JEDDAH — Born and raised in Sakakah, a city in the northwestern region of Saudi Arabia, Amer currently lives in Riyadh. "ASP studio, which means Amer Saad Photography, made a big change in my life. What urged me to build it was my need for a place where I can present art that helps me express myself," he said. Amer believes simplicity is the key. He said it is fundamentally important to maintain the concept of simplicity as long as the content is inspiring. "Mona Liza is a great example that highlights the creativity of Da Vinci." Amer said the studio is also a place that provides an income through different kinds of photo shoots. "I usually offer a different assortment of personal pictures for customers, pictures for commercial use by companies, media and fashion. I thank God for the platform and I am very happy now." Having acquired a medical degree from King Saudi University, he said: "Actually there is no relationship between my field of education and photography. My specialty is in medical laboratory but I like photography since I was a child. "Photography was always an interest and I would collect magazines with fashion photos that I would cut up and hang on my wall. "When the Internet came into existence I started spending a lot of time looking for and expanding my collection of pictures." He bought his first Canon in 2005 and that is when the journey began. "That point was the beginning of my journey in the photography world. At first I had difficulty in operating it but I realized the beginning is all about learning. "We learn from and study other photographers' projects, which is how we learn. In addition, I was following up with their detailed studies, lessons and their explanation through online educational websites. "In 2008, I started to distribute my projects in a professional way through popular portals like Flicker & Divan Art. It was pushing me to continue, improve myself, keep my work up to date by studying comments and of course my friends, who had a huge effect on me," he said. He said his art mostly identifies with drawing and photography "because both of them have a relationship like light and shadow." He enjoys fashion shoots and portraits, and mostly pursues black and white themes, along with minimalistic coloring in his pictures. As advice to aspiring photographers, he said: "I used Canon 5D Mark 2 for five years. Really I always recommend beginners to choose a simple camera (one not complicated in setting). This is true in my opinion for a successful beginning. Use a camera that you understand. So you can deal with settings and know what every icon and option is capable of." Talking about his accomplishments, he said: "On a personal level my involvement in the photography field is an achievement for me. So are getting commercial and advertising projects for famous companies in Saudi Arabia." Amer's dream project is a magazine based in the Gulf with a vision in art that attracts even the younger readers. "My vision is to improve my studio in terms of productivity and enhancing its technological stance. My dream is to shoot photos for the famous fashion shops in my studio." A believer in originality, he said: "Sometimes I do not like imitation (in the art world) I see it in a lot of artists, typically the style they use with lighting and production." Referring to his future, he said: "It's an open ended and puzzling question, but everyday I see myself in a different place and position. One of my dreams as a photographer is to shoot the cover page of GQ or VOUGE."
