5+ Hall of Fame

Members who have earned five comments or more on their photograph have their photograph showcased in the hall of fame right on our group.

Here’s the hall of fame where you can see a wonderful collection of photographs!

An Interview with Umm Travis

Muslim Female Photographers had the delightful opportunity to interview one of our active members: Umm Travis!

When was the first time you held a camera and took a photograph?

I used to take pictures when I was in summer camp as a small girl to bring back home to my Mom and show her what my sister and I did.  We had a small 35mm camera and I used to love taking pictures to see how they would develop.

Do you remember the photograph? If yes, can you describe it for us?

I do remember a lot of them actually.  One of my favourites was of a skit, where one actor threw a bucket of water at someone else, and the spray of water was captured in that instant.   I also remember making a lot of faces into the camera and taking weird photos of my sister too!

What made you serious about photography?

My father gave me a camera as part of a wedding gift, and at the time I was living in Dubai and thinking of moving to Egypt.  I wanted to show my friends and family back home all the beautiful and interesting things that I saw, in the way in which I saw it.  By doing so, I began to see photography in a more artistic manner.

Has anyone or anything had any influence on your photography?

Well, before I converted to Islam I used to take photos of people.  I never found much interest in photographing anything else.  But then I found many ahadith that discouraged this and I stopped taking photos except for landscapes.  However, when we first arrived in Egypt I was terribly disappointed and surprised by what I saw here.  I didn’t really know what to photograph except for, perhaps, the Pyramids.  But once I took out the camera and tried to zero in on beautiful things, I began to see Egypt in a whole new light.  In trying to capture it for others, the artist in me developed and I found new and exciting ways to express myself through photography.

Can you tell us a little about how you converted to Islam?

Well to make a long story short, I grew tired of the rat race in Canada, and figured it was time to do something in a completely new way. I was on a spiritual journey and felt that I was being called to another part of the world.  I found an opportunity in Dubai and sold everything I owned to pay for my plane ticket and put a few dollars in my pocket.  On faith and prayer alone, I found a job and it was there where I first discovered the beauty in Islam.  I found the beliefs coincided with what I had always felt in my heart.  I was also fascinated by the discipline, behaviour and characteristics of the Muslimahs I had worked with and I asked them a lot of questions.  From the very beginning they welcomed me with open arms and I knew I needed in my life what those women possessed.  I fell in love with Islam and in it, I found the answers I had been seeking all of my life.

What inspires you to take a photograph?

When I see something that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy I have a great desire to capture it to share with the world how that subject made me feel.  It is a great tragedy for me to see something so beautiful and have no one to share it with.  However, through photography I feel a great outlet in expressing myself in ways I had never imagined.

What do you really like to photograph?

I love to photograph the sky most of all.  Sometimes the way the clouds move and form really inspire me.  I also feel that the ugliest subject can be made beautiful with an emotional sky.  I also love the way light shines in, around, through and on things.  I hope to learn more about light and shadow photography in shaa Allah.

What do you really hate to photograph?

I do not take photographs of people or anything with a soul.

Where do you see your photography in a year’s time?

I hope in shaa Allah that I will have purchased a more professional camera and learned how to use it to its’ fullest potential.  I am really inspired to learn more and develop this into a serious hobby.

What do you think about the Muslim Female Photographers group on flickr?

I am really grateful to meet such a wonderful group of sisters.  The best thing about this group is that they are, in fact, my sisters.  It is a place where you feel more comfortable and free to ask things like “How’d you do that?!”  I can open up to them, accept criticism, ask questions, learn and grow in this group more than anywhere else.