Photography workshop by Bangladeshi Photographer Omi

News Beaconhouse National University, Madanjeet Singh Institute for South Asian Art (MISAA), Lahore - 10th May 2010

This was a really wonderful experience. Omi is going to help us with networking across South Asia. We were able to carry out a really excellent workshop because we had the funding from you. We HAD to purchase certain workshop requirements also which we did NOT have at BNU from MISAA funds. These will come in useful when he returns in Spring.

Prof. Salima Hashmi, Beaconhouse National University (BNU)

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A workshop on South Asian Documentary Photography

Conducted by Khandoker Saiful Huq (Omi)( Bangladesh)
Funded by South Asia Foundation [MISAA] as a pilot project.

Duration - 6th - 13th of April 2010 (1 week)
Venue - Beaconhouse National University (Tarogil campus)
Exhibition at Alhamra Arts Council, Lahore Art Gallery

About Mr K.Saiful Huq Omi

Mr Huq currently works as a contract photographer for the New York Times and is represented by Polaris Images. His work has been published in Arab News, Asian Photography, Foto File USA, the Guardian, New Internationalist, the New York Times, Newsweek and Time. Omi’s first book, Heroes Never Die: Tales of Political Violence in Bangladesh, 1989-2005, was published in 2006.

Omi has presented lectures on his photography at numerous institutions including Columbia University, the London School of Economics and Political Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Rochester Institute of Technology, and Stanford University. He has exhibited his Omi currently works as a contract photographer for the New York Times and is represented by Polaris Images. His work has been published in Arab News, Asian Photography, Foto File USA, the Guardian, New Internationalist, the New York Times, Newsweek and Time. Omi’s first book, Heroes Never Die: Tales of Political Violence in Bangladesh, 1989-2005, was published in 2006.

Omi has presented lectures on his photography at numerous institutions including Columbia University, the London School of Economics and Political Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Rochester Institute of Technology, and Stanford University. He has exhibited works vastly worldwide.
Omi received an award from the National Geographic All Roads Photography Program for his work on political violence in Bangladesh in 2006; and was a finalist in 2009 for the Aftermath Project and Alexia grants in 2009, and 2010.His most recent achievement has been the Magnum Emergency Award Fund for his Rohingya project.

It is thanks to the facilitation of MISAA and Ambassador Madanjeet Singh that such a distinguished photographer could visit BNU.

About the Workshop

The workshop began with an introduction to documentary photography. A vast range of photo stories by Bangladeshi photographers were viewed allowing the students to absorb the subject with a sound vocabulary of photography from South East Asia. The aesthetics and technique of the subject were discussed thoroughly. Mr. Huq also shared his own work and the stories with them in detail.

		During the second quarter of the workshop, students brought their existing photographic work for a portfolio review by Mr. Huq. The second half of the workshop consisted of Mr. Huq helping the students to choose their subject matter, and learn methods of research for a photo essay, shoot, and edit their photos to make a final photo essay effectively. As a result, the students spent four days photographing their subject matter and we collected together once at the end of the day and reviewed works of the students and learning and understanding the skills of stitching a photo story together. This exciting project attracted many eager learners from outside of the institute as well as some recent BNU graduates. Mr. Haq has agreed to return to BNU to teach for one full semester next year, so that a larger number of students can participate. This will then become part of the regular photography course at SVA/BNU.

K.Saiful Huq Omi and Nashmia Haroon with students after a day` shoot		The Alhmara Arts Council, Lahore Art Gallery

Prof. Salima Hashmi reviewing works on display		Koshal Hamal (Nepal) 3rd year student, next to his work