With the growing influence of travel and photography in Pakistan, 17-year-old Muhammad Ibrahim J. is an aspiring young photographer AND travel guide. It all started two years ago with an Instagram account which soon blew up and kick-started Ibrahim’s career.
“It was only a few months in, that it gained direction, in terms of promoting and showing a more positive image of the country through my extensive travels and photography,” Ibrahim says.
“One thing led to the other and with photography, combined with having become a tour guide soon after starting the page, I overcame my fear of public interaction and meeting new people by channeling my passion of traveling and photography, using them like a steering force.”
Today, Ibrahim continues to further the aim with which he started the page; expanding into corporate media content production as well as photo-shoots. His vast clientele even includes Google! He also has written travel articles for various publications such as Dawn, Express Tribune and The Nation.
MangoBaaz asked Ibrahim how he achieved what he wanted to do at such a young age. Here’s what he shared:
“Passion has been the lead, I suppose. But encouragement from your close and broader surroundings factors in too. Other than that, hard work and determination are always key. It’s still fairly early on – not to say it hasn’t had its fair share of challenges. Many people are super encouraging when they hear about what I do. Others not so much (though such experiences have been rare, I’m wary of avoiding them). Other than that, since all of it coincides with my passion, it’s always fun and interesting.”
When asked about where his passion for photography and touring stems from, he stated the following:
“The traveling part I’d credit to my adventurous family, looking to go to a new place every time. And the photography I’d credit to the traveling- because it was on my second trip to the Deosai Plateau in Gilgit Baltistan that I finally decided to share my pictures on social media.”
He learned photography off of YouTube and practical work. As for being a tour guide/operator, he has learned from some of the best locally.
His parents are super supportive, too. “They’ve been encouraging throughout, particularly when I started to run tours on my own. They’ve always got my back,” Ibrahim shares.
This is what he had to say about balancing his career and studies:
“Currently, I’m finishing off with my first year of A Levels. It’s actually pretty good. An activity a week in the form of a tour or photography always gets me more motivated and less bored for the week ahead. The balance generally works out well.”
He believes Karachi is the most underrated city
“I don’t think I’ve lived enough to come to a conclusion as to my single favorite place – I may or may not in my lifetime. But there are notable mentions. I believe Karachi is the most underrated city of all the ones I’ve been to or lived in. Each tour starts and ends with changed perspectives. Another place I absolutely love is Naltar in the North. Its dense forests, alpine blue lakes, ski slopes, and potato fields present a gorgeous landscape.”
How does he ensure standing out from the crowd?
“Much of it till now has been associated with the purpose of the page, which has – somewhat – put me in a different niche,” he shares. “Although, I’d be glad to see more people getting into it because with promoting the country through documenting your travels, we all gain something. Otherwise, I’m always friendly and try to get clients to get to know me and be comfortable before we proceed to work. That again isn’t necessarily unique but I do value it very much with all my experience.”
We asked him to give us a few tips on how to capture the “perfect picture”
“That’s a tough one,” he states. “I’d say it’s not easy to call a picture bad anymore given how easy it is getting to take a good picture. It’s more about your perspective now and how you differentiate it from someone else’s picture taken at the same spot of the same person/building/landscape. Landscape photography can’t be rushed and you have to be patient about it. As for photo-shoots, it’s important to take away any unnecessary pressure by conversing with the client and capturing natural photographs.”
Want to start a photography blog but are a bit hesitant? Well, he has some advice:
“Go for it! No other way about it. Honestly, it’s something that’s expressive while being increasingly accessible, with pretty much every phone having a decent enough camera to churn out fun pictures. If you’ve got the ‘eye’ for it or even a basic interest, start doing it. Social media, particularly Instagram, is a great place for feedback and encouragement, as well as to learn from a vast, growing community.”
I personally feel Ibrahim is absolutely kicking ass at what he’s dabbled in and here’s hoping he keeps climbing the ladder of success. What do you think about him and his talent? Let us know in the comments.
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