A travel photographer from Cuttack and now based in Singapore, Mohsin’s passion for photography took him places. He spent time in cities and nations like Dubai in the UAE, Singapore, the Netherlands, Thailand, Jordan, Italy, Nepal, Turkey and Vietnam clicking away pictures and having them published for posterity.
ARINDAM GANGULY, OP
Photography is more of an art and less of a technique. More than capturing an image, what makes a picture a masterpiece is the talent behind the clicking, as a high level of creativity is involved in the art. That’s how some pictures merit more attention and win adulation. There are those who excel in the art of photography even with a technologically less advanced camera. So says Mohsin Abrar, noted travel photographer from Cuttack who is now based in Singapore. A marketing man by profession, Mohsin’s passion for photography took him places, and around the world.
He spent time in cities and nations like Dubai in the UAE, Singapore, the Netherlands, Thailand, Jordan, Italy, Nepal, Turkey and Vietnam clicking away pictures and having them published for posterity. The pictures he shot found expression in media entities like National Geographic, BBC World, The World Post, Yahoo News, Herald Sun and Business Inside, to name a few.
Mohsin chat with Orissa POST and talked about his passion and of his famous creations. Photography was in Mohsin’s blood. His father MD Mohsin was a noted filmmaker in Oriya film industry. He grew up watching his father and his team in action. “Cuttack is my Janmabhoomi. I have spent most of my formative years there and have fond memories of the city. I left the place in 1996 for studies in New Delhi. After that, it has been from one state to another and one country to another. I am now based in Singapore, and working there,” says he. The passion for photography struck him at an early age, but it blossomed while he was staying in Dubai. “When I moved to Dubai, it took time for me to build a friend circle. I felt somewhat lonely at the new place. Rather than idling away my spare time, I bought a camera and started taking pictures. Then it occurred to me that the pictures were good. I began learning the fundamentals of photography from my own experiments with camera and situations.”
In later years, his professional requirements took him to several other cities, at each of which his eyes would search for something special. He has captured different facets of the city he was in. “I used to click landscapes, buildings, or whatever that attracts my attention in a special way.” During a trip to Istanbul, Turkey , he clicked a picture which was later published in the Gulf region’s prominent daily, The Gulf News.
It was titled ‘The Power of Prayers’. The picture was taken in a mosque. Among the assembly of the faithful, a disabled man in his wheelchair was sitting and doing silent prayers to God the Almighty. “What really caught my attention was a little girl, almost in awe with the man who was in prayer in the wheelchair. She was drawn intently to the man’s sincere prayers and that’s what made the photo a special one. It was really moving. Once that picture got published, that was inspiration for me to try more. Since then, I haven’t slowed down,” says Mohsin with a sense of contentment. During a visit to Nepal, he caught an image in camera. ‘The Yetis of Nepal’. National Geographic gladly accepted and published it. “That was the first time a picture shot by me was carried in that reputed journal. I had shot this picture in the world-famous Pashupatinath temple. It was a picture of the Aghoris who live near the dead. The do the job of collecting the leftover bones of the dead bodies from the ashes after they are burnt. Because of the work they do, they are considered a cursed lot, and many people do not even go near them.”
Says Mohsin: “As of now, over 20 of the photos I shot have been published in National Geographic.
“The Yetis of Nepal” is one of my favourite pictures and it was published also by The World Post, Herald Sun, Yahoo News, Business Insider (India, Singapore, UK) etc. What is the mindset with which he clicks pictures? Says he, “When I click pictures, the first thing that strikes me is what story shall I communicate to the people through my pictures. Photography has a lot of power to move people. That’s the reason I call my images “Story telling images.” About the countries good for doing photography, he says India is the best, followed by Indonesia.
About Orissa, he says, “I am proud to be from Orissa. It offers diverse images to shoot – the sea in Puri, the rivers, the scenic hills, the forests, you name it and Orissa has it.” About his travels to different countries, he says they were essentially adventure trips, with photography high in mind. “I am well-versed with all modes of travel. During my trip to China, near the border of Vietnam, I first had to take off from Dubai, land in Ho Chi Min City, then fly to Hanoi. From there, I went to Sapa by train. I rented a motorbike and had a ride across Sapa, with intermittent walking too, and eventually ended up on a boat in Halong Bay. This has been the craziest trip I have ever had till date. It was a thrilling experience in my life.”
Mohsin currently stays in Singapore, where the city state’s Tourism Council employed him as its official photographer for 2016. His photos are used by Singapore Airlines for its promotional works. He is planning an exhibition of his select pictures in both Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. “I will soon be coming back for this purpose,” he says. He also organises workshops. His main aim is to do something good for the (neglected) Girl Child of India. “The Girl Child of India is now suffering. Poor kids are work; rather they should be in school. Education is the right of every child.” Adds he: “I may not be able to help everyone, but I will start with one. A long journey begins with one small step. I’ll start with one girl child
