Tracing Faces

There are so many amazing On The Horizon interviews in Asian Photography Magazine, but we want to learn more about the photographers and the story behind their photos. We interviewed a skilled photographer in this issue to learn more about enjoying life via a lens. Waleed Shabir is the focus of this month’s interview. He is a photographer who takes more than simply photographs. His photographs are extremely intimate and, most importantly, respectful to the people and feelings that inspired him. Waleed discusses how he approaches capturing a stranger’s emotion, the creative linage of still photography, unique portrait photography, and how he started into street photography in this interview.

- sanchiT mishra

How did you become interested in street portrait photography in the first place? What brought you there?

When I started practicing photography, I only used to do landscape, street and conceptual photography. I was never interested in portrait photography until I came across the work of a British portrait photographer Lee Jeffries, his works touched my soul and that’s how my love for street portrait photography began. From doing something I was least interested in to only doing that and loving it.

What do you like most about shooting these “invisible people”?

The beauty in their stories and their stories. I love listening to them and getting to know how beautiful they’re. Just being there with them makes me happy.

Some of your photographs give the impression that you can glimpse the souls of the people you photograph. What you display appears to go beyond the subject’s outward look. Is it the main purpose of your job, or merely one of its facets?