Qamar Hashim looks like any other 8-year-old. But the cute Iraqi lad has a unique talent of his own – he’s a national celebrity for his photography skills.
Qamar is the youngest certified photographer in Iraq. He has several beautiful photographs to his credit, many of which have been displayed in prominent exhibits in Baghdad. He showed interest in the art and began to take pictures at the age of four. At the time he was only imitating his father who is a photo journalist. He started by taking pictures of the Tigris river, birds, old houses, and places of historical importance. While Qamar’s father does not permit him to photograph violent happenings in the city, he did manage to make his way through security detail once, and took a picture of the Mayor of Baghdad. After this incident, the government official presented him with his very first digital camera. In his sweet, innocent child’s voice, he tells reporters, “When I see something I like, I look at it through my lens, zoom in if it’s far away and click. As for my height, I am not short, I can reach.” He says that the biggest difficulty he faces is when the camera runs out of battery.
Photo © REUTERS/Thaier al-Sudani
According to Qamar, photography is very important because it “documents life and pauses time.” He likes being able to show the city and the life of the people. Especially about his homeland, he says that he wants to show through his pictures that Iraq is precious and Iraqis are very kind. He believes the country is peaceful and has a great history. The young photographer hopes to become a child-activist when he grows up. Of all the pictures he’s taken so far, Qamar’s favorites are those of a sleeping bookseller and a bee on a rose. He says he had to run a lot behind the bee to capture the shot.
Photo © Qamar Hashim
Qamar hopes to see a flourishing Iraq in the future, and his family owning a house someday.
Photo © Qamar Hashim
via Reuters
