An Exclusive Interview with Zahraa Al Hassani

Zahraa Al Hassani is a passionate photographer, and works as designer in Zain Telecommunications for more than 6 years. Graduating from the University of Technology Bagdad, her first job was at Wacther Company Ltd. as a graphic designer for constructions. A year later she joined Iraqi-American Chamber for Commerce and Industry. As senior graphic designer and photographer in Marketing Communication at Zain Telecommunications, she helps over submitting her consultancy to better enhance company image to be shown in elegant pattern. Blessed with one child, Zahraa and her family lives in Bagdad, Iraq. Resources in Iraq are mostly limited, thus she used her photography skills to get a visuals for her designs. She started photography with Sony H7 and Carel Zias lenses, and eventually moved to Nikon. Graphic Design has helped her to strengthen her photographic perspective. Zahraa believes she is here to acquire knowledge from the trove of purist photography.

In this “Exclusive Interview” section, today we have the opportunity to talk with Zahraa Al Hassani, as her photograph was winner of Photo of the Month – 35th Month, 2nd Place. Let’s discover more about Zahraa Al Hassani, and her forays into photography in the following interview.

Light & Composition: Greetings from Light & Composition, Zahraa. How does it feel being selected as the winner of Photo of the Month, 2nd Place?

Zahraa Al Hassani: I’m totally honored to be compensated and rewarded by such a high esteemed and very well-known magazine like Light & Composition, it gives such a great backing and motivation that add too much to my career and records as well.

L&C: Your photographs, “Give to Live”, was selected as Photo of the Month, is a beautiful conceptual photograph with artistic perspective, correct lighting, and very well presented. Overall, a great composition! Tell us more about your experience of taking this photograph.

Zahraa: It was such a great honor for my photograph to be picked up as photo of the month. I believe that photography is powerful enough to convey our spiritual messages in which we fail to demonstrate in words to the public! Pictures could talk and tell us the things that our hearts need to feel. It touches us from inside when it comes with a concept, and that is excatly what I tried to show over in my photograph “give to live”. Actually as far as I’m a photographer and graphic designer who deals with art, I always want to let my artistic touch take a place among today’s chaos and violence and shout out a big heads up – Stop killing each other, and please take a look to these innocent hands, still there’s who gives love, who cares and gives helping hands, so don’t give up faith.

L&C: Besides this winning photograph, many people liked and voted for other photographs of yours in the Photo of the Month contest. You must be proud. How do you see your journey to the world of photography so far?

Zahraa: Well, it’s actually as exactly as a bedrock or a stepping stone in my journey within photography world, it has added so much to me over working in a such huge Magazine with such an over spilled knowledge that helps me to enquire experience every time I click into L&C, over and above I’m still need to learn more and more. I would like to extend my gratitude to almighty Allah that ushered me in here. Last but not least to my family and true friends who votes and support my photographs.

L&C: As we know, you are originally from Iraq, which has its own rich diverse cultural and artistic heritage. Do you think depicting life in Iraq portrays a different essence? How much does that influence your work?

Zahraa: Indeed it does, culture is the ultimate influence for any kind of art, especially when you live in country that has many historical places full with artistic heritage, cultural climates, different religious events, and celebrations. Its people, weather, environment all affect my photography. Also I do live in country full of challenges yet I tried through my photographs to focus on the bright side of it by trying to overcome all these obstacles to create and innovate something new that can be almost like a shelter from all the struggles I have been through, one of my latest winning photographs “Standing tall” can embody this idea.

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

Zahraa: I do love Portrait photography as I reckon there’s no equivalent beauty than people faces which could show different expressions, personality and thousands of subjects! I also love the Abstract photography that can never goes un-noticed as its always form a mystery for all and attract everyone to the abundant colors and to the look and feel sensation behind it.

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.
Zahraa: Visualization is all about how to depict the world through your eyes, thus I start the process to make my eye as a lens and my imagination as a sensor!

L&C: Zahraa, have you ever exhibited your work? If so, then tell us about your first exhibiting experience.
Zahraa: No I haven’t exhibited my photographs yet, hopefully soon In sha Allah!

L&C: Are you involved with any photography organizations? How does this help you in your photography?
Zahraa: Not Really, I’m working as a Graphic Designer in telecoms and that’s a bit helps me to deal with photographs and visuals that required for commercials and publicities. Overall it helped me a lot to keep up to the trendiest footages over the world.

L&C: What advice would you give our readers who want to take part in the journey around the world with photography?
Zahraa: I hate advices! so I’ll let the readers take those quotes as a mottos to a best photography practice:
Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst
Which of my photographs is my favorite? The one I’m going to take tomorrow.

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