An Exclusive Interview with Ahmad Jaa

Ahmad Jaa found the fun and enjoyment of photography just recently in 2011, even though he had started somewhere around 2008. Although his main interest is in geometry, he shoots whatever attracts him and does not restrict himself to a certain genre. His journey in photography is more about discovering himself. And by understanding himself, he could express himself more freely and sincerely. Since then, photography has opened up a new perspective in his life. As a self-taught photographer, he is continuously trying to improve and learning ways to become better.

In this “Exclusive Interview” section, today we have the opportunity to talk with Ahmad Jaa, as his photograph was the winner of Photo of the Month – 23rd Month, 1st Place. Let’s discover more about his forays into photography in the following Interview with Ahmad Jaa.

Light & Composition: Hello, Ahmed Jaa. How does it feel being selected as the winner of Photo of the Month, 1st Place, April 2012?Ahmad Jaa: Alhamdulillah. It’s an honor to be selected and appreciated, especially from a great site like L&C. To be honest, I am surprised as great photographers take many great photos. Congratulations and a big thanks to all the winners plus those who made this possible, and also to all photographers out there, and the people from L&C.

L&C: The photograph, “A Life in Tranquility” which was selected as Photo of the Month, is a beautiful Islamic photograph with an artistic perspective, correct lighting, and a description that every one should know. Overall, this is a great composition! Tell us more about your experience of taking this photograph.Ahmad: Many thanks. It was a candid shot of my sister in law taken indoor. The contrast between the plain background and herself attracts my attention and I waited for the right moment and expression before I quickly pressed the shutter.

A simple minimal shot without any distractions led my view to focus solely on the subject. Negative spaces and the subject viewing towards the space with her hand covering part of her face brings many interpretations. Very subjective and made me think about so many things in life. Lucky me, she agreed for the release and I have to give her credits for that.

A Life in Tranquility, by Ahmad Jaa

L&C: Besides this winning photograph, many people liked and voted for several others of your photographs in the Photo of the Month contest. You must be proud. How do you see your journey to the world of photography so far?Ahmad: Thanks again. 2011 have been a great start for me after a long rest from photography. The break before that really had open up myself to enjoy photography and be truthful to myself on what I wanted to capture. I have to be honest to myself and be the real me. With that, I can now express more sincerely.

L&C: As we know, you are originally from Malaysia, which has its own rich diverse cultural and artistic heritage. Do you think depicting life in Malaysia portrays a different essence? How much does that influence your work?Ahmad: Malaysia is a unique country with a wide varieties of culture and many great places to be explored, be it the streets, places of attractions or even the normal everyday environment. Indeed it had been influential and had taught me a lot about life in general. In photography point of view, it had led me to follow my heart or instinct and made me see things in a normal point of view as well as from different perspectives.

L&C: We see so many different genres of photography in your portfolio. Do you like a particular genre of photography?

Ahmad: Although I have a soft spot on geometry, I don’t restrict myself to just one genre.

L&C: One of the keys to any style of photography is visualization. Please tell us how you started this process and what you did afterwards.Ahmad: Depending on the genre and subject, I do pre visualized and at times, I just let myself loose. For example, lets say I saw a building with something that attracts me and I couldn’t stop to take the shot as I was riding my bike. The fragments of the buildings and what I wanted to capture will be playing on my mind and I will capture that when I have the opportunity. Or perhaps something that I saw on the web with a certain concept, say human in geometry, many things will be playing on my mind such as the places, the positioning of the human and so forth and I will try my best to get what I’ve pre visualized or improvised them based on the situations. Anyway, I am still learning and hopefully will improve in the future.

L&C: Ahmed, have you ever exhibited your work? If so, then tell us about your first exhibiting experience.Ahmad: The first would be PhotoMalaysia Annual Photography Exhibition whereby two of my photos were selected. One is “Bilik DB” an architectural details shot and another one is “A Big Tree”, which is an abstract. It was a great experience and exposure and a great honor to be selected and seeing my work up there during the exhibition was priceless. Again, a big thanks to those who made this happen.

L&C: Are you involved with any photography organizations? How does this help you in your photography?Ahmad: Flickr and Local Photography Communities and Forums have really helped me a lot. I met many great people and making new friends apart from the learning and sharing process. The friends that I met have made me enjoy photography more than before and have made me realized that photography is so much fun and just be “me”. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my oly-mates, as they had helped me to open up my own-self.

L&C: What advice would you give our readers who want to take part in the journey around the world with Photo of the Day?Ahmad: Keep shooting and sharing and inspire others or be inspired. Be yourself, shoot what you like and work out from there.

L&C: Thank you, Ahmed, for sharing your feelings and experiences with us.

Ahmad: You are most welcomed, and thank you L&C.