Discovery of the world and myself

My Scholarship entry - A 'place' I have visited

Pakistan | Friday, July 5, 2013 | 4 photos

I was born in Peshawar but grew up in Queens, New York. Feeling uprooted, I longed for a world that I was once a part of and to visit the countries where my neighbors came from, Queens being the most diverse urban location in the world. Looking through old family photos and cinematography in films were my first steps into the world of photography. At the age of 16, I began shooting pictures of everything I could find. In the years that followed, I researched the technicalities. In 2009, I went to Pakistan with naive ideals about capturing the country. I came back without those ideals but with growth as a photographer and person. That trip showed me how to get over inhibitions, because I spoke to many strangers, and that no expedition is a solitary venture. My photography aims to raise awareness for people from lower social classes who are voiceless and exploited. Whenever I shoot I have to do that moment, person, or place justice, the shot has to be as beautiful or it won't suffice, even if this means laying on the floor and getting dirty. Over the years, my craft has grown a lot but the journey of self discovery is far from over. I look forward to learning and evolving.