DUBAI // A black-and-white camera-phone picture of Dubai’s International Financial Centre taken by a Dubai resident is now gracing billboards across the world.
The photo taken by Hattan Ahmed, 27, a graphic designer and photographer, is featured in a global print and advertising campaign called Shot on iPhone 6 by Apple.
“People take cellphone pictures every day but you never think that your snapshot is going to appear on billboards in far-flung locales around the globe,” said Mr Ahmed.
Billboards in 70 cities in 24 countries will feature photos captured by iPhone 6 users with a tagline Shot on iPhone.
Mr Ahmed’s picture has appeared on billboards in Los Angeles, New York and Tokyo.
In addition to his photo, another Dubai image of Burj Khalifa taken by David K is also featured in the campaign.
“I don’t know where else my image would appear but I’ve started a running list of cities where the ads are popping up. I’m not sure if it’ll be featured in Dubai but I really hope so. It would be nice to see it up close and even take a picture with it,” he said.
Mr Ahmed’s photo focuses on the patterns and shadows created by DIFC’s well-known walkway, creating a distinct element of visual interest.
“I got an email last December expressing interest in my photo. I thought it was a hoax at the beginning but then realised that it was actually happening. I was a little nervous. It’s a huge campaign by one of the biggest companies in the world.”
He has worked on campaigns for Intel and BMW in his native Saudi Arabia but his personal cellphone photography is what is winning global recognition.
All of the photos used by Apple were uncommissioned, crowdsourced images from the internet, found by browsing online images tagged with the iPhone 6 as the camera used.
When the gallery of images is accessed on Apple’s microsite, a description reads: “People take incredible photos and videos on iPhone 6 every day. And here are some of our favourites. Explore the gallery, learn a few tips and see what’s possible with the world’s most popular camera.”
Growing up, Mr Ahmed was surrounded by art.
His mother is a painter and always encouraged him to follow his aspirations. This was what pushed him to specialise in fine arts. His wife is an artist, too.
“We are surrounded by beautiful things, shapes and patterns. I’d like to inspire people to take a closer look and find the beauty around them.” he said.
Kaltham Mohamed, head of the design team at the Family Development Foundation in Abu Dhabi, said: “My fancy Nikon cameras and lenses are at home collecting dust. Using my camera phone limits my need for a tripod and a lens. I just need to focus my energy on a sharpened perspective.
“A few years ago, it would have been ludicrous to think that a smartphone could rival digital SLR cameras. A documentary partly shot with an iPhone won an Oscar recently. We’ve reached a technological milestone with camera photography” she said.
nalremeithi@thenational.ae
