When I discovered the Instagram account aljvd I was stunned by the photos in front of me. Some of the most beautifully framed and executed photos I have seen.
This last week I spoke to Altamash about his photography (and was stunned to learn he shoots with a camera phone)
See what he had to say.
Hey, Tell us a little about yourself.
I'm a 31 year old dad, husband, entrepreneur, photographer amongst other things :) I am from Pakistan and currently live in Dubai, UAE.
I recently found your Instagram. Your photos are absolutely stunning. How long have you been taking photos?
When I look back at the stuff I have shot with, which were mostly mobile phones with cameras in them, it seems like I have been taking photos forever. It is only when I bought my first iPhone (4s) and started posting my shots to Instagram that I started taking photography more seriously. I would say I have been shooting properly for over a year now and the knowledge and style keeps evolving.
Did you study photography?
Nope. A ton of Youtube videos and asking the amazing community I have down here for tips.
Is photography how you make your living?
Partly. I would love to do this full time. But I also run a couple of businesses which I also love to do.
What do you shoot with?
I shoot with an iPhone 7 and a Fuji X-A2
What’s the craziest thing you’ve done to get ‘the shot’?
We recently went to Jordan and of course went to Petra. My friends were keen on getting the shot of the treasury from the top, which technically isn't allowed but many do it. For us though, our local tour guide who we met at Petra said it would be a one hour hike so we decided to do it. It wasn't. We went to Jordan in what the locals said was the worst heat wave in the month so that 1 hour hike turned into 3 hours and we were utterly dehydrated and exhausted. The terrain is also quite dangerous, there are spots you could slip and badly hurt yourself. Lets just say we did get the shot, but at one point we were so exhausted that even though our hotel was meters away we had to stop and collapse by the side of the road :)
Your Jordan photos are absolutely stunning, how was your trip?
Overall, absolutely amazing. Jordan is a great example of how to conserve rich history, every great empire / civilization has been there.
Do you have any other passions outside of photography?
I love music, creating music. I also love to study history - its so important especially to understand the world we live in now.
What/Who inspires you?
I do not want to name names. I get inspiration from many and don't want to leave anyone. What though? What inspires me is that photography can be used to change circumstances and the world at large. There is nothing more powerful than that of a still photo captured right. I know many great photographers that have captured images that turn into a cause to help.
Do you think Instagram had an effect on your style of photography?
I think so, not too long ago Instagram only let you post in square. That was something to think about. Now they allow you to post landscape and portrait. I try to post portrait only in order to have a impact on the screen you will most likely see my work, the phone. I also like using instagram to edit my photos after running it through a few other apps.
What would be your ideal project as a photographer?
Travel travel travel. I just want to travel and see the world and yea make a living at the same time out of it.
And finally, what do you have planned for the future?
I have some countries I want to visit and document. And for sure to keep pushing to make photography my full time gig. I'd love to do an exhibition of my work along with the communities work - photos just look better blown up so thats something I hope to do soon.
Thanks Altamash for taking the time to speak to TravelFoodFilm.
Find more of his work HERE
All photos in this post belong to Altamash Javed.
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