An interview with Dubai based commercial & architectural photographer Ruksana Hussain

“The interior and architectural scene like in UAE is thriving, I would say. We have a great mix of local, home-grown designers and architects, both foreigners as well as Emirati. As a result, I would say the scene is quite cosmopolitan, and it is a very close-knit community of supporters as well.”

I'm excited to be talking with the very talented Ruksana Hussain for this week's interview.

Ruksana is a Canadian photographer based in Dubai, UAE.

She started out as a freelance commercial photographer in 2013, specialising in lifestyle & editorial photography, and progressed into interiors and architectural photography.

She is influenced by the existing light in the environment, and its delicate interaction with the built space and its environment. She strives to take images that capture a sense of belonging for the space.

Hi Ruksana, I hope all is safe and well with you and many thanks for taking the time to share with our community. 

Can I congratulate you on a superb portfolio, I love the striking impact you achieve in your work.

Hi Pete. First of all, thank you so much for having me on this fantastic platform and community that you have built since lockdown.

Can I just say it is incredibly humbling and inspiring to be included with such a diverse group of talented photographers from all over the world.

Seriously the pleasure is all mine. I’ve been an admirer of your work for sometime and I noticed you jumped on board pretty quickly at the start of M.mode, so thank you!

Let's start with the here and now. Can you tell us what has been keeping you occupied recently throughout 2020 and what your plans for 2021?

Well, lockdown was a surprise and a half. I had a few projects in the pipeline, literally a week before and it all went to naught. When lockdown measures were eased, somehow a lot of the clients didn’t have the budget anymore, or their budget was being channelled in other company-saving measures, which means I had to keep busy with other things. On the positive side, this meant I could immerse myself in tutorials, update my website, and work on some personal projects.

For 2021, my role is strictly to continue to be better than I was in 2020.. photographically as a profession, for e.g., trying to figure out how to market myself more to potential clients, as this is something I struggle with. 

This is something I certainly struggle with.

It will be interesting to see how we all progress with 2021 and beyond….will we really have learnt anything or revert back to old ways. Only time will tell I suppose.

Could you tell us a bit more about your past, your ethos and how you approach your work currently?

I am what you would call an accidental interiors / architectural photographer, as I have only started taking it seriously around 2019. I started out as a commercial lifestyle photographer around 7 years ago, and this would lead to requests to shoot hotels and their interiors.

I wasn’t really aware of the serious talent that was in this genre, nor was I aware of how soothing and calming the whole process was compared the other genres, until I started diving deep into the community of architectural photography as a whole. So you could say I was late to the party, but that also means I have a lot more resources available to learn from as so many of my peers have paved the way and led the standards.

The years I have spent perfecting my techniques in other genres have made it easier for me to understand how to capture the light, and apply it to this field as well. I feel this is something I am constantly learning.

It is interesting when people cross boundaries and genres that they bring with them fresh eyes, perspectives and skills. I’m finding that my interior work is certainly becoming more architectural based, especially with my composition…I’m not sure if that is a good or bad thing.

As photography and especially imagery is sort after and in high demand right now, where do you see the future of photography heading, not only in our genre but as a whole?

As a whole, stills in photography is not going to go away. Yes, the gear, technology, and processing softwares are always improving, which means we as photographers are getting better and more refined at it, but since these new improvements are also being accompanied by more creative performances and platforms that promote our profession to a larger global audience, I can only see it as evolving into a more unique vision of art in itself.

What is the interior and architectural scene like in UAE? Is this where do you do most of your work?

The interior and architectural scene like in UAE is thriving, I would say. We have a great mix of local, home-grown designers and architects, both foreigners as well as Emirati. As a result, I would say the scene is quite cosmopolitan, and it is a very close-knit community of supporters as well.

Outsiders from UAE hear more about the popular flashy new hotels and buildings that pop up as they get a lot of press coverage, but it must be noted that we have a lot of unique projects by the talents here that focus on sustainability, local materials to reflect the culture and heritage, as well as architecture that caters to a more international audience. 

I mean you’re at the heart of it all aren’t you. Must be such a surreal place to live and work. I’ve only ever done stops overs at the airport and never venture outside….you’ll have to show me around when I take the plunge!

As a photography community we love a bit of gear talk, could you tell us what equipment you have in your bag and enlighten those who aren't familiar a little bit more about your process.

I try to limit what I carry, as I don’t always have an assistant so I try to keep it minimal. I have the usual suspects which are Canon’s tilt shifts (17, 24), a 1.4x extender, 24-70 and my 5DS.. I also have a tripod and a remote. I love shooting tethered, but sometimes I don’t have the luxury of time. 

Perfect and simple…I love it!

Do you feel that you're happy with the work you produce or do you suffer from 'Imposter Syndrome'? This is something I've been discussing with others recently and I'm not alone...

I definitely go through Impostor Syndrome often. But I’ve now accepted that this is something that exists amongst all creatives, even if we don’t talk about it as openly. Perhaps the serious nature of the profession dictates that. 

I’ve also learnt that our creative vision is our unique superpower, so it’s normal to have some good days and some bad days and accept the fact that we may not have a portfolio piece from every single project (but I swear if I was allowed more time, I am convinced I would!)

As my own personal work progresses, I look around at others work and see so much incredible work! Do you have any advice for keeping motivated and pushing yourself forward?

Definitely have your “tribe” as I find seeing others’ work and their hustle motivates me to learn from them. I have noticed that architectural and interior photographers are a very close-knit supportive bunch, especially with communities like M.Mode, AP Almanac, Shifter, Women Arch Photographers, Grove Studio. 

I didn’t find this in my other genres, so I love studying their work and supporting them. I have more expectations from my own work, than from others’ work, so I guess this has helped me stay motivated.

I love watching documentaries and studying from other architecture photographers’ work, so they are great to immerse myself with.

Well your work certainly stands out from the crowd and makes an impact. It did on me.

Where do you draw your inspiration from and how do you go about creating your stylised look?

I don’t think I have a stylized look per se, but my clients do tell me they love how I have the play of light and shadows in my work. My inspiration is definitely from a lot of contemporary photography that I am exposed to, as well as from other genres of photography like lifestyle photography since that is my background. I definitely like a lived in look for my images.  

Do you have a favourite thing you like to shoot and why?

I love to shoot anything where the light and shadows complement the design or architecture.  It can be as simple as a textured wall. I’ll observe how the light interacts with it or reflects it, and I may try to highlight that. My goal has always been to capture the light and shadows, while the complementary pieces that go with them are simply the buildings or the design.

Who doesn’t love a good old fashioned shadow and highlight architectural image.

What would say the highlight of your career would be to this point?

Oh gosh, I don’t think I have one yet. I’m still new to this, so a long way to go still to mention any highlights. I do know that I have enjoyed every project from big ones to small ones, and I am lucky that my clients trust me their work with my vision.

I got a Christmas gift of Julius’ Shulman Modernism Rediscovered, I was happy as a clam when I receive that, can that be a highlight?! Haha

Definitely, I’d take that.

Do you have any favourite photographers that inspire you and anyone you think we should be keeping an eye out for?

So many. I love the works of Joe Fletcher, Andy MacPherson, Sergey Krasyuk, Nicole Franzen, Lisa Petrole, Jean Bai, Laure Joliet, Melissa Kelsey, Fernando Guerrera, Mikey Schwartz, Mike Kelley, Simon Devitt, Art Sanchez (video work is so beautiful) Aubrie Pick and Douglas Friedman (I love how both of them successfully delve into other genres)….  the list goes on and on. 

Great list, so many talented and familiar photographers….a few M-mode takeovers in there I see. Perhaps we can go through the whole list!

Lastly, what has been your favourite takeaway in all the lockdowns?

Slow down, and study the light :). It’s not the end of the world! I also realized I need to look towards the business side of photography more, be it finances or marketing. I need to organize my administrative side better, as these are also challenges for me… I realize other people may take this for granted, but I either need to hire an agent, or just get better at doing it myself. 

A huge thanks to Ruksana for giving up her time this week to share her rather impressive portfolio. Scary to think she is only just getting started. We wish you all the best for 2021, keep in touch and don’t be a stranger.

To see my of Ruksana’s work click the following links - Website - Instagram

An interview with Dubai based commercial & architectural photographer Ruksana Hussain

“The interior and architectural scene like in UAE is thriving, I would say. We have a great mix of local, home-grown designers and architects, both foreigners as well as Emirati. As a result, I would say the scene is quite cosmopolitan, and it is a very close-knit community of supporters as well.”

I'm excited to be talking with the very Ruksana Hussain for this week's interview.

Ruksana is a Canadian photographer based in Dubai, UAE.

She started out as a freelance commercial photographer in 2013, specialising in lifestyle & editorial photography, and progressed into interiors and architectural photography.

She is influenced by the existing light in the environment, and its delicate interaction with the built space and its environment. She strives to take images that capture a sense of belonging for the space.

Hi Ruksana, I hope all is safe and well with you and many thanks for taking the time to share with our community. 

Can I congratulate you on a superb portfolio, I love the striking impact you achieve in your work.

Hi Pete. First of all, thank you so much for having me on this fantastic platform and community that you have built since lockdown.

Can I just say it is incredibly humbling and inspiring to be included with such a diverse group of talented photographers from all over the world.

Seriously the pleasure is all mine. I’ve been an admirer of your work for sometime and I noticed you jumped on board pretty quickly at the start of M.mode, so thank you!

Let's start with the here and now. Can you tell us what has been keeping you occupied recently throughout 2020 and what your plans for 2021?

Well, lockdown was a surprise and a half. I had a few projects in the pipeline, literally a week before and it all went to naught. When lockdown measures were eased, somehow a lot of the clients didn’t have the budget anymore, or their budget was being channelled in other company-saving measures, which means I had to keep busy with other things. On the positive side, this meant I could immerse myself in tutorials, update my website, and work on some personal projects.

For 2021, my role is strictly to continue to be better than I was in 2020.. photographically as a profession, for e.g., trying to figure out how to market myself more to potential clients, as this is something I struggle with. 

This is something I certainly struggle with.

It will be interesting to see how we all progress with 2021 and beyond….will we really have learnt anything or revert back to old ways. Only time will tell I suppose.

Could you tell us a bit more about your past, your ethos and how you approach your work currently?

I am what you would call an accidental interiors / architectural photographer, as I have only started taking it seriously around 2019. I started out as a commercial lifestyle photographer around 7 years ago, and this would lead to requests to shoot hotels and their interiors.

I wasn’t really aware of the serious talent that was in this genre, nor was I aware of how soothing and calming the whole process was compared the other genres, until I started diving deep into the community of architectural photography as a whole. So you could say I was late to the party, but that also means I have a lot more resources available to learn from as so many of my peers have paved the way and led the standards.

The years I have spent perfecting my techniques in other genres have made it easier for me to understand how to capture the light, and apply it to this field as well. I feel this is something I am constantly learning.

It is interesting when people cross boundaries and genres that they bring with them fresh eyes, perspectives and skills. I’m finding that my interior work is certainly becoming more architectural based, especially with my composition…I’m not sure if that is a good or bad thing.

As photography and especially imagery is sort after and in high demand right now, where do you see the future of photography heading, not only in our genre but as a whole?

As a whole, stills in photography is not going to go away. Yes, the gear, technology, and processing softwares are always improving, which means we as photographers are getting better and more refined at it, but since these new improvements are also being accompanied by more creative performances and platforms that promote our profession to a larger global audience, I can only see it as evolving into a more unique vision of art in itself.

What is the interior and architectural scene like in UAE? Is this where do you do most of your work?

The interior and architectural scene like in UAE is thriving, I would say. We have a great mix of local, home-grown designers and architects, both foreigners as well as Emirati. As a result, I would say the scene is quite cosmopolitan, and it is a very close-knit community of supporters as well.

Outsiders from UAE hear more about the popular flashy new hotels and buildings that pop up as they get a lot of press coverage, but it must be noted that we have a lot of unique projects by the talents here that focus on sustainability, local materials to reflect the culture and heritage, as well as architecture that caters to a more international audience. 

I mean you’re at the heart of it all aren’t you. Must be such a surreal place to live and work. I’ve only ever done stops overs at the airport and never venture outside….you’ll have to show me around when I take the plunge!

As a photography community we love a bit of gear talk, could you tell us what equipment you have in your bag and enlighten those who aren't familiar a little bit more about your process.

I try to limit what I carry, as I don’t always have an assistant so I try to keep it minimal. I have the usual suspects which are Canon’s tilt shifts (17, 24), a 1.4x extender, 24-70 and my 5DS.. I also have a tripod and a remote. I love shooting tethered, but sometimes I don’t have the luxury of time. 

Perfect and simple…I love it!

Do you feel that you're happy with the work you produce or do you suffer from 'Imposter Syndrome'? This is something I've been discussing with others recently and I'm not alone...

I definitely go through Impostor Syndrome often. But I’ve now accepted that this is something that exists amongst all creatives, even if we don’t talk about it as openly. Perhaps the serious nature of the profession dictates that. 

I’ve also learnt that our creative vision is our unique superpower, so it’s normal to have some good days and some bad days and accept the fact that we may not have a portfolio piece from every single project (but I swear if I was allowed more time, I am convinced I would!)

As my own personal work progresses, I look around at others work and see so much incredible work! Do you have any advice for keeping motivated and pushing yourself forward?

Definitely have your “tribe” as I find seeing others’ work and their hustle motivates me to learn from them. I have noticed that architectural and interior photographers are a very close-knit supportive bunch, especially with communities like M.Mode, AP Almanac, Shifter, Women Arch Photographers, Grove Studio. 

I didn’t find this in my other genres, so I love studying their work and supporting them. I have more expectations from my own work, than from others’ work, so I guess this has helped me stay motivated.

I love watching documentaries and studying from other architecture photographers’ work, so they are great to immerse myself with.

Well your work certainly stands out from the crowd and makes an impact. It did on me.

Where do you draw your inspiration from and how do you go about creating your stylised look?

I don’t think I have a stylized look per se, but my clients do tell me they love how I have the play of light and shadows in my work. My inspiration is definitely from a lot of contemporary photography that I am exposed to, as well as from other genres of photography like lifestyle photography since that is my background. I definitely like a lived in look for my images.  

Do you have a favourite thing you like to shoot and why?

I love to shoot anything where the light and shadows complement the design or architecture.  It can be as simple as a textured wall. I’ll observe how the light interacts with it or reflects it, and I may try to highlight that. My goal has always been to capture the light and shadows, while the complementary pieces that go with them are simply the buildings or the design.

Who doesn’t love a good old fashioned shadow and highlight architectural image.

What would say the highlight of your career would be to this point?

Oh gosh, I don’t think I have one yet. I’m still new to this, so a long way to go still to mention any highlights. I do know that I have enjoyed every project from big ones to small ones, and I am lucky that my clients trust me their work with my vision.

I got a Christmas gift of Julius’ Shulman Modernism Rediscovered, I was happy as a clam when I receive that, can that be a highlight?! Haha

Definitely, I’d take that.

Do you have any favourite photographers that inspire you and anyone you think we should be keeping an eye out for?

So many. I love the works of Joe Fletcher, Andy MacPherson, Sergey Krasyuk, Nicole Franzen, Lisa Petrole, Jean Bai, Laure Joliet, Melissa Kelsey, Fernando Guerrera, Mikey Schwartz, Mike Kelley, Simon Devitt, Art Sanchez (video work is so beautiful) Aubrie Pick and Douglas Friedman (I love how both of them successfully delve into other genres)….  the list goes on and on. 

Great list, so many talented and familiar photographers….a few M-mode takeovers in there I see. Perhaps we can go through the whole list!

Lastly, what has been your favourite takeaway in all the lockdowns?

Slow down, and study the light :). It’s not the end of the world! I also realized I need to look towards the business side of photography more, be it finances or marketing. I need to organize my administrative side better, as these are also challenges for me… I realize other people may take this for granted, but I either need to hire an agent, or just get better at doing it myself. 

A huge thanks to Ruksana for giving up her time this week to share her rather impressive portfolio. Scary to think she is only just getting started. We wish you all the best for 2021, keep in touch and don’t be a stranger.

To see my of Ruksana’s work click the following links - Website - Instagram