Mohammad Jasem Alwazzan: “Photography has evolved over the years and will continue to do so”

Every year, you see digital camera companies coming up with new models. Considering it’s the photographer’s eye that captures an image, why do you think there’s so much craze to buy the latest camera in the market? According to Mohammad Jasem Alwazzan, it’s the upgrade in technology in the cameras that attract the attention of photographers. Alwazzan is a Kuwaiti photographer known for his food and travel photographs. He has been in this profession for more than 24 years. You can catch a glimpse of some of his finest works on https://www.facebook.com/mjalwazzan and Instagram @MohamedAlwazzan.

From polarized to mirrorless cameras, Alwazzan says that photography technology has changed a lot in the last couple of decades. Whether it’s the speed of processing photos, pixels, quality of lenses, or even editing photos, photographers now have better facilities to take stunning shots than photographers of the past.

Advent of DSLR cameras

The advent of DSLR cameras turned the lives of photographers for the better. Earlier, you had to know the science behind photography to use an SLR camera. Moreover, you had to take shots on reel films. There was no option to delete a photo from the camera’s memory card and take a similar shot again. You had one chance to take a perfect shot.

Alwazzan, who started his photography career in 1996, has seen this transition from SLR to DSLR happen in front of his eyes. In fact, he started taking photos with a Canon camera when he first started. He used Canon cameras for 19 years.

Initially, he did have to use a traditional SLR camera before moving to a digital SLR in the latter half of 2000. But after comparing the features and functions of the Sony A7R and his Canon camera, Alwazzan decided to go with the Sony A7R in 2015. Why? Because of the advanced technology that Sony offered in its A7 range compared to Canon’s models. He now uses a Sony A7RIV that released quite recently. 

This shows that nothing is permanent in the field of photography. You never know whether the latest DSLR in the market right now would have any value 10 or 15 years later. But one of the advantages of this evolving technology is the rise of tons of professional photographers. Many people are now buying DSLRs and learning photography on their own by experimenting with their cameras. Back in the day when Alwazzan started his career, he had to do photography and Photoshop courses to learn the tricks to take amazing photos.

Photo editing

Photo editing was Greek to all photographers before the era of Adobe Photoshop. You only had to rely on the photo you received after developing the film. The only editing you could do was cut photos and create collages manually. Now, it’s a different game altogether with tons of photo editing tools where you can add, delete, or even change the lighting of a photo step by step. Again, this has made photography easier than before.

Alwazzan, though, doesn’t believe in editing a lot. He thinks that editing is manipulating a photograph. But that doesn’t restrict him from taking some stunning shots. He does a few touch-ups to enhance the beauty of his photographs.

Photography in 2020 is child’s play for many, thanks to the advanced cameras that exist these days. Had it been 1990, you may have had to scratch your head thinking of which button to press on the camera to shoot a perfect picture.