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Mubarakshah Guljan
Tajik photographer, Dushanbe

 
At some moments in our lives we wish we could stop time from passing us by - preserve those precious moments in our lives forever. At other times we might find ourselves alone, but privileged in witnessing some brief glimpse of striking beauty. At such times we feel we must share this with our friends and family.

Endeavouring to hold onto these moments we try to find some means of collecting them - of constructing mementos of our happiest times. Today this is simple. Thanks to advances in photography and film we can keep those moments in our lives close to us indefinitely.

Using photography we can present the world through our individual perspectives, expressing not only the physical visualisation of a moment but also our moods at that one instant - demonstrating our whole range of emotions from brightest exuberance to darkest melancholy. Look, for instance, at how a number of people can take photos of the same landscape but produce noticeably different photographs which share no common coordination or synchronisation.

Of course further difference lies in the skill of the photographers themselves. A good photographer must posses the necessary talents. Even if several people use the same camera they still cannot take exactly the same photograph because they have a different understanding of the camera itself.

I studied at the Tajik Technical University and began engaging with photography from then onwards. I find that I am always searching and enquiring, trying to find some new means of expression through my work.

Taking quality photographs demands an inquisitive mind, energy, precision and an eye for the aesthetic of their environment. The reward for such perseverance comes after a photo is taken. If you feel that you have succeeded in that endeavour the success will energise you twice as much.

This report was made in a workshop held by Jadid Media for the Olimpur Foundation in Dushanbe.