by Yvette Depaepe
Published the 26th of August 2024

Rana Jabeen's work is excellent and varied. She loves travel photography, cityscapes and architecture photography. Her charming personality and philosophy are perfectly well expressed in Gustave Flaubert's quote: “Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.” Time to learn more about the artist behind the photographs through this interview.  Enjoy !!!

'Beacon'

Dear Rana, first of all I would like to thank you for taking the time to answer this questionnaire! First of all, please introduce yourself and tell us more about yourself, your hobbies or other projects you are involved in!
Thank you very much for the invitation, it is an honour and I am happy to have this opportunity to talk about my work. I was born in India and grew up and completed my education in Mumbai, India. I currently reside in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A dentist by profession, I have taken a break from my dental practice for personal reasons. Managing my home, family and travelling keep me busy most of the time. I enjoy reading fiction, listening to music and gardening. Frequent travel and planning has taken up most of my free time in recent years.
I discovered my love of photography about a decade ago. It has been a short but very fulfilling and successful journey in photography so far. My work has been published in many international editorial magazines and websites including Masterclass, Eye Photography, Smart Photography (India), Digital Darkroom (India), Weekend Trivia Official (India), Chiiz Magazine, Viewfinder (Official Magazine of Federation of Indian Photography). I have received EFIP, EFIAP, EPSA and many honorary awards and have exhibited my work in various exhibitions. Since last year, I have also been invited several times to judge photography competitions (under the patronage of Photographic Society of America and a few under Federation of Indian Photography).

'Travelers'
 

'City Lights'

When and how did you start your photographic journey?
My photography journey began in 2014. I have always been an avid traveler, even before I first picked a camera, travel was always my passion. Each place has its own history, culture, architecture and charm which can be explored. During the course of my travel, I found that Urban cityscapes and architecture fascinated me deeply. Back in 2014, we had a Nikon D80 at home but was never used. One of my photographer friends casually suggested to me to start using the DSLR to take travel photos. With a little help, I realized that I could quickly pick up the technicalities of photography and was interested in learning the art and light of photography. From the time I shot my first few pics I was totally drawn into the world of photography. Almost immediately, I bought a Nikon D7100, then there was no looking back!

'Just around the corner'
 

For many of us, photography is either a hobby or a way of life. How would you define your relationship with photography?
When I first started photographing in 2014, it was a way to record and celebrate all the beautiful places I visited and the moments I spent with loved ones. But in 2019, my world changed when I lost my teenage son. Through all the pain and grief, I rediscovered photography as a personal healing tool. The simple act of taking pictures and going through the process of editing has kept my mind focused and balanced through the turbulent times of grief. For me personally, photography has been an outlet for expression, a distraction during dark times, and part of my healing process.

'Lines'

What would you say is the most important experience that has influenced your steps in photography?
I would say there has been a combination of different experiences that have shaped my journey in photography. In the beginning, travelling provided the exposure to different environments and cultures that made me want to capture those moments. Later, it developed into a keen interest that turned into a healing mechanism after my personal loss.

'Shell'

You have your own style, but your work is very diverse. I see mainly architectural photography, but also cityscapes and street photography. Can you explain why?
My favourite genre of photography is cityscapes and architecture. I have an affinity with architectural images. Patterns, lines, shapes, geometry and textures have always fascinated me. Ceilings and 'look-ups' are also a fascinating world that I have a particular fondness for. In recent years I have started to explore street photography and street portraits, capturing emotions and moments is something I find soul satisfying.

'Light Web'

'Face in the crowd'

'Gaze'
 

What is more important to you, the mood/story behind your images or technical perfection?
We all know that a balance of different factors, including technique, mood and story, is important to achieving a good image. I have always been more inclined towards the mood and the moment, as I believe that mood can transform a simple scene into something memorable. Having said that, I think that a solid knowledge of the technical aspects is always the starting point from which we go on the journey of exploring stories and moments.
Technique aside, photography has been a great teacher to me. Some relevant lessons I have learnt are patience and planning well in advance, but being prepared to improvise when things change. Most importantly, I have learnt to slow down, breathe in the moment and enjoy art in any form. 

'Along the curve'
 

In general, what is your relationship to your subjects, beyond that of an observer? Do you carefully prepare the places you want to photograph?
As a photographer, I try my best to observe, interpret and show the subject. While preserving the essence of the subject, I try to present it with my vision. I believe that the first step to a good picture starts with research. In urban photography, location is crucial. I always do thorough research before travelling to a particular location. Apart from finding the popular photo spots, I also try to get to the lesser known ones, because discovering hidden gems while travelling is indeed a wonderful experience. The time of the shoot is also an important factor that I keep in mind.

'Curvaceous'
 

Describe your general photographic vision.
My photographic vision mainly involves freezing scenes and moments as I see them and presenting them in my own style. Sometimes it would be as I see it and other times it might be as I would like to see it. For example, I might visit a location I love at a 'not so ideal' time for shooting in terms of light, weather and crowds. Then I choose to edit the scene to present it in the way I visualise it. I like to showcase the essence of the place through the architecture and cityscapes that I shoot most of the time. This includes unique architectural designs, structural elements, shapes and details. I love capturing skylines because each one is unique to its location. Another reason why cityscapes are special to me is that I like the way I can explore the changing moods of each one, from serene to bustling with dynamic energy. When shooting street scenes and portraits, I take my time to look for special moments and stories. I like to observe and capture scenes and people in a way that tries to tell a story or evoke an emotion.

'Timeless'

'Eyes on you'
 

Could you please tell us a bit more about your workflow from idea to final product? Where do you look for inspiration and what inspires you the most?
In my opinion, the photographic workflow should include researching the place and the location, getting to a place well in advance, good observation, capturing the classic view of the place, but always for your own fresh perspective. This is followed by balanced processing. For me it's a combination of LR & PS. Post-processing is an integral part of the final image. An artist is free to express and present an image in the style he/she likes and this is very important in any art form. It is a matter of personal taste. In my work I use multiple image panoramas and also digital blending.
I find inspiration everywhere, sometimes in the books I read, the music I listen to, and sometimes by looking at other photographers' work. Often everyday moments and personal experiences form the basis of new ideas.

'Skyline'

'Appear as you are, be as you appear'
 

Many people think that the equipment is not very important when the passion for photography is strong. But can you please tell us what equipment you use (camera, lenses, lighting, tripod, etc.)?
Although many have this opinion about gear, I believe that you need to have decent, if not the latest, equipment. We need the support of our gear to translate our vision and ideas into a good quality end result. Also, as basic as it sounds, the most important thing you need to capture good images is a strong knowledge of technique, so I read a lot to keep up to date and learn all aspects of light and technique. Knowing my equipment well helps me to optimise its use.

My gear includes:
Nikon D750
Nikkor 14-24 (Most used lens) Nikkor 70-200
Nikkor 200-500
Sigma 24-70
Lee SW150 filter system
2 Manfrotto tripod includes one lightweight version for travel

'Depth'

'Megacity'
 

What is your favourite photo? Please tell us the story behind it.
With so many favourites it is really hard to choose just one. So I would choose two of my favourites because both of them were taken in the very early stages of my photographic journey and these photos made me the photographer that I am today.
One of my all-time favourite photos is 'Lotus' or 'Convergence', taken at the Lotus Temple in India. I was extremely interested in photographing this architectural marvel. Considering that I was relatively new to photography at that time (my first 1-2 years), this is an extremely crowded place, the weather was bad and we were given a short time frame to capture this. I was able to capture the beautiful geometry and art in a creative way. I loved the result I achieved and it remains one of my favourite photos to this day.
Another photo is 'The View'. It was dusk by the time we finished the long queue and the process of going up the Burj. I quickly collected my thoughts and decided to use fish eye to capture this frame. This was the first image that became popular on various websites and media, and was one of the first photos to be awarded on 1x.

'Lotus'
 

'The View'

Who are your favorite photographers or mentors whose works have influenced you and your photography?
I have followed the work of the most experienced and successful urban and architectural photographers. I love the work of so many of the artists featured here on 1x and each one is an inspiration to me.

'Arches'
 

Now that we have almost reached the end of this interview, I would like to ask you to tell us about any plans or photographic projects you would like to be involved in.
There are a few things I am working on right now. I am looking forward to the 1X Artist Exhibition in 2025, for which I have received an invitation, and I am working on the series of images that will be presented. It's been a while since I've done any street and portrait photography, so I'm planning on doing that in the next few months.

'Captivating Eyes'

Is there anything else you would like to add and what do you think of 1X as a home base for your work?
In a way, 1X has been an integral part of my photography. It has certainly been a learning and growing process. From an awestruck newbie just looking at the artwork here to confidently sharing my images ... it has been a beautiful journey here.

'Shades of darkness'