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In conversation with the street photographer - Nazly Ahmed

19 Jun 2022

By Shakira Shareef   Moments of everyday life are not actually mundane, but I wouldn’t have known this if I hadn’t gone through Nazly Ahmed’s picture book ‘Colours of Colombo’, co-authored by Kris Thomas. Today, we’re in conversation with Nazly Ahmed, who finds bliss in things we might call mundane. His street photography has made everything look more exciting, meaningful, and special.   Q: What’s street photography to you? A: Street photography is a way for me to show the world how I see things. It gives me a great opportunity to see things differently, meet new people from all walks of life, share stories of heroes hidden in plain sight, and also capture moments that will otherwise go unnoticed.   Q: When did you become fond of street photography? A: It took me about eight years after shooting with a mobile phone and DSLR to discover that street photography is my niche. As with many, it all started as a hobby and photography was a perfect way for me to detox from my monotonous desk job.   Q: How did you start? Was it mainly on Instagram or other outlets? A: I have been on Flickr since 2006. We had a great community of people who would share knowledge about photography there but it kind of died down when Instagram came in. But yes, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook all played a big role; they’re where I shared what I captured. The feedback I got from all the people through these platforms kept me going.   Q: Did you promote your work or did people just find you? A: I don’t think I consciously promoted my work. I never considered my street photography as ‘work’ and didn’t put stress on myself to pursue it. I just kept sharing what I captured, and slowly people who were interested in this genre and also the people who relate to the kind of photos I shared started following me.   Q: Do you think people should give more recognition to what you do or is it already receiving enough attention? A: I personally think it only attracts a very small audience. A lot of people who have an interest in photography lose interest after a while due to their work commitments.   Q: Were you planning on publishing a book or was it spontaneous? A: Not at all. I have never imagined this, even in my wildest of dreams. Some time in 2018, I realised that I have a huge collection of photos taken over a span of eight years, and I should do something worthy with the photos, apart from publishing them online.   Q: Photography is one of the coolest activities, but we don’t often see parents being supportive because it’s new to them. How did you gain the courage and support to come all this way?   A: At a younger age, I didn’t have access to a camera. Unfortunately, it cost a fortune, and I didn’t have the means to get one, so my interest in photography came much later in my life. Once I started, I got a lot of support from my family and they supported me on this journey.     Q: As we’ve said earlier, you add beauty to mundane things. What makes you want to click a picture of a tea maker making tea at a tea stall and people travelling in a fast-moving train? What do you feel when you click these photos? A: What years of capturing everyday moments on the streets of Colombo have taught me is to see things differently. When you do that, every mundane thing becomes a moment to cherish.   Q: The book ‘Colours of Colombo’ makes you feel as though you add emotions to your pictures. When we look at them, we feel our presence in them. How do you do that with your pictures? A: When I get to a location, I don’t start shooting immediately. I get familiar with that place, talk to people, and observe everything. Rather than just snapping a photo, I look out for the people, moments, and angles that would make a great photo.     PHOTOS © NAZLY AHMED  

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