Description
Growing up in Pakistan, I was surrounded by a rich culture steeped in a long tradition of oral storytelling. It was crucial to listen – not just to hear what was being said, but to find the authentic, honest expression behind the words.
I came to embody this art of listening in all aspects of my life, and my quest to find the unsaid in the said led me down a path of creative pursuits.
As a young man, I was a passionate musician, skilled with multiple instruments. I then became a chef and began to use food to tell stories too. However, I still yearned for more.
Then ten years ago, I picked up a camera for the first time.
Years later I was still a happy hobbyist until a random Facebook post landed me an amateur photographer position at the Clearwater Jazz Holiday.
I had no clue what I was walking into. I was still shooting with the lens that came with the camera. I didn’t even know how to operate it outside of automatic mode!
That night music and energy surrounded me. My chest tightened with nervousness and excitement. I couldn’t believe that I was in the pit for the headlining performance of my childhood hero, Maceo Parker.
The entire experience awoke the artist inside me that was there all along, unabashed and unburdened. The music made my soul dance, and my camera was the tool to capture it all so I could relive it again and again.
It was a rush beyond words, an encapsulation of my heart that I never thought possible. In that moment, the idea of my life as a real estate agent was replaced whole-heartedly with that of an artist.
Since then, I spent the last eight years serving as the special event photographer for the City of Clearwater. I am also a regular instructor at the Dunedin Fine Arts Center where I’ve been teaching photography for the last three years. Most recently I opened my photography studio here in Safety Harbor, Florida.
My aim is not perfection, but honesty.
I work to connect people to stories – often their very own – in an authentic and thoughtful way. I strive to give them a glimpse of the beauty I see as a chance for them to take that with them through my art.
I am a storyteller and I choose to tell stories through photography. Stories that are full of heart and meaning despite being told without words.
Click on the link to see more work by Jeremiah!
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