trust early on through my parents, and learned to value said trust, a trait that I still carry onto my work and clients.

—Wat zou u anders doen als u in de tijd kon terugkeren?

—I would have liked to keep a steady record of the timeline and pattern of my work progress from day-one. I have learned a lot over the course of several years, but was too busy doing the work to maintain any sort of ‘personal diary’.

—Wat denkt u over leven op andere planeten?

—I am quite reliant on what Elon Musk and his Space-X initiative is going to discover, which I believe will happen in my lifetime. I would like a grab a ticket for myself once space exploration options are open to the public. Who knows what we’ll find.

—Wie zijn uw helden?

—My family, and whoever has ardently supported me and been with me all my life, through thick and thin.

—Voor wie kan u geen respect opbrengen?

—Anyone who misuses opportunities to create photographs for couples, and harbours the sole aim of self-promotion with no regard for taking emotionally relevant pictures for the customer. I am not a fan of those who intentionally refuse to see the difference between intimate and vulgar in photography.

—Wat doet u in uw vrije tijd?

—I explore forests or national parks to pursue my passion for wildlife photography.

—Welke kant van u krijgt het publiek niet te zien?

—I shall openly admit that all my clients, and by extension the public, do not see the amount of post-processing / post-production work that goes into each of their photographs.

—Wanneer bent u helemaal tevreden over uw werk?

—I feel completely satisfied only when I have achieved a pre-determined output quality for each photo I capture. I will only truly be happy once I have captured the result I’d visualised in my mind.

—Gelooft u in een traditionele rolverdeling voor man en vrouw?

—I deeply believe in this, actually. No matter how far modernity takes us, I will always be that one photographer who enjoys capturing traditional moments as they were always intended to be. Every tradition followed in a wedding has powerful value, especially for future generations who may be looking back at these moments and memories from, say, thirty years in the future. Traditions are gradually vanishing, I feel, and photographers are one of the few professionals working to ‘chronicle’ such traditions.

—Maakt u gemakkelijk vrienden?

—I believe I do, because I still call most of my clients my friends.

—Waar zou u graag wonen?

—A forest setting, among Nature. Or a hilltop.

—Wat is het domste waarmee u ooit akkoord bent gegaan?

—No comment.

—Is er een leven na het huwelijk?

—Most definitely. There are several small blooming beginnings after marriage. It will be interesting to note how each couple discovers this for themselves.

—Heeft u een favoriete mop? Vertel ...

—Not really.

—Houdt u van honden of van katten?

—I own a cat called Kittu and I love her very much.

—Wie of wat haat u?

—I hate fakery in people.

—Het beste in het leven is:

—To be born, or to be living, in this generation where technology is booming.

—Het vervelendste in het leven is:

—The new methodological twists that some people are choosing in the wedding industry.

—Is er iets rondom u dat u graag zou veranderen?

—I would like to encourage people to hold on to the traditions specific to every wedding. Traditions are important and powerful, and carry ancient wisdom in them.

—Wat zou u graag veranderen aan uzelf?

—I would love to change my over-thinking, which is a nasty habit that harms only one’s own self. I would also like to learn not to feel disappointed at the end of the day if/when couples do not grant my team and I more time to get the job done.

—Wat zou u graag veranderen aan de wereld?

—I think I am the wrong person to be asking this, because I am more inclined toward changing my own little world in my own personal life. If each one does that, I believe the world at large will change for the best. That’s why I prefer praying for better human beings, and humanity.

—Kan u tips geven voor beginnende fotografen?

—Do not assume the camera is all that matters. It is not about the sort of technology or tools you own. How much time you spend with that camera or tool, how much you learn about it, how much you can ‘ask’ your camera to ‘work’ for you, these are all important thoughts for any budding photographer to meditate upon. Do what you think you need to do to get the perfect output instead of following the ‘default recommends’ in a camera. Lights, shadows, reflections, lines… Look for these in every frame. Keep practicing every day. You can also rent gear instead of actually buying it when you aren’t ready.

—Als buitenaardse wezens naar de Aarde komen en u bent de eerste persoon die ze ontmoeten, wat zal u hen dan zeggen?

—Do you need a photoshoot? I might make myself their official photographer.

—U wordt gevraagd om een film te maken, welk genre wordt het?

—I would enjoy shooting a film about travel.

—Morgen zal ik ... doen

—Create something inspiring.