INTERVIEW with Mohammad Kamal
Carmela Loiacono talks with Mohammad Kamal who takes part in the International Art Exhibition NATURAL FLOW – Exploring water’s essence in Matera, at cultural hypogeum Lega Navale Italiana Matera-Magna Grecia.

Carmela Loiacono – Please introduce yourself and talk about the selected artworks: “Contemplation”, “Morning Stillness” and “Mosque after rain” you presented during the exhibition NATURAL FLOW – Exploring water’s essence. 
Mohammad Kamal – Thank you for interviewing me! I am a landscape and portraiture photographer based in Dubai. Photography has been quite a journey for the past 10 years, and a source of creative fullfilment, physical and mental challenge, and a conduit for expression. I don’t do it for a living, and that’s probably a good thing as it has never crossed over into the realm of work, which I believe really affects the creative decisions available to you.
In terms of the works displayed at Natural Flow, you could say that “Contemplation” is a meditation on the unseen power of the mind, not through might, but through stillness. The sadhu’s gaze into the waters is about the quiet, unseen power of thought. The juxtaposition of spiritual traditions in the background (the temples and mosque on the hill top) brings out the universality of the moment. He is almost a vessel of something far greater; the frame holds a moment where time, faith, and thought converge—and in that convergence, a quiet authority emerges.
“Morning Stillness” holds far less symbolic value to me. The location is somewhat of a guarded secret that few guides will take you to. The subjects were arranged and posed for the shot. It’s really just a visual piece that has dream-like qualities, thanks to the type of light we had that morning, the mist in the background, and the reflection in water. It looks like one of those typical, traditional paintings from classical Chinese art.
“Mosque After Rain” is a well-kown composition here in the UAE, as it makes use of a shallow architectural feature in the foreground that collects rain water, and creates a reflection of the grand structure far in the background. I kept my gear on hand in the car for weeks as I drove past it every day towards my office. Finally, on a rare rainy afternoon, I rushed out to the spot and made it in time to capture the combination of dramatic sunset light, undisturbed water in the forground, and no cars driving by, for about 30 seconds. The months-long wait was worth it I think!

Carmela Loiacono – How would you describe your creative process? What or who influenced or is influencing your work?
Mohammad Kamal – I usually start with a blank slate and try to find locations or groups of people that may have interesting stories to capture. Social media is a great place to start, and sometimes I just pull up a world map and just scan across and see if any location or country has something about it that I would like to explore photographically. I’ve recently been making light use of AI to gather information about remote communities and under-photographed groups that could make for good, unique subject matter.
At exhibitions, I often meet photographers and enthusiasts who suggest ideas to me and at times those really open up entirely new directions that I had never considered before. I was exhibiting my large scale landscape prints in Sharjah, UAE, when a renowned photographer suggested I look at the monasteries in Meteora, Greece, because of the breathtaking natural setting surrounding them. 
That led me down a rabbit hole of exploring themes to do with monastic life and evetually spending time with the monks in a similar but far less accessible location, Mount Athos, and producing a documentary portraiture series about them. 
In my research, I came across a Youtube video of a documentary film made in the 1980s about the monasteries, and I took note of some obscure spaces that I was hoping were still around, including the ‘skull library’ shown here. Amazingly, we managed to locate it, and from that a unique and striking composition emerged. Some of the monks featured in the documentary from 40 years ago were still there. I recognized them instantly, and ended up spending invaluable time with them. So the lesson I learned from all this is that listening to input from anyone willing to share it is an invaluable way to find fresh ideas.
When I’ve got the basic theme or idea decided, I do a bit of planning, but leave a lot to be decided on the spot and on location. Some of my favorite images came about while responding to how the elements in the frame were behaving while I was shooting, rather than trying to force a composition. That to me is the best part of the whole process; discovering your subjects as you go along. It’s great to work with location guides and fixers who understand photographers and can draw my attention to something I would otherwise miss. 

Carmela Loiacono – What do you think about shared art on social media? Could it be an alternative way of communicating contemporary art?
Mohammad Kamal – It’s a great place to discover art, but nothing beats seeing quality prints on a gallery wall. I really like watching informed hosts interview or showcase great work on social media; it’s great exposure for emerging artists. 

Carmela Loiacono – What are your future goals and/or projects?
Mohammad Kamal – Artifical Intelligence is taking art and specifically photography, in a very interesting direction. On the one hand, hardward and software will change dramatically, making the entire workflow completely different. From focus acquisition and stacking to dynamic range and even composition, everything looks like it will make huge forward leaps very soon. 
On the other hand, AI is generating imagery that is arguably superior in impact to traditional landscape work, and that brings into question the relevance of authenticity; does it matter if a grand vista actually exists or not? I already feel like working with my DSLR camera, which I havent upgraded in almost 8 years, is now some form of retro/old school art, only a few years away from being consigned to the same niche categorization as film photography. 
I’ll probably spend some time figuring out how the medium reains relevant in the long run, and how I can adapt to all the changes. I’ve also found it increasingly difficult to find uniqie subject matter that someone hasn’t done before. Nevertheless, there’s an infinite number of ways to interpret a theme or idea, and that’s a good thing. I’m looking at locations such as the Algerian desert, Pakistan, and Mongolia for my next project.