Hi Everyone,

I was just asked to do a self-interview on Flickr in the ‘Desi Female Photographers‘ Group so I thought I would post the answers here also so more people can enjoy them!! hehe 

As always - don’t forget to leave comments and tell me what you think! 

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Hello my lovely ladies!

Okay so here are my answers:

My name is Amna Hakim and I live in Ottawa, Canada. ummm I don’t want to say too much here in case I answer one of the questions..loll but thanks Sultana/Soultouch for nominating me muaaah

Q1: When or how did you discover your interest in photography?
I have always loved photography…from the age of 13-14 I have always been the one with the camera. However professionally I’ve been doing this for about 3 years now and I’m loving it more and more.

Q2: How desi are you? How are you defining desi-ness?
omg mega desi! I can’t live without my desiness…my desi khana, songs, shalwar kamiz and ofcourse all my desi friends i love being Pakistani!!

Q3: What are your favorite subjects to photograph?
ummm everything! I love to photograph landscapes, plants, kids, people, couples, families…everything! :) 

Q4: Whose photostream do you visit most often, and why?
umm actually i try to go on my contact list and visit as many people as I can..I know i’m not the best in keeping up but I’ve just become soooo busy that I don’t get to spend as much time on flickr as I would like to. I can say for a fact though that I love flickr! Its a great tool and really helps you learn from your peers and exposes you to things you never knew

Q5: What are your inspirations for photography?
emotions and colours! I lover colourrrr and i love all the different emotions

Q6: What are your weapons of choice? (your gear, that you “shoot” with)

Ohhh I just recently bought a canon 5D. I love it and I don’t know what I’ve been doing without it. As for lenses I have a a 50mm, 85mm and a 17-85mm and I’m dying to get my hands on the 16-35mm (if anyone has it, do msg me and tell me what you think about it).

Q7: One photo you’ve always wanted to take?
a nice picture of my mom smiling! lolll everytime I pick up the camera she starts talking and I’m always telling her that this is NOT a video camera….she just has to smile..but she always starts cracking up when I say that…so yes…it has to be my mother!!

Q8: Have you “studied” photography?
not really….I took a weekend workshop for Wedding photography and photojournalism. The wedding photography workshop was fantatic as it touches on everything, dealing with clients, people, posting, lighting, gear, contracts, everything! The photojournalism class gave me a lot of insight into the photojournalistic approach and my instructor was so passionate about photography that it was a treat to learn from him!

Q9: Where do you aspire to be with photography in the future (near and far)?

I hope to make this a fulltime thing..insha’Allah. I’ve been really lucky and I’ve had lots of support from my family and friends. 

I hope one day I can use this art form to bring awareness to everything pakistani! I definitely want to start working on exhibitions and focus on different things, such as pakistani women, our culture, etc. Insha’Allah

Q10: Besides photography, what other passions do you have?
I LOVE plants! and that is why I’m also a landscape designer!
I LOVE finance so I am working in finance
I just love to hang out with my family and friends and alhumdullilah I’ve been blessed with the most wonderful friends and family
and I love to read and collect books
..yes I somehow manage to make time for all this and there’s still more!!

Thanks for this opportunity guys! Love to you all and best of luck! there are so many amazing photographers out there…I hope one day I can give back as much as I’ve taken from everyone

If anyone is in the mood for some serious gelato..then definitely head over to Pure Gelato..it’s just heavenly and the selection of flavours is just fantastic!

A must try is their Mango or Guava..yum yum!

Hi guys!

Thank you all for your continued support! The love and generousity you guys have shown is just so overwhelming…it’s just such a fantastic feeling to see emails from complete strangers all over the world, who have taken the time to send me a few lines and letting me know how much they appreciate my work! Thank you once again!

Okay now for the Big News……drums please……..

Spring is finally here…and I think it’s time I came to Toronto for a few Portrait Sessions. There’s quite a few of you who have been asking me when my next trip to Toronto is going to be….well the wait is over..becuase I have dates for you guys!! Saturday, May the 16th & Sunday, May 17th.

I have a limited number of sessions so book yours as soon as possible..the details are the same as before - We’ll meet at a location somewhere in downtown and I’ll spend an hour photographing you and your loved one(s), just being yourself! The price is the same:

$120 for the Portrait Session
It includes:
1 hour of shooting
1 - 8×10 Enlargement of your choice
Password Protected Online Gallery for you to share your images with your family and friends
A La Carte Prices
(For details: Please go to www.amnahakim.com > Portfolio > Investment > Portraits)

These Portraits are ideal for Grads, Couples, Engagement Portraits, Anniversary Portraits, Family Portraits, Baby Portraits, Friends Portraits and everything else!

So send me a quick email, message, phonecall…anything! and let me know what time suits you.  I’ll try to update this regularly:

Saturday, May 16th, 2009
Location: The Distillery District
Spots Left: FULL

Sunday, May 17th, 2009
Location: University of Toronto area
Spots Left: FULL

Look forward to seeing you all!

Love,
Amna
1.613.850.6763
amna@amnahakim.com
www.amnahakim.com