8 minute read
I See Frames
MES
Born in Pakistan, I moved to London at the age of 3 in 1991. I remember little to none about my time in Pakistan. As a family we lived near Fazl mosque from the get go and by the grace of Allah, I spent almost all my life under the shade of Khilafat. I have done all my schooling in London right through to university in which I graduated with a BA in Broadcast technology in 2009. The same year I fulfi lled my Waqf and was appointed by Beloved Huzoor into MTA International. It has now been around 18 years that I have been working in MTA including the 5/6 years I volunteered during my studies. Time has fl own since I devoted my life and Alhamdulillah I am married to a waqf now have two beautiful girls who also are in the blessed scheme of Waqf-eNau and we as a family would not have chosen otherwise. My name is Safeer Uddin Qamar and this is a “snap shot” of my life.
The Power of a Photo
Whether they are hung on a wall, folded up in someone’s wallet or backed up on a laptop, photos exist and live everywhere. Their reach is beyond any border or planet and their impact is even further than that. Photos have the ability to capture unspoken emotions and translate it into the hearts and minds of people, surpassing any language barrier. We, as Ahmadis, know the value of a photo. When we see our beloved Khalifa, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (May Allah be his Helper), on one of his international trips, it makes us feel as if we were there with him. Or even a black and white photo of the Promised Messiah, Hazarat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (Peace be upon him), which makes us reminisce of a time in which we didn’t even exist. That’s the power of a photo; it takes you to a time and place which logically and physically we cannot go to.
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STEM subjects were never really my strong point and to further disappoint the cultural phenomena of becoming a doctor or engineer, I was into Arts. Willingly, I would give and spend extra time, outside class, to work on creative projects, which I think is where the passion for Photography started to grow and express itself. I felt the way I envisioned the world in front of me was diff erent. It was not based on facts or numbers, rather how
the colours of the earth come together to create a perfect snapshot of a moment of that time. This little seed of infatuation with the lens, is how I persuaded my dad to buy me my fi rst ever camera: A Canon 400d. I can still remember the excitement I had, holding something which would have allowed me, in an odd way, to transfer the image I created in my mind, to a
digital camera, all through a click of a button.
That camera is stuck with me for about fi ve years; travelled the world with me and survived all sorts of wear and tear. After those experiences, I bought a new camera, which did not only cost me a fortune, but would also come as a displeasure to my dad, who was worried that I was wasting money and time around and would end up with nothing. However, I was determined to show my dad that beyond my pure passion and love for this fi eld, I could earn back the money by working at small gigs. Of course, those part time jobs were not fuelling my creative juices and so that is when I started going to London to enhance my skills. At the beginning, I would plan exact day, according to the time and weather before I would make those trips to allow myself to capture the most ‘perfect shot’, but over the course of doing so and facing disappointments like missing the sunset or sudden weather change, I realised there is no such thing as a perfect shot or rather every shot is perfect in its own right. Photography has its basics but over many years, artists have found ways to break them if not evolve them. I have always believed that you cannot learn this skill, because maybe it is not just a skill or law to learn, but a mind-set. It is how you envision the world and this, ironically and unlike most photos, is not developable.
The Greatest Honour of My Life
By the Grace of Allah, I have had the fortune of devoting my life, as a Waqf, in MTA and this is truly the greatest honour of my life. Along with the ample blessings of Waqf, one such blessing is the many opportunities to join Huzoor on his international trips. One of my favourites is Huzoor’s trip to Japan in 2013. During this trip, beloved Huzoor would often have personal moments, which he would fi lm on his personal camera. Once on a drive, we made a stop at a restaurant which had an overlooking view of Mount Fuji from its balcony. Huzoor took out his camera to fi lm the beholding view in front of us. I was already on the balcony before Huzoor, but as soon as he came forward, I stood back to not disrupt his space. There at that moment, right in front of me was our beloved Khalifa fi lming and capturing the Mount Fuji, which to this day, is the most unreal shot I had seen. Of course I took this opportunity to capture this once in a lifetime view. As soon as Huzoor started to fi lm, he realized that due to the hazy weather, Mount Fuji was not visible on his camera. To which, in my fortune, Huzoor asked me what I can see in my camera, which he could not see in his. He then took my camera in his blessed hands, as I tried to adjust the settings of my camera for Huzoor to enable a better view of Mount Fuji though the lens. To my great luck, there are some unbelievable shots capturing that moment.
There are many moments I’ve witnessed through a lens both with our beloved Imam and without, and I hope many more will come Insha’Allah. There has not been a time when I have not enjoyed holding the camera. As I gain more experience, I come to the conclusion that things do become simpler as you get older. The simplest of cameras, with the simplest of views, become more meaningful, than maybe a click of the great, tall buildings in the world. Photography and pictures are my way of expressing myself, but also to understand the world and its history.
Tips for Passionate Beginners
For those who are starting out or already into photography, I would say that there is a lot out there that one can be infl uenced by. Whether it is a typical style of photography or even lured into buying the latest camera, the important thing to remember is that you are unique and that should be the fundamental reason that you have this interest. It is always good to explore what is out there but remember to develop your own style and skill. That way you are not just becoming a better photographer but people then see you for that particular vision. Through trial and error one becomes immune to failure and every click feels like success and development. Sooner or later you can be taking better photos with the minimalist of kit and eff ort and all it takes is to be yourself. Having said all of this it would be wrong of me to end this without some words of encouragement. There will be many Waqfeen out there who ponder over the thought of doing Waqf and then there are those who are already serving tirelessly day and night in their respective fi elds. As humans, it is unnatural to turn a blind eye from someone seeking help or for us to limit our strengths at a time of need. Sadly, this world creates this feeling that “someone else will do it right?”. This is where we step in! To strive and do that little bit more without having a feeling of something worldly in return. For me that is putting aside this skill that Allah has granted me, being grateful and then to be ready to serve in all capacities. Not just MTA but if needed, be ready to lay down my life for any cause that helps humanity, because the ultimate picture we all want to create is the one where Allah is pleased with us.
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