Institute: How did your career in photography begin?
Hikmat: As a child, I always wanted to end up working in a job that allows me to express myself artistically. I tried different things until I met an inspirational photographer and visited him at his dark room back then and experimented with photography. It came natural to me and I started working in a local newspaper in Beirut as their main photographer and won few awards. I knew that this is my passion and never looked back since then.
Institute: Who did you aspire to growing up?
Hikmat: Helmut Newton. I admire how he has followed what he believed is art and created a new school not caring about the society’s approval, which in my opinion is true art.
Institute: What are you currently working on?
Hikmat: I am now working on a photo shoot in New York. As I have always fantasised about women’s beauty in different shapes and forms, my shoot will capture their natural beauty away from the stereotype thin models that we see everyday.
Institute: How was 2015 for you?
Hikmat: It was quite an eye opening experience for me as I have worked on a lot of client’s briefs and delivered countless of shoots based on their creative direction which made me realise that beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder. If you want to deliver art you need to work solo and not be limited to anyone’s directions and this is why I try to do my own shoots at least twice a year where I go back to basics and just work on projects that let me express myself.
Institute: Do you have an all time favourite image?
Hikmat: My last image is always my favourite until a new one is born.
Institute: What is your creative process?
Hikmat: I look at the end result and think backwards. I imagine the idea in my head and then work with my team to put together the right elements. Sometimes I just carry my camera and shoot beauty anywhere I see it with no planning, Those are usually photos that are dear to me heart.
Institute: What has been your proudest moment to date?
Hikmat: When I launched my Czech, the women. exhibition in Dubai last year. I saw the admiration from people and the public for my work and that made me fee proud and eager to work on my own photo shoots more.
Institute: What career path would you of taken if not photography?
Hikmat: I can’t remember loving anything other than photography but I would say a psychiatrist.
Institute: What do you think of taking photos with your phone?
Hikmat: As Nick Knight once said, we are no longer photographers but image makers. The medium does not matter if you are truly artistic. Today’s iPhone technology is as good as a Hasselblad once was.
Institute: What does 2016 hold for you?
Hikmat: Definitely more freedom with my work and more traveling. I would like to make another exhibition in 2016 that can take people back to basics with beauty and art through the magical medium of photography.
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