by Yvette Depaepe 

Ibrahim Nabeel is a Jordanian photographer full of passion.  His images are very diversified and cover several categories.  Photography is his favourite way to express himself. Today, we're wandering through his work to discover more about him.

Hi Ibrahim, please tell us about yourself, your hobbies and other jobs.
I was born and live in Jordan.  I'm a professional photographer and beside that, photography is also my favourite hobby.  I feel blessed to have the opportunity to combine the two.

What first attracted you to photography?
To be honest, having this fantastic opportunity was not a coincidence.
My father was a professional photographer too.  He had his own studio and print lab.
My first contact with photography was in my father's lab developing films. I did that job for quite a while.  Day by day, I was longing to start photographing and to learn a lot more.  When I told my parents, my father said: “This is not your time.  Wait and keep looking to as many pictures as possible until your eye is trained”. Till today, I'm still convinced that practise and experience were the best ways to develop my own skills.

Describe your overall photographic vision.
I don't have a specific vision on photography.  A lot of ideas go through my mind and I would love my work to become immortal and reach as many people as possible all over the world. In fact, that's the biggest dream of each photographer, isn't it?

'the roof'

 
You have your very own style but your work is very diversified.  Can you explain why this is?
Diversity is good and required.  Sometimes I get bored when my pictures start to look alike. I always try to vary and to put all my passion into a picture.

'the system'

 
What is more important to you, the mood/story behind your images or the technical perfection?
To me, the mood, the story and the processing are closely connected to each other.

What generally is your relationship to your subject matter beyond being an observer?
Do you prepare carefully the locations where you are intending to photograph?
Yes, sometimes I prepare the location where I'm intending to photograph. But for me, the best pictures are the ones taken without any planning.  When I see something beautiful, I have to photograph it immediately.

What gear do you use (camera, lenses, bag)?
I have a Canon 6D mark2, a 24-70 lens and a 70-200 lens.  Sometimes I use my Canon 80d with a wide-angle lens.
In addition to a tripod, I also have some filters for Photoshop and for Lightroom.

What is your most important advice to a beginner in Photography and how do you get started?
You have to be passionate, keep on learning and never stop practising.

'Exit'

'A red turn'

 
Who are your favourite photographers and more importantly, how has your appreciation of their work affected how you approach your own photography?
First of all, I like to tell you that it is thanks to a 1x member that I admire a lot, Ahmed Thabet , that I joined. Furthermore, there are here many photographers who inspire me a lot.
If you are looking for creativity, here are some very talented 1x photographers who inspired me most:  Ben Goossens, Carmine Chiriacò, Theo Luycx, Peter Svoboda, Jef Van den Houte, Hans-Wolfgang Hawerkamp, Greetje van Son, Gilbert Claes, Delphine Devos and Fadwa Rouhana.
My special appreciation also goes to the senior critics.  I learned so much from them all.

Describe your favourite photograph taken by you and why it is special to you?
The most important picture for me was the first one I posted on 1x, also the one which completely changed my career.

'decorative fish'

Are there any specific directions that you would like to take your photography in the future or any specific goals that you wish to achieve?
I am always dreaming of making photographic trips, especially because the architectural environment here in Jordan is very limited and doesn't respond to what I really want.  But anyway, I will never stop and continue to learn and improve my skills.

'Multiplicity 3'

'The Explorer'

 
Is there anything else you wish to add and what do you think about 1X as a home base for your work?
1x changed my vision of photography.  A picture is no longer just a picture ...  It is the story that counts just as the mood and the style of the photographer himself.
To end, I would like to thank Yvette Depaepe who made this interview possible.  Her work is great and inspired me a lot too.

'Multiplicity'

'Dropp off'