LONDON: Before stay-at-home measures were introduced in the UK, soft spoken Saudi portrait and lifestyle photographer Afnan Abdulkarim sat down with Arab News to share her passion for photography.
With her camera placed lovingly on the table, the photographer let us in on the highs of her career, as well as the dedication it takes to become a professional shutterbug.
The photographer is documenting London during lockdown on Instagram and Snapchat. Photographed by Afnan Abdulkarim.
Fast forward to now and, amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the country-wide stay-at-home measures, Abdulkarim has been following the rules and staying at home besides essential trips. It was on one of those trips that she noticed how the usually busy streets of London had been transformed and got out her smartphone to documents the eerie scenes, which she shared with her 71,000 followers on Instagram and her followers on Snapchat.
“I was out of the house for an essential trip. My camera was not with me because I was not intending on taking any photographs, but as I was walking, I could not ignore the scene right in front of my eyes of the transformation of the busiest London streets into the quietest and emptiest I could have ever imagined,” she told Arab News over the phone, after the initial interview in February.
Empty street in London photographed by Afnan Abdulkarim.
The snaps included areas of Oxford Street, the world-famous thoroughfare that is usually packed with shoppers.
But what is it about photography that captured Abdulkarim’s attention?
“I have an uncle who is a photographer so I wanted to be like him. I wished I could one day capture the moment exactly as my eyes see it and that is what I set out to do each day,” Abdulkarim explained.
Before the current coronavirus crisis, Abdulkarim’s portrait and lifestyle photography revolved around London locations, people and the environments she travelled through in her daily life.
She uses natural light and her style is best described as vivid, deep and engaging.
She uses natural light and her style is best described as vivid, deep and engaging. Photographed by Afnan Abdulkarim.
“Every corner in London is just beautiful, unique and has a story behind it. This city’s architecture is so attractive,” said Abdulkarim of her adopted home.
And it’s not just the city that has captured the photographer’s attention, but the people who call it home.
“I enjoy portrait photography because it is full of life and detail, plus I love the idea of meeting new people from different backgrounds as well as having a new experience each time. I am open to other fields in photography as well,” she said.
Although Abdulkarim has yet to exhibit her work in a gallery, she has gained much attention from luxury brands, the media and, in 2019, she photographed Prince Khalid bin Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United Kingdom on the day he presented his letter of credence to Queen Elizabeth II.
HRH Prince Khalid bin Bandar photographed by Afnan Abdulkarim.
“I was honored to be the chosen photographer by the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia to capture such a special event,” she said proudly.
The photographer went on to share her advice for photography enthusiasts.
“The most important advice is practice. There is no point in having courses with big photographers without actually practicing. Practice is a must,” she noted.
