If you happen to have seen a creatively daring and provocative fashion photograph in the UAE in the last 12 months, there’s a good chance it was taken by Amer Mohamad. Born and raised in Syria, Mohamad moved from Russia to the UAE in March 2022 and is currently shooting numerous photo features for a string of high-end magazines as well as major campaigns for luxury fashion and jewellery brands such as Dior, Chanel, Guerlain, Cartier and Piaget.
Since his arrival in the Middle East a year ago, Mohamad’s edgy aesthetic has shaken up the photography community and led to a pleasingly busy schedule for the hugely in-demand photographer. However, creative burnout is a pitfall Mohamad is keen to avoid. “I always try to balance work and life because it can be exhausting creating something every day,” says Mohamad, 29. “I need to take a break sometimes and mentally clean out.”
Surprisingly, considering his success, Mohamad never studied photography but instead enrolled in an undergraduate course in architecture at Ivanovo State Polytechnic University, 300kms northeast of Moscow, from 2013 to 2018. He then completed his Master’s Degree in architecture between 2018 and 2020. His background in architecture is a tool he uses constantly in his photography. “When I’m on a fashion shoot, I look at the space and I can understand its shapes, its angles and its aspects,” he says. “I start to imagine how I can use the clothes and the model’s body to enhance the environment.”
Prior to a shoot, a mood board is devised – either by the creative team or, in the case of a commercial shoot, the client – that helps Mohamad plan how the images will be constructed. “I have a vision for every shoot I do,” he explains. “I see the model and the clothes, and then I’m able to lay out the shoot in my head. Sometimes I actually sketch it out and tell the team how I want it to look.”
Mohamad has dreamed of being a fashion photographer since he was a young boy in Syria, poring over fashion magazines he kept hidden from his father. “I was mesmerised by these imaginary, dreamy worlds that made people feel good,” he says. “In seventh grade, I decided I wanted to be a fashion photographer. I knew I wanted to be in this world.”
He cites the American photographer Tony Duran as a huge source of inspiration. “His work is daring and controversial and when I see it, I feel emotionally attached to the model,” says Mohamad who’s also drawn to the work of photographer Kenny Sweeney, street artist Miss Van and Russian designer and artist Erté. “I get inspired in museums or art galleries quite a lot, although to be honest, everything around me inspires me,” says Mohamad. “An idea can hit me if I’m just spending time with friends, or in a moment when I’m out walking somewhere.”
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