4 minute read
PhotoXouq- by Zoheb
PhotoXouq, initially named ‘Impression by Zoheb’ was started in 2018 by Zoheb Sayed. Born and brought up in Goa amidst its rich heritage and natural landscapes. Zoheb holds a Bachelor’s degree in Hotel Management from IIAS, Goa, and has spent more than 10 years in the hotel industry. Growing up, Zoheb loved two things the mostswimming and photography. He had a deep-seated love for nature and animals which inspired him to become a wildlife photographer.
Zoheb was the runner-up at an inter-college photography competition. His first photoshoot was for the birthday party of another photographer in Goa. During his time working in the hotel industry, he got some great opportunities to assist many professional photographers in hotel photoshoots which helped him gain knowledge and experience in architecture and food photography. Post this, he decided to enroll at the Fujairah Academy of Fine Arts to learn more about the technical aspects of photography under Mahmoud Saber, a professional photographer from Egypt.
Zoheb migrated to the UAE in February 2022 with his family. In the UAE, one needs a license and permit to work as a freelance photographer. It was then, Zoheb came up with the name PhotoXouq and got it registered. He now has his photography license and permit. PhotoXouq does photoshoots of portraits, fashion, food, architecture, products, prewedding shoots, events, etc.
As a freelancer in Goa, he did photoshoots for hotels like Hotel Fortune, Miramar, and the Indian Getaway Hotel in Goa where he did Product, Food, Architecture, and Event photography.
In the UAE, he got the opportunity to do a photo shoot in collaboration with Sony Alpha Festival MEA which had the presence of many international models and fashion designers at the fashion show.
Although Zoheb did not get any opportunity to work with any Goan celebrities, he did some photoshoots with many international models such as Romina, Miya Grande, Katie Yudina, and many more in Dubai, with some famous celebrities from India and the UAE lined up for the near future.
Peter Mckinnon, Maciej Suwalowski, and Joesph Radhik are the few photographers whom Zoheb considers as his role models for product photography and wedding photography. Following them has helped him greatly as he got to learn new techniques and ideas and how to execute those ideas. Zoheb is positive about opening a photography school a few years down the line to teach young and enthusiastic talents about the various techniques of photography.
However, as of now, he wants to focus on his photography, hone his skills even more, and simply enjoy capturing beautiful moments.
His advice to young Goans who want to pursue a career in photography is to start with photography as a hobby and find your niche, what kind of photography you enjoy, and focus on that. Investing in good lenses would be a good idea as they are more expensive than the camera body. Further, the camera body can be changed from time to time. Assisting professional photographers would help them gain experience and build confidence which would in turn help them to get new assignments. “That’s how you get better at it”, he says.
