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

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.