American Bedu

It is great pleasure that American Bedu has the opportunity to interview talented Saudi photographer and writer, Mohsen al-Dajani.

Q1: Mohsen to begin with, please share how you discovered photography? How old were you when you first started taking photos? What kind of equipment did you first use? How has technology impacted on the way you take photos today?

-         I was born and raised close to nature before I had to leave to the big cities after I completed my high school. After years, I begin to miss my old life and decided to return to the wild with every opportunity I have. Going back to the wild and enjoying those peaceful moments and beautiful places, I returned home with great memories. Eventually, I chose photography to record those moments to share it with my family and friends. So, photography comes second for me, it is my passion in the outdoor that brought me to photography.

When I started photography, my first photos were not able to reflect the true image I saw, then I realized that owning a camera was not enough, photography is more than that. I engaged in learning photography to meet that challenge, mainly through self-study, reading nature photography books like John Shaw, Joe Cornish, Ansel Adams books, and other western masters. My first amateur camera was Canon Elan 7 about 9 years ago and that time I was 28 years old. After I got good grasp of the basic theory and practice in photography, I bought my first pro level camera, the Nikon F6, another film camera which I used in making most of the images in my book Taif: Eden of Arabia. I moved toward digital about 18 month ago with Nikon D3, a very sophisticated camera. Digital technology gives the photographer more freedom to experiment, and allows him to become more creative because he won’t be worried about the cost of developing his film. However, that doesn’t come without cost, for instance the time photographer spends in front of his computer becomes more. The debate between digital vs. film photography was a hot issue in photography for the past 10 years and the Internet is full of such discussions. Personally, when it comes to making serious work, I lean toward film more, the look of those well photographed slides is unmatched in my opinion, and it suites my field (nature and landscape photography) more than digital.

Q2: At what point did you begin to get the idea of creating a table top book with photos about Taif? And why Taif?

After I receive my slides from the lab, I used to spend time looking at them, for analysis and the mere joy of looking at them, and every time I ended with a wish that if people just know about the beauty in Taif. With time and as my collection increased, I decided to translate my desire through a book to make the public aware about Taif and its diverse landscapes. Those fine images can not be showed well through traditional book but through an art book which are large and well printed.

Taif is different because it does have many wonderful places and ancient sites that can be showed in a book and I think my book is the only one in the kingdom that focuses on such subjects for a single city rather than the whole country.

Q3: What was the most challenging photo you have ever taken? And why was the particular photo a challenge?

-         Honestly, the most challenging ones to me may seem the easiest for many people and I will tell how. I have no interest when it comes to photographing people, in fact, quite the contrary, anything that is man-made should not appear in my photo. But when I start working on Taif’s book, there was a need to photograph people like those who work in the Rose making or those who sell the old stuff in the old market. In general, people here in the kingdom are very sensitive toward camera, and because I have no experience in this field it was difficult for me to approach those people to take their photos. However, by the end of Taif book, I have gained and build some good techniques to overcome such difficulties. For instance, entering a long conversation with the one you want to photograph is good to gain his confidence, and make him more relax and I found that when I tell people about my project they become so helpful and many asked me to send them a copy of the book when it finish. Now, I have about 4 copies ready to be sent to those people who appeared in my book.

Q4: which is your favorite photo in Taif: Eden of Arabia?

-         The mangrove tree which appeared on the front flap and bigger on another page at the end of the book. Not only because it looks so beautiful but because it brings back my excitement experiences when I first saw it. You won’t believe me if I tell that I spend nearly half day near that tree only to photograph it the way I draw its image in my mind. I shot that tree in the spring of 2005, and when I returned to the same spot three years later, I was astonished to find it still there…life, and facing those countless waves of the Red Sea. By the coast of that place, I remember that I didn’t see a single car for the whole day, only me, some sea birds, and those trees spreading along the coast. The fresh and cool breezes were bathing my body and soul.

Q5: how long did it take to produce Taif: Eden of Arabia?  

-         Five years. Three years photographing its different places, one year researching, writing, and editing the manuscript, and the last year was designing & printing the book. It took that long especially in photographing Taif because I was so selective for my subjects. Sometimes, I travel only to locate my subjects, decide which is the best time of day or even year to photograph, to return later to the same spot well prepared. Landscape photography is all about light, so if you reach the scene in the wrong time of the day, you won’t be able to get its best picture. Many times, I leave my home, heading toward a place I knew before…only to get a single shot of it. I tried my best to make this book a masterpiece in every aspect, text, images, design, and print.

Q6: You’ve captured through your photos how Taif is such a diverse city with many faces and so much beauty. Do you have plans for additional books about other locations in Saudi Arabia? What other cities or regions would you like to photo and why?

-         My journey won’t end up by producing Taif’s book, in fact, it started with it. I am already half way through producing another book about Riyadh. I am thinking also about producing similar books for Tabuk and another one for the southern region. I believe these two places has some interesting sites that didn’t appear in a any publication before.

Q7: On the personal side, you say you grew up Bedouin and used to sleep under the open sky. I’m sure many readers of American Bedu dream of such an opportunity. Can you share more? Where did you grew up? What was it like sleeping under the open sky in the desert? What are the different faces of the desert that only an “insider” or Bedu can see?

-         Well, it is all about the simple life, no distractions, crowd, or stress. Spending time with yourself is becoming difficult these days. Some think that there is nothing in the desert, but I think that what is great about it. The first thing one will gain when she or he escapes to the desert or the remote places is the finding of oneself. There are things that you cannot see today unless you leave the cities and go wild. Let me ask you and your readers here…when was the last time you saw stars? Or enjoy the moonlight during a quite night? Or more, saw the horizon? I feel that our life in the city is like living in a big jail.

Q8: Do you think growing up Bedu gave you a greater appreciation of natural beauty and greater awareness of the Kingdom’s natural treasures?

-         That’s true. From my childhood and now (about 35 year) I can notice a huge difference in our natural environment. I used to see rich wildlife in the countryside, such as groups of gazelles, rabbits, bustard, hubara, eagles, and many other species of birds and plants. Now, there is nearly nothing and that due to the uncontrolled hunting, during an era of lack of awareness of the value of our wildlife and natural environment. I agree that during my teenage years I used to go hunting with my brothers and cosines, but after I get good education, I became more aware about our natural treasures, and this is why I replaced my rifle with a camera.

Q9: What do you think is the greatest misimpression foreigners have of Saudi Arabia and why?

-         A desert land floating over a sea of oil. That is what the majority think about Saudi Arabia in my opinion, and I believe we contributed to solidify such impression. No one knows our country better than us, so we should highlight our rich and unique cultural and heritage to foreigners more. Another problem is that there is kind of ignorance when it comes to the far regions and those smaller cities in the kingdom. For instance, many historical sites begin to deteriorate in Taif, and when we compare the efforts to preserve old sites in Riyadh or Jeddah compared to Taif, Abha, or Tabuk, we can see huge gab between them.

Q10: What impression do you want readers to take away from Taif: Eden of Arabia?

-         Not all of Saudi Arabia is harsh desert, there are many hidden places and corners that needs to be discovered and Taif is a good example.

Q11: If one is not in Saudi Arabia and wants a copy of your book, how can he or she obtain it?

-         He can order his copy through my website and it will reach him by air mail. Making this book available on Amazon is something that I starve for but I am facing couple of difficulties which I hope to overcome in the near future.

Q12: Do you have a web site?

Yes I do, though not completely done but I am working currently on this one (www.mohsenaldajani.com).

Q13: Are there any final comments you’d like to add?

I would like to thank you personally Carol for this interview, and would like also to invite your readers to have a look at Taif: Eden of Arabia, and I promise them that they will see very different book. Thanks again and keep up the good work on Americanbedu.

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