6 minute read
PHOTOGRAPHY
Capture that
Four days of exhibitions, demos, and workshops from a stellar line-up of photographers are set to take place at Xposure International Photography Festival 2021 this month. We get the lowdown on some of the stars…
Aaron Gekoski
How would you categorise your work?
I’m an environmental photojournalist. I investigate the impact that mankind is having on our planet. Our wildlife is in turmoil. As photographers we have an opportunity to broadcast the truth.
How did you get into photography?
I left behind the corporate world a decade ago to study wildlife photography in Africa. My goal was the document the natural world. However, I soon saw that
PHOTOGRAPHY
wildlife was under threat. Documenting these stories became my focus.
What are you driven by?
Exposing cruelty and suffering, and creating change. There is nothing more satisfying as a photojournalist than having a tangible impact.
What has been the proudest moment in your career?
Holding the first copy of Animosity, my new book, and being a winner at Wildlife Photographer of the Year are highlights, but the smaller victories are just as important. Shark finning communities in Mozambique stopped eating toxic shark meat as a result of a documentary I worked on. I’m proud of that.
What’s the most inspiring photograph you’ve seen?
Brent Stirton’s image of a murdered gorilla in Conga helped to inspire a generation of conservationists. The fact that one image can do so much for a cause should be a source of inspiration to us all.
What advice would you give to aspiring photographers?
Absorb, never stop learning. Volunteer. Persevere. Don’t get too hung up on gear; it’s the storytelling that matters. Enter competitions. Be creative and prepare to break the rules.
Brent Stirton
How do you feel about participating in Xposure 2021?
I’m grateful to be asked. It’s a good festival and an opportunity to see people I haven’t seen for a while. We are very well treated there and that’s always very nice. Anytime a credible festival wants to show my work, I’m grateful.
How would you categorise your work?
I spend most of my time focused on the intersection between man and the environment.
How did you get into photography?
I was a journalist and I needed to illustrate my work. I couldn’t find a photographer to work with so I bought a used camera and taught myself.
What are you driven by?
I’m driven by the need to support the good work being done by so many of the people I meet. Most of them are fighting huge odds and I have found I can make a difference in that fight if I commit to good photography on that theme.
What has been the proudest moment in your career?
Being voted National Geographic Magazine’s Photographer’s Photographer in 2015.
What kind of photography do you get the most pleasure from?
If I am able to make images that move people, that create an emotional response, that is always the best for me.
What’s the most inspiring photograph you’ve seen?
James Nachtwey’s image from the Rwandan genocide of the Tutsi victim in profile with scars on his face is right up there for me.
What advice would you give to aspiring photographers?
Hard work and discipline will take you further than just talent alone.
Elia Locardi
How do you feel about participating in Xposure 2021?
There has never been an event quite like this that is able to bring so many talented artists together in one place. Xposure focuses on the work, on the stories, and on the people who are out there helping to amplify the voices of others.
How would you categorise your work?
Though my work easily falls under the umbrella of travel photography, it’s more destination based. I’m drawn to the unique, the breathtaking, the places that have the power to inspire all of us.
How did you get into photography?
Through a series of difficult years in the US economic crash of 2008, my wife and I had an important decision to make. How do we rebuild our lives? After soul-searching, we decided to prioritise experiences instead of professions. Neither of us had ever really travelled before. I knew that if we were going to travel, I most definitely wanted to take photos along the way. It all grew from there.
What are you driven by?
The desire for knowledge, evolution, and growth – that’s the foundation of what continues to drive me forward. And coffee.
What has been the proudest moment in your career?
August, 2019, when my daughter Liana was born. When my wife Naomi and I started on this photography adventure in 2009, we didn’t have any resources behind us. For five years, we abandoned the idea of home and instead embraced a more non-traditional approach to life. That all came full circle when we wanted children. This seems like an odd career milestone but it taught me something so important. Life can evolve to accommodate what is most important to you. It doesn’t have to be one way or the other. For us, that means it doesn’t have to be either children or travel, home or no-home, career or family. It can be a harmony of everything as long as you try.
What advice would you give to aspiring photographers?
The most important thing is to have fun. Loosen up, experiment, make mistakes. The best photographer out there is the one who is having the most fun.
KM Asad
What inspired you to take up photojournalism, in particular humanity and social rights?
In 2007, Bangladesh was hit by Cyclone Sidr. I went directly to the affected places to report about the tragic situation and the difficult conditions of the local people. These pictures were published in local newspapers and hundreds of people received humanitarian aid. I realised that some people have been helped because of my work. That’s when I realised it was my duty.
Do you remember the first ever photograph you captured?
I was 18 years old and my father gave me a film camera. The Yashica MF-2. I was so excited to take pictures. My first ever picture was my father and mother pictured together.
You won the “UNICEF photo of the year” in 2017 and the Siena International Photographer of the Year 2018. How important are these accolades to you?
As a photographer, yes, I feel honored to get these awards. Through these photo competitions. I show my important work to many audiences in the world.
What advice would you give to aspiring photographers?
You have to be able to be at the right moment at the right place. I try to put myself in the middle of the situation to capture the most authentic and real moments possible – that would be my advice to any aspiring photographer.
February 10 to 13 a Xposure Photography & Film Festival, Al Taawun Street, Sharjah, Wed 9am to Sat 10pm, free entry. xposure.ae
SPORT + WELL-BEING + TRAVEL
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