“No two photos of the same place are quite the same”

FINER POINT:  Omar al-Hammadi says he enjoys experimenting with portraiture.

By Anand Holla For Omar al-Hammadi, photography has as much a creative, exploratory purpose as it has to do with being a device to document and treasure the tradition and cultural heritage of Qatar.At the Ritz-Carlton, Doha, last week, the Qatari photographer won the hearts of hundreds of visitors with his first solo exhibition, which underlined the importance of remembering our roots. Al-Hammadi, who works with the nation’s Internal Security Force Lekhwiya, certainly has the photographic eye and an astute mind to take on a task as special as capturing the essence of a tradition. Here, he confides in Community all about his amiable relationship with photography: You say your father gave you a camera at the age of seven. But what exactly got you interested in photography?It all started when I entered my uncle’s darkroom for the first time. For me, this seemed to be some sort of a “photographer’s paradise”, where images sprang to life amidst the darkness of the developing room. The process of developing the images seemed almost magical, and to see the final product was really exciting. Tell us about your first camera and the kind of pictures you would shoot with it.I started off with an old, typical film camera that my father bought. I would use it to take photos of the family during family outings, gatherings and festive occasions. Thus, I would be known as the family’s “official photographer”. What are the challenges, if any, you face when you have to shoot in a place like Qatar?Since one of my passions lie in doing shoots that are focused on traditional elements and themes, I am actually blessed to be gifted with the abundance of opportunities here in Qatar. That’s because here, we aim to preserve our heritage and continue to keep our cultural roots alive. Moreover, there are a variety of locations available for shooting; from the urban landscape to the barren desert. Did photography get you into travelling as well?Yes, very much so. I have spent a lot of time traveling the Gulf, as well as through Europe. I spent some time in Poland, Switzerland, France, and the UK, to name a few countries. My travels become an adventure. I feel blessed to have met so many different people and to have been exposed to a multitude of cultures, languages, and landscapes. It brings me tremendous joy to see and experience all these things and gain a deeper appreciation of the world we live in. What subjects or themes do you focus on? Why?I enjoy experimenting with portraiture. I try to capture not just the physical state of the individual, but also their emotion. It adds a lot of warmth and meaning to the image. Another subject I enjoy is that of landscapes. I enjoy going out to open areas, places far from the hustle and bustle of cities, and capturing natural beauty. Valleys, coastal scenes, mountains... they are all such exquisite views, and no two photos of the same place are quite the same! Traditional and cultural shots are also one of my favourite categories in photography. As Qatar is developing so rapidly, it is very important to capture our cultural traditions and heritage and to be able to keep them alive while trying to hold on to it. It also allows me to express my love and pride for my country. What gear do you use?I am currently using a Canon 5D Mark III, in addition to portrait lens 70-200mm f2.8 and a wide-angle lens of 16-35mm f2.8. Do you find mobile photography, now a fast-growing trend even among professional photographers, to be a suitable alternative to DSLR photography?No. Although mobile photography is a great way for generating interest in photography, it cannot maintain the quality of the images. You lose details and the angles seem to become less significant to the composition. Filters stub out the natural element and the original essence of your image, in many cases, gets lost. Cropping the pictures also diminish the quality of the image. I feel mobile photography caters to a different audience than DSLR, although it may be used to connect the two realms. Why did you choose to highlight traditional elements in your latest exhibition? How difficult is it to portray cultural facets through photography?As a Qatari, I feel it is my duty to remind the younger “iPad generation” of who we are, where we came from and who we can be, while remembering our roots.  Photos of traditional cultural activities will become a sort of a knowledge bank for future generations, the importance of which may not necessarily be felt at this point in time as the country is growing ever so rapidly. Which are your favourite places in Qatar to shoot, and why?For me, it is Al Shamal (North of Qatar), Al Zubarah (close to the Northern-most end of Qatar) and Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim al-Thani Museum (West of Qatar, near Al Shahaniyyah). The north of Qatar still has a lot of areas untouched by development that is happening closer to and within our capital, Doha. Many of our oldest structures lie in these areas and the atmosphere changes from being hot and barren in summer to cool and lit up with camp lights in the winter. Al Zubarah has a few old small towns and the Zubarah Fort is a significant piece of Qatari history. Sheikh Faisal Museum is an interesting location to shoot with Al Samariyyah Equestrian Centre located close by and the huge collection of cultural artefacts housed in and around the museum. What does photography mean to you? How do you feel when you take pictures?I cannot begin to imagine my life without photography. It is something I am completely passionate about. Taking pictures brings me joy. It has taken me to places I would never have imagined visiting if not for photography. It is never the same adventure twice. The interaction between me and my subject or me and my surroundings is truly gratifying. Can you share an interesting anecdote from one of your travel photography experiences?On a trip to Poland, I met a man and his son. We met while I was taking pictures in Kraków. The family was kind enough to invite me into their home and soon enough we became friends. I happened to be in Poland on Qatar National Day. So we all dressed up in traditional Qatari attire, celebrating Qatar National Day in Kraków. This was a special moment for me as people from different parts of the globe with different languages and cultures had found each other. Neither the colour of our skin mattered, nor the languages we spoke. We sat around the table laughing and joking as individuals of a single entity — humanity.