Exploring the Kashmir hidden from the travellers with Azaan Shah
Beyond the mountains and valleys, is there another Kashmir which is yet to be explored by travellers? I explored some of it in the old town during a wonderful heritage walk a few years back, but was very disappointed that not many people know about it or even care to explore it. What lies just behind this veil is a wonderful and historical town, full of people and stories. A local boy and young budding photographer Azaan Shah has been busy documenting the normal life of people in the old town. I have been very impressed with his work and he is the featured artist this Sunday :)
So who is Azaan?
I am a self taught photographer . I had always an interest for photography and enjoyed the beauty of daily life. Photography completely changed the way I look at everything now. I started shooting back in 2013 when I was in 10th grade. Now I did my 12th In arts stream , I didnt like to study from my childhood . But I want to do bachelor's in visual storytelling.
How was it growing up in Kashmir?
When I was a kid I always had love for streets I loved the way people come and go, I grew up in old city of Kashmir. When I was a kid my mother would not let me to play with the kids outside on streets. But today streets are my home.
My Life changed when I took up the camera and began to document life. I loved to experiment with light. The experimentation did not always go well but gradually with the time and a lot of practice I have captured some good pictures.
I document the hidden drama of dailylife and I enjoy the beauty of daily life observing people on streets. I just love to document life on the streets; I am not the person who seeks for consistency in life. For me it has to go on and change instantly. Only by keeping me challenged you can get the most out of me. That holds true for photography as well and it’s a never ending challenge of capturing life, emotions and being.
From start to even now, it is my own inhibition about photographing strangers, invading their privacy. Especially when I started I felt very guilty about it, and also worried about what I imagined people’s reactions might be. I commonly shoot in old city where I live. As street photography is not very common here so whenever I have my camera in my hands maximum of people start giving me a creepy look that thing makes me feel uneasy.
Challenges of street photography...
I bring out the street life of Kashmir and I think street photography is totally untouched here. Maximum photographers go for nature stuff here like landscapes and all. That thing is easy to capture because you have time but in SP you don't have time you should have patience I believe street photography is one of the most difficult genres in photography because to capture strangers without their permission is at times dangerous.
It is commonly thought as unethical to capture a photo of a stranger without their permission. In-fact, we are so socialized against doing this that we are worried what repercussions may happen to us if we do so. We are worried that the photos of others we shoot may become belligerent, yell at us, or even call the police on us. Therefore “normal” people don’t take photographs of strangers without their permission—but who ever said that street photographers were “normal” people?
Impact of conflict in Kashmir on your work?
Yes it does; sometimes when I go out on shoot in old city where the protests and conflict take place people think I am a press photographer or working for police and feel uneasy. Some people have told me not to shoot here - 'you take pictures of boys and than police caught them'. But I am just a photographer working for myself I document dailylife as it happens.
Contact Azaan
Azaan Shah
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| Crossing the bridge... |
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| A young girl on her way to school... |
So who is Azaan?
I am a self taught photographer . I had always an interest for photography and enjoyed the beauty of daily life. Photography completely changed the way I look at everything now. I started shooting back in 2013 when I was in 10th grade. Now I did my 12th In arts stream , I didnt like to study from my childhood . But I want to do bachelor's in visual storytelling.
How was it growing up in Kashmir?
When I was a kid I always had love for streets I loved the way people come and go, I grew up in old city of Kashmir. When I was a kid my mother would not let me to play with the kids outside on streets. But today streets are my home.
My Life changed when I took up the camera and began to document life. I loved to experiment with light. The experimentation did not always go well but gradually with the time and a lot of practice I have captured some good pictures.
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| Fire in the sky... |
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| Rainbow in the rain... |
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| Colours of the old city... |
I document the hidden drama of dailylife and I enjoy the beauty of daily life observing people on streets. I just love to document life on the streets; I am not the person who seeks for consistency in life. For me it has to go on and change instantly. Only by keeping me challenged you can get the most out of me. That holds true for photography as well and it’s a never ending challenge of capturing life, emotions and being.
From start to even now, it is my own inhibition about photographing strangers, invading their privacy. Especially when I started I felt very guilty about it, and also worried about what I imagined people’s reactions might be. I commonly shoot in old city where I live. As street photography is not very common here so whenever I have my camera in my hands maximum of people start giving me a creepy look that thing makes me feel uneasy.
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| Looking... |
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| Capturing the smile... |
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| Dog. Confused. |
Challenges of street photography...
I bring out the street life of Kashmir and I think street photography is totally untouched here. Maximum photographers go for nature stuff here like landscapes and all. That thing is easy to capture because you have time but in SP you don't have time you should have patience I believe street photography is one of the most difficult genres in photography because to capture strangers without their permission is at times dangerous.
It is commonly thought as unethical to capture a photo of a stranger without their permission. In-fact, we are so socialized against doing this that we are worried what repercussions may happen to us if we do so. We are worried that the photos of others we shoot may become belligerent, yell at us, or even call the police on us. Therefore “normal” people don’t take photographs of strangers without their permission—but who ever said that street photographers were “normal” people?
Impact of conflict in Kashmir on your work?
Yes it does; sometimes when I go out on shoot in old city where the protests and conflict take place people think I am a press photographer or working for police and feel uneasy. Some people have told me not to shoot here - 'you take pictures of boys and than police caught them'. But I am just a photographer working for myself I document dailylife as it happens.
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| In the times of conflict... |
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| Two men, two women... |
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| Azaad Shah |
Contact Azaan
Azaan Shah
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