Sidqi Musa – Nablus – PNN/Exclusive - New communication technology has opened the door to new talents, among them spy camera phone photographers. Many people now are passionate about capturing portraits, landscapes, and social scenes with their mobile phones—two of these artists, Ahmed al-Badh and Arkan al-Aghbar, showcased their work at an exhibit in Nablus called “The Country of My Dreams.”
Ahmed, a student at the Engineering College at al-Najah University in Nablus, began taking pictures two years ago as a hobby, through the lens of his spy camera phone. There were touches of beauty in his pictures, but his ambitions outpaced the quality of picture his phone could produce. He moved to a digital camera, then a more professional one.
“Images carry messages and ideas more than anything else,” said Ahmed. “They are a language that expresses thousands of words, an international language that everyone can understand.”
Ahmed said he will work on his photography until he can take pictures professionally.
As for Arkan, who studies at the Arts College at al-Najah, his story is similar to that of Ahmed. He worked with a spy camera phone for four years, taking candid pictures of his friends and family, who encouraged him to continue with his hobby. He published his best work on Facebook, where he received more encouragement and the advice to work with a more professional cameArkan’s message through his work, he said, was that he was trying to see the beautiful world in Palestine, focusing on nature scenes and landscapes that few people bother to see. He said he was interested in beauty, as opposed to photojournalists, interested in news value.
Both Ahmed and Arkan are members of the “Palestinian Photographers Team,” which includes members from both the West Bank and Gaza.
The show was sponsored by al-Najah University.