Hussam Sleiby is a
dentist and oral surgeon by profession, and as of the last few years, a new photography enthusiast.
Sleiby embarked on
his artistic journey early in life through drawing, painting, and sculpting,
but he found his passion when he discovered photography as an art medium a few
years ago. Since then he has been experimenting with photography using different
subjects and techniques to develop his own style.
اضافة اعلان
Hussam Sleiby is a dentist and oral surgeon who
found his passion in photography. (Photo: Handout from Hussam Sleiby)
"The main part
of dental medicine requires good artistic skills since a dentist is supposed to
restore teeth by mimicking nature using his hands and eyes. Artistic skills are
what differentiate a great dentist from a good one. On the other hand, I always
loved photography. Still, I couldn’t find the courage to take it seriously
until a few years ago, and my previous knowledge in creative elements and
passion for art helped in advancing and honing my photography skills
quickly," Sleiby told
Jordan News.
Even though both
fields are quite different, Sleiby can hold space for both dentistry and
photography. He shares that he does not want to choose one over the other, but
instead, he shares his love for them both.
"I love doing
both. Dentistry is a stressful profession, but I love the fact that I can help
people and relieve their pain. Then again, I love creating images with my
camera; photography helps me relax and unwind. Through photography, I see the
world rather than merely look at it,” he said.
Hussam Sleiby aims
for his photography to evoke feelings of joy. (Photo: Handout from Hussam
Sleiby)
As a photographer,
Sleiby believes that authentic photography always starts with an emotion. He
sees the subject that he connects with, develops a specific feeling towards it,
and works towards conveying it through a photograph.
"That is when
you decide to capture that subject in a way that delivers the same feeling to
the viewer." He said.
"With my images,
I try to capture subjects, whether nature, insects, or still life, in a way
that the viewer is not used to seeing. I do my best to convey a feeling and
tell a story which the viewer can relate to," he added.
When it comes to
delivering a message through photography, Sleiby believes that he is more
concerned with creating aesthetically pleasing images that trigger a feeling of
joy and wonder in the viewer to take their mind off the
stressful reality of
daily life.
Before the dentist
pursued photography professionally, his photography journey started as a hobby,
without realizing that he would take it seriously one day.
"I always carried around a small camera
whenever I went out or traveled, and I used to take photos of everything. But,
I didn’t realize at the time that I would take it seriously," he said.
"I was concerned
with the high cost and large size of a professional camera, not to mention the
fact that I did not know how to use one, so I kept the idea of buying a camera
aside for a long time. Until one day, I came across a Facebook ad for a camera
at a low price. I contacted the seller, but I realized that I still didn’t know
anything about photography. That is when I decided to start researching cameras
and learning photography and got my first entry-level camera. It has been a few
years since then, but I still try to learn and increase my knowledge every day."
Hussam Sleiby aims
for his photography to evoke feelings of joy. (Photo: Handout from Hussam
Sleiby)
When it comes to
goals, Sleiby shares that he has many in terms of photography. "I want to
do my own solo exhibition in one of Amman’s prestigious galleries, then
hopefully Dubai, and then maybe somewhere in Europe. I have a passion for
teaching, and I have a workshop coming soon, so doing that on a bigger scale
would be great. I would love to reach a bigger audience of photography lovers
and art collectors, increasing my print sales. Winning an international
photography award is also a dream of mine,” he said.
The dentist and
photographer strongly believes that we can always do what we love and what
lifts up our spirit, but only if we manage to organize and prioritize our time.
Sleiby has been
working as a dentist for more than 24 years and has been a family man for over
15 years.
He gave all his time
to work and family. However, he eventually realized that it is crucial to
create time for himself and do what he loves away from work and family to
recharge and relieve the daily stress.
The Jordanian photographer
thinks that we reached a point in Jordan where people have begun noticing the
importance of photography but only to a certain extent.
"You see more
and more galleries exhibiting photography artworks, and people are willing to
pay money to collect images captured by talented photographers. I never knew
how many talented photographers we have in Jordan until I became one
myself. The number is big, and many are
recognized on an international level," he said.
Hussam Sleiby aims
for his photography to evoke feelings of joy. (Photo: Handout from Hussam
Sleiby)
"There are a few
institutes and training centers that teach photography, whether general
photographic skills or specialized genres of photography. They also offer
hands-on workshops and organize photographic trips around Jordan. They are not
many, but I think the number is enough based on the market demand. Actually, I
conduct a still life photography workshop with Fotografiajo. There is also
Darat Al-Tasweer and Jordan Photographic Society. All led by professional
high-end photographers."
On the other hand, he
believes that governmental entities, in particular, do not support Jordanian
photographers and even feels that those photographers feel neglected by the
government.
"Although we
have many brilliant award-winning Jordanian photographers who compete on
international levels, special entities and ministries still resort to
non-Jordanian photographers, whether Arab, European or American, to help create
tourism campaigns for Jordan. Unfortunately, if Jordanian photographers are
hired, they will either be underpaid or even asked to present their work for
free. That is an unfortunate scenario."
Hussam Sleiby aims
for his photography to evoke feelings of joy. (Photo: Handout from Hussam
Sleiby)
Sleiby said that
through his photographic journey, to see the beauty in everything and everyone,
he found that there is so much beauty in the world. Still, we are being
programmed to only see the distorted aspects of our world through news and
social media.
"Anything can be
a beautiful subject for a photograph if you know how to capture it. Life is a
set of fleeting moments, and capturing a few of those moments with my camera
gives them an immortal quality and saves them for years to come. Patience is a
quality I learned through photography. Nothing great in life happens instantly;
we need to have enough patience to wait for great results, great achievements,
and great connections," he explained.
Regarding the reason
behind choosing still life to capture, Sleiby pointed out that "in the old
days, when I used to paint, my main subject was still life. I love the idea of
portraying commonplace objects in different and most dramatic ways. I love the
way light and shadow interact with the elements in the scene."
The photographer
added: "About a year and a half ago, my passion for still life art
re-emerged, and I started developing a painterly photography style inspired by
the artworks of old masters of the Renaissance and Baroque periods. The result
was fine art still-life images that tell a visual story. Some of the images I
create tell a personal story, while others create a nostalgic mood transferring
the viewer to a time when life was much simpler and less complex."
Hussam Sleiby aims
for his photography to evoke feelings of joy. (Photo: Handout from Hussam
Sleiby)
"The subjects of
my images are all local products, some of which are grown at home, and vintage
items used by Jordanian households decades ago. The flowers depicted in my
photographs are all collected from house gardens and sidewalks of Amman
streets, showing a great variety in the vegetation still present around the
city. So basically, with still life photography, I managed to show glimpses of
our history and tell beautiful stories about how life was," he said.
The photographer and
dentist advised youth who have a dream they have not pursued yet not to wait
until they are ready or have enough time on their hands, stating that they will
probably never be ready.
"If you are not
ready today, you will be even less ready tomorrow. Don’t allow yourself to
think much about it. Follow your heart and just begin, and I believe you will
find the time. You will see things effortlessly falling into place,” he
advised.
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