They say travel broadens one’s view of the world. Travel and Photography are two of my greatest passions. Through my photography I seek to document my personal experiences by capturing scenes and events as I see them and to share with others the beauty and diversity of this world.
I started with a Yashica Electro35 camera - a real boost to photography during my school days. I learned the basics of photography from magazines and started collecting photographs clipped from magazines to make a scrapbook that would inspire me. In college, a few years later, I bought a used Canon A1 and started experimenting on special effect photography with its multi-exposure feature. I also started covering events like friends’ weddings etc.
When I moved to the Middle East for work, I was exposed to the latest in photography gears and gadgets. I gradually ended up buying a Canon EOS 50D DSLR and lenses from wide and all the way up to 500mm, macro etc.
I travel a lot for my business - to Asia, Far East and Africa. I devote a lot time for photography in these places and my library of image files is growing substantial. Nature and landscapes are my all time favorite subjects. I am fascinated by buildings, architecture and interiors. I do some portraits also. I started archiving my photos - a digital library of my photography called “iShots” which I will be publishing soon. I am also preparing for a photography exhibition of my work; as a long term plan I want to start a photography institute and encourage budding generations of shooters.
A few years back I joined Pixetra Club and am a regular participant in their workshops and events – I learnt a lot from the Interior Photography Workshop in Kochi by Mr. Sethuraman and from Bird and Nature Photography Workshop in Hyderabad by Ms. Rathika Ramasamy - both were amazing learning opportunities.
Some of my photos are uploaded at photo.net - see http://photo.net/photos/nizar.
Blue neon streaks of a Ferris wheel captured by slow-shutter speed against the Sharjah skyline, a lonely aircraft silhouetted against a looming silver moon made large by a long telephoto lens, a tethered boat bobbing on still backwaters against an evening sky made ethereal and sulfuric by digital white-balance manipulation, a hennaed hand holding a beautiful bubble in its palm – an inverted universe refracted in it as it were, a macro-lens hibiscus stamen contrasting its red petal surroundings like a golden filigree ring on a bride's hand. Umer Nizar’s images catch your eyes by their simplicity first and then make you wonder why you are captivated.
