What follows here is a close interview of one of the brilliant DEH (ULAB) alumni, Mou Aysha, an emerging Bangladeshi name gaining international recognition for her brilliant photography skills! Fairoz Anika and Umme Hani Anika were the ones to pen down what the promising youngster has been up to in the recent days. 

You can follow her works here, https://www.instagram.com/mou_aysha/

Q.1. Could you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Ans: During and after my studies at the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh, graduating with a Masters in Applied English Linguistics, I started photography which became a growing passion.

I have been following the photography workshops and courses at GMB Akash Institute of Photography since 2014 in Dhaka. Now I dedicate myself on capturing the best moments of life as I see and feel them.

Q.2. Was there any particular incident or photo that made you get involved with photography?

Ans: I have always loved people and wanted to learn about them from up close. People, their culture, and their experiences always fascinated me since my childhood. I found out that photography gives me opportunities to go and learn about people and their journeys.

Photography is more of my passion than my profession. It means a lot to me personally and I find a great deal of satisfaction and challenge in this art.

Q.3. How do you decide on the subjects of your photography?

Ans: Since childhood I have been fascinated with people and their faces. I grew up in the northern part of Bangladesh and from a young age I saw a lot of people from the islands. Their faces were always different from the other people I had seen. They were burnt with the sun, had a lot of scratches on their face and their eyes were red. All those faces grabbed my attention as a child. One of my main reasons to become a photographer was to capture those faces and bring more light to them. I wanted to share their beautiful and unique faces with others.

Q.4 How do you bring out the emotions in your photography?

Ans: Before every single photo I take, I spend a good amount of time with those people. I try to get as close as possible with them. I try to become one of them or at least be accepted in their presence. Only after that I start taking photos.

I take simple images primarily of people. I try to take portraiture images with simplicity, but which also reflect a soulful mood and deep human connection. In addition to the uncomplicated composition, the people whom I photograph are incredibly beautiful and brave souls. I believe that this is what sets my work apart from others.

Q.5. What gears do you use for photography, in particular the camera body and lens?

Ans: Camera body: Canon 5D Mark 3 and Mark 4, Lens: 24-70 canon 2.8, 50 1.8, 35 mm 1.4.

Q.6. Which is your favorite lens? Why do you like it?

Ans: I like 24-70 lenses for its flexibility; you can take almost all kind of images with this particular lens.

Q.7. What made you interested in street life and travel photography specifically?

Ans: I have a special affection for portraits, therefore, produced an extensive series of them. Genuine smiles, emotions and people’s stories attracts me the most. I want to capture the purest of emotions in my photographs.

I also occasionally feel inspired by other subjects and compositions and try not to limit my creative instincts. I also do street life and travel photography. I seek to discover and photograph which is unseen by me or others, therefore, I find myself becoming an explorer with a powerful desire to travel.

Q.8.  Among all of your works, which one is your favorite and why?

Ans: I basically take portraits of children who are marginalized, living on the outskirts of society. I have a special affection for children’s portraits .Genuine smiles, emotions, and children’s stories attract me the most.

These peripheral groups of children go through very difficult times, but still, they manage to smile and persevere. To me, they seem like heroes.

Q.9. Whose work influenced you the most?

Ans: It’s GMB Akash, my first master photographer with whom I studied. His expertise and his outstanding work, have had a large impact on my desire to seriously continue with photography. There are others, many of whom are from Bangladesh that have been inspirational for me as artists. What impresses most about GMB Akash’s work is that he goes beyond the art and actually helps the people he photographs in his humanitarian activities.

Q.10. What are the things you keep in mind while taking photos?

Ans: I love images that look authentic and with which you feel connected. I love images which surprises me, which makes me feel something whether that be a sense of a place or an emotion.

Q.11. How do you keep your passion alive?

Ans: I love meeting people. In every area, people look and behave differently. Their faces and their stories motivate me in a great deal. Every face I encounter inspires me to meet another person. I am mainly more fascinated by interactions with people than I am with photography of landscapes of places. Photography has given me the opportunities to capture those incredible faces, express their feelings and to share with others. That being said, I still am close to nature and the environment and find images that also inspire me to get out my camera.

Q.12. Could you share with us some interesting insights that you gained through your experience as a photographer?

Ans: Photography changed my life. Because of photography, I travel intensely around my country which has helped me to meet different incredible people from different cultures and backgrounds. Their life experiences changed my views on life itself. I have learned that simplicity is the key to a satisfying life.

  

These people make me understand how beautiful life is and how easily we can help each other. I intend to do something for them rather than only taking their photos. They are more important to me than my photos.

Emotionally I became more involved with people I do not even know because of my experiences which taught me empathy. I can see my personal evolution because of photography.

Q.13. Are there any words of advice for those who are starting out in the field of photography?

Ans: Be honest and respectful to the people you photograph. Work very hard and take photos every day. Love your life and always be positive. Appreciate everything you have in your life!