Photography is an art of capturing beauty, and we have many artists who are showcasing the beauty of Pakistan through their cameras. Some capture the green mountains of the capital while some like to click the beauty of valleys and beaches. Since more than 60 per cent of Pakistan is rural, many photographers pick up their cameras to show the beauty of rural areas and Fasiur Rehman is one of them.
Fasi is a nature photographer living in Sargodha. He shows the rural side of a village named Midh Ranjha near the Sargodha district. He is a lawyer by profession but likes to capture the beauty of his village in his free time.
“I had a strong desire to show the diversity of village life. Ever since my childhood, I have loved the colours of nature. I have loved the setting sun, mist, rain and the blue sky. A few years back I decided that I should give more time to it as a hobby. It was the positive response from people that encouraged me to continue,” said Fasi.
“My priority has always been village life. I present scenes that attract people to this life. I have captured historical and cultural parts of major cities of Pakistan that have been featured in different publications as well,” he said.
According to Fasi, the interesting aspect of rural life is its simple nature of it. “Here as a photographer, I see many things in their true colours. When I capture this simplicity, I keep smiling. Then I share it with thousands of others to give them a rural vibe as well,” he added.
He maintains that rural photography is not as easy as it seems. “I spend all day for one click. I share it when I am satisfied,” he added. Fasi said that he faces a lot of challenges. “I have always lacked modern equipment for this work.”
Fasi said that there are many rural photographers in Pakistan, yet this field is not supported by the government. “This kind of work is not supported in Pakistan. No institutions are doing practical work in this regard at the government level,” he said. But he is optimistic that as the government of Pakistan has established arts councils and other institutions in various cities for heritage, more similar projects will come up soon.
