Omani photographer’s passion for capturing beauty of faces

Muscat: At 31, Omani photographer Ahmed Al Hosni has a passion for observing how ordinary people live their lives and reflecting their beauty through his lens.
Al Hosni describes about his love for taking portraits, how he’s inspired from the daily life of the people in south Al Sharqiyah governorate, as well as how much he enjoys horse and camel racing.
“I love taking pictures of the authentic Arab features that I find in the faces of the children and people in South Al Sharqiyah,” said Al Hosni. “There is so much beauty in their eyes. In my opinion, the charm of the Bedouin face and life is due to the fact that they are less affected by modern life, which has changed the features of people in the other states of the Sultanate.”
“People in remote areas still dress in traditional clothes,” he added. “The men, with their camels, wearing the Khanjar and the Maser, and carrying a stick in their hand -- this is a scene we miss in many other places in Oman.”
“The Bedouin lifestyle allows me to take rare pictures that people enjoy looking at because they are not used to seeing it in their modern lives,” Al Hosni explained.
Horse and camel races
Despite the serious challenges photographers face in documenting horse and camel races, many are still keen on attending the races to take pictures of the competition and to document the enthusiasm of the people involved in them. Al Hosni is one such photographer.
“Sports photography for horse and camel racing is dangerous because we have to enter the ring,” he said.
“We try to capture the beauty of the race from the opposite direction in order to take snapshots of the enthusiasm and excitement on people’s faces.”
“I am keen on attending races in the North Al Sharqiyah governorate, especially Bidiyah, because people there are so interested in camel races,” Al Hosni added.
“Men, women, and children all attend the races while wearing traditional clothing, which forms a very beautiful and magnificent scene.”
Race ring
“The other thing that is distinctive about Bidiyah is that the race ring is in the open area in the desert, which keeps the scene pure and authentic, unlike other states where tall buildings take space away from the picture, reducing the real beauty of the scene,” he said. Al Hosni is from Al Batinah governorate, but he is keen on following traditional events held in Al Sharqiyah. He always communicates with his friends there so he can attend the events.
“I’m used to visiting the governorate during Al Sharqiyah holidays,” he claimed.
“I have friends there. They are very friendly people. I stay with them for several days in their rural homes, some of which are built from non-fixed materials, and it is during that time that I take pictures.”