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Unfazed by the Covid-19 crisis, Bahraini shutterbug Mustafa AbdulHadi continues to dazzle with his photographic paradigms to capture pandemic pictures of Bahrain, while also diving deep into his archives.
Traditionally preferring travel photography, Mustafa has turned his gaze inwards to nurture his passion over the past year, using his Canon 5D Mark III and Sony a6000 to encapsulate the stark changes that Covid-19 brought in the kingdom’s streets and the lives of its residents.
The photographer also recently dug up pictures he took in 2014 depicting education in Nepal, for the Xposure International Photography Festival, which celebrated the work of more than 500 photographers.
“Capturing a moment in time and immortalising it is what drew me to photography,” the 30-year-old lens luminary told GulfWeekly.
“Photography is my relief and my way to express myself. My all-time favourite lenses are the 24-105mm and 17-40mm, which allow me to capture a wide variety of photos.”
During Covid, Mustafa, who works in the Treatment of Aluminium in Crucible (TAC) cast house at Alba, captured images portraying the relative emptiness of landmarks in Manama pairing them against his previous pictures of the same spots.
After getting his first film camera in the sixth grade, Mustafa started snapping up shots of every occasion, gathering and trip.
“The major leap in my journey was during my university studies when my friends were all photography enthusiasts,” he added.
“I ended up buying a professional camera, and this is how I started my true journey with photography. In the beginning, I was shooting everything; eventually, I developed an interest capturing nature and people’s lives.”
Sharpening his skills using YouTube, Mustafa also met professional photographers, picking up new tips along the way.
Over the years, his lens also gave him a unique opportunity to explore different cultures and capture moments from the lives of people all over the world.
That’s how he came to photograph students in Nepal, encapsulating ordinary moments with extraordinary storytelling flair.
He also went on to become a founding member of the Bahrain Photographic Society, as his pictures have been featured internationally with the pages of the prestigious National Geographic, and UK publications – The Guardian and Daily Telegraph.
When asked what he would have told his younger self at the start of his photographic journey, he quipped: “Focus on developing yourself rather than your equipment!”
For more details, follow @mustafaa7
