It is said that photography is a love affair with life, and the best images are the ones that retain their strength and impact over the years, regardless of the number of times they are viewed. Love affairs are passionate and fervent, and are when a person gives their full potential. Photography is the same. Photographers see their subjects in a completely different light, and want to capture a story or a beautiful form. They are keen observers, and leave viewers with a changed perspective after having seen their pictures. Thamer Al-Tassan is a photographer with a unique perspective. He knows how to capture an object's beauty. Though he describes himself as an amateur photographer, his work speaks otherwise. Al-Tassan, 33, is a Riyadh-born Saudi photographer who lived in Jeddah as a youngster and was raised in the United States. He studied Management Information Systems at the University of Tampa and currently works as a Social Media Manager at a Saudi Bank. Al-Tassan found living in the US fun and reminisces playing arcade games and “unforgettable times” at Daytona Beach. Al-Tassan was interested in art at a young age but could not draw. “I saw photography as a suitable way to express my artistic vision. At the age of 22 when I was studying in the US there was a beautiful building at the University of Tampa that was designed in an Islamic fashion. It helped me start this passion and craft my vision,” he added. Thamer is well known in the Kingdom as a photographer who specializes in reflection. “Reflection is my main theme. It helps me present a unique view of daily objects that normal people don't notice. I focus more on beautiful angles since I mostly photograph architecture,” he said. His other passion is traveling around the world and taking unique and striking pictures. “I used to travel a lot and I saw this as an opportunity to photograph popular places from unique angles. With work, I have limited time to seek enough inspiration locally, but I manage to capture some interesting views,” he said. After five years of photography experience ad seeing his work appear in several publications in the US, Europe and the Middle East, Al-Tassan was awarded the “Travel Digital Photographer” title by Digital Photographer Magazine UK in 2009. He, however, continues calling himself an amateur photographer. “Because I do this as a hobby and not as a profession … Saudi Arabia is very photogenic, especially for foreigners,” he said, adding, “I've managed to capture some interesting views of Riyadh, but there is more to be discovered.” Al-Tassan's family has always been supportive of his work. “They tried to encourage me to become a pro, but that was not something I was interested in,” he said, adding that he, like other people, has struggled in his professional work. “Security guards are my real struggle, since they can stop me photographing a beautiful building,” he said. “I haven't lately had enough time for photography, but I do capture what interests me when traveling … My next focus is on mobile photography. I want to focus on expressing my artistic vision without the need to worry about technical details,” he said. Advising budding photographers, he said, “I would advise them to focus more on the artistic side of photography instead of the technical aspects. Learn the rules of composition, practice them, master them and then break them.”
Thamer Al-Tassan's mesmerizing work can be seen on his website www.thameraltassan.com, or Instagram and via his twitter feed @altassan
