Ali Sardar: December Photographer of the Month


Interview by Avery Fields/
Photos by Ali Sardar


Ali Sardar, born in Pakistan and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, creates visuals with attention to detail at every step of the process. Sardar’s photograph received the most votes among the other nominees. He previously won Photographer of the Week in the fourth week of December.

We interviewed Sardar to share his advice and experiences with the Bokeh Focus community. He says, “As a photographer, you are a light bender” and emphasizes the importance of manipulating light to create the desired piece. The photos in this story are Sardar’s original images (© Ali Sardar).

What is the story behind the photos you’ve submitted?

Ali Sardar: A perspective image looking outside of a window at mountains on a moving train during mid-day
Quetta, Pakistan
January 2021
Photo: Ali Sardar

Sardar: This out-the-airplane-window image is a composite of two photos. Both were taken on the same flight over the Zarghoon and Chiltan Mountains in Pakistan. This was a moment where, what I could see, did not match with what I was capturing. When you’re on a flight with family and a short flight to Islamabad, there’s only so much time for different camera setups. I knew I wanted to capture and control what I was seeing. The best method I could think of at that moment was to composite it, taking multiple photos and merging them into one final piece. Which is what I was able to do later, edit and composite a stunning photo. This photo holds beauty and harsh boundaries of man and nature.

Do you have a specific theme or topic that is the focus of your photography?

Sardar: My focus is a mix of street and landscape.

What have you gained/experienced while working with this topic?

Sardar: Creating these photos allowed me to brush up my skills as an editor and director. I had to direct myself to first capture the shots properly. Then during the editing, I had to find ways to edit more effectively to complete the vision I had imagined.

Tell us something about yourself that most people wouldn’t notice about you.

Sardar: I am competing with myself and thinking of ways to be innovative. It might not be innovative to the art world but if I create an art piece using an already known technique in my own art — but I’ve never done it before — it’s innovative for me.

What’s a piece of advice you would offer to other photographers to encourage their creativity?

Sardar: As a photographer, you are a light bender. We look for ways to bend light to our will and the only way to get better at manipulating light is by taking more photos.


We at Bokeh Focus admire Sardar’s outlook on the creative process behind photography, emphasizing the importance of understanding light to capture the most ideal piece of art. Thank you, Ali, for sharing your work with the greater Bokeh Focus community as well as your words of advice.

 


View Sardar’s full size gallery


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