How does this sound? An Automobile Engineer by academics and profession and now a Senior Animation and Photography Academic instructor at Frameboxx School of Animation and VFX!!! And you can call this person a creative maestro in the field of photography too! I’m pointing towards Aslam Saiyad, a passionate learner who believes in getting inspired and then inspire!
Currently holding the position of the West Area Technical Head at Frameboxx, Aslam has had creative encounters in the field of animation and visual effects. During his working days as an automobile engineer at a corporate, Aslam happened to visit an animation institute and got very much interested to explore this field and this led him to switch his career completely to Animation by pursuing a diploma course in animation from Gemini Studios.
And the creative journey of Aslam didn’t end with the completion of his animation course!! He believed in setting examples and it shows out well as he was one of the exhibitors at Bollywood movie Dhobhi Ghat Photo exhibition and the second Indian to awarded scholarship to participate photography event sponsored by Sony WPO and Changing Ideas, conducted by award wining photographer Jonathan Torgovnik and Kate Edwards, picture editor at The Guardian Weekend Magazine.
Now one important thing that drives Aslam to the core is ‘Photography’ and to inform you all, he’s captured attention at National Geographic Photography contest ‘WINNING SHOTS GALLERIES’ in 2010 and come out as a winner for his photography portraying Indian culture.
Speaking to AnimationXpress.com’s Zeenia Boatwala about the photograph selected at NATGEO Contest held in 2010, Aslam Saiyad, shares, “I feel so happy to share that my photograph came out as a winning one at this prestigious contest! I submitted my photography in the people’s category and this win pushed my confidence to a new level.”
According to Aslam, the reflection aspect of this photograph has made it to win at NATGEO Contest. He adds further, “I love to photograph culture, people, emotions, history and I feel these photographs leave an aesthetic impression.”
Aslam’s interest lies in bringing out documentary photography, environmental portraiture, and editorial photography and he carries out photography for NGO’s and considers that his photographs should posses’ value creation factor!
Aslam adds, “I want my photographs to inspire and create awareness and this is my main focus when I’m clicking a photograph.”
Way back in 2011, Aslam had also participated in a 10 day workshop organized by the world photography organization and photographed street children for this project. He was fortunate enough that his pictures were demonstrated at fund raising Dinner for Future Hope NGO at Rugby Hall, London.
When talking about photography from the animation and vfx point of view, Aslam feels that any animator or vfx artist should understand the fundamental need of ‘staging’ and then they would be able to click better photos.
Another achievement in Aslam’s kitty was that he successfully grabbed the place as one of the top 23 photographers of the world at Magnum Mentorship Program, which was conducted by the Singapore International Photography Festival. Though the criterion of this mentorship program was calling out to international photographers with a high level of photographic aptitude, Aslam’s photography matched the international standards and impressed by this the team at Magnum roped him for this program.
Speaking on this experience, Aslam states, “All participants were to receive three months of lessons from three Magnum Photographers followed by a week full of one to one’s at Singapore. I got a chance to meet participants from different countries like France, Italy, Germany, Japan, Thailand, and Indonesia and Singapore. Every participant was distinct and had a great body of work. My Mentor at the program was the great Stuart Franklin. I was overwhelmed and very happy to see so much of importance being given to Photography and photographers in Singapore.”
Pointing out towards the crucial aspects that should be noted with photographing, Aslam shares his views by saying, “There are two major areas which need a deep thought with the first one being the story! I believe each photograph is a unique story telling in its own way and the second one is lighting which gives out the message of the mood that the story is set in.”
Very recently Aslam has finished work on an NATGEO documentary which was completely shot in Kashmir and Aslam rates this project as one of the toughest projects that he has met with, he says, “This project is based on worlds most difficult railway project. As Kashmir railway is getting constructed in the Himalayas, we faced most difficult challenges like shooting the documentary in intense weather conditions which include zero degree temperatures, rains, snow fall, landslides with passing the tallest bridge in the world and the longest tunnel in India.”
Aslam wants to keep trying his photography skills in various genres and bring out something that is aesthetically sound as well as humane.
“I believe grasping knowledge about the environments, and situations and latest happenings to focus on getting a right click.” concludes, Aslam.