Photographer Interview:
Simrah Farrukh
BIO
Based between the Bay Area and LA, Simrah Farrukh is an American-Pakistani photographer exploring dreams, realities and utopias primarily of brown women. She focuses on an intersection of fashion photography, art, and portraiture. Simrah ultimately aims to spotlight South Asian-Americans in art and fashion.
Tell us a little about yourself? Where you’re from, where you’re based now?
I was born and raised in the Bay Area, but my family is from Pakistan. I’m also working between the Bay and LA.
Tell us a little about yourself beyond the what/where and bio info?
A few more things about me beyond all that is I love all things art, SZA, Pakistani-folk songs and fancy smelling candles. I’d say that kind of also describes my photography style!
How long have you been shooting for?
I’ve been shooting for a little over 7 years since I was in high school.
How has your photography evolved since when you first started?
Over the years I’ve focused on different styles and subject matter. When I first started out, I would always shoot brown women in traditional outfits, but it came to a point where I was constantly seeing different people do that all over the internet and I felt as if we were beginning to romanticize our own culture. When I got to college, I extended the narratives I share to include social issues and different identities within the community.
Did you buy your first camera or was it a gift? Who gifted?
I am grateful to have been gifted my first digital camera by my father. He also had a film camera that he used to capture family photos and it ended up being my go to 35mm camera.
Any specific moment stand out where you knew you wanted to pursue photography?
When I was visiting my family in Pakistan, I came across hundreds of old family photos from the early 1900s to the 1990s. This is when I realized how powerful photography was because I was seeing so many faces that I never had the chance to meet, yet just by the photograph that captured their expressions and clothes, I could tell a lot about who they were. Today, this may not be the same case because we have photoshop and social media to mask authenticity.
Does your environment influence you as a creative?
It definitely does, being raised in a Pakistani household and community, I’m constantly being influenced by traditions, clothes, art and music.
We noticed you labeled a sector on your website “Stories”. How do you come up with these titles? Do you find inspiration from your own experiences?
Not all stories I share I relate to, but that doesn’t stop me from helping elevate other people’s stories and voices.
“Old school mindsets and patriarchal traditions have confined us into a box and put a lot of pressure on us. My work is an escape from that and a safe space for brown women to be and feel whoever and whatever they want.”
We see the majority of your photography focuses on women. Is this on purpose? Do you find more comfort - freedom in shooting women?
I do. Whenever I am working with women there’s always a tone of sisterhood during the shoot. On top of that, because I am also a woman, I do go through a thought process of security when I reach out to people or they reach out to me because I want to make sure that I myself am comfortable and feel safe. Similarly, I always make sure the people I shoot feel comfortable throughout.
Is there a story behind your photographs?
My primary focus is South Asian women. Old school mindsets and patriarchal traditions have confined us into a box and put a lot of pressure on us. My work is an escape from that and a safe space for brown women to be and feel whoever and whatever they want.
We saw your thesis aimed to reclaim what beauty is to you. Can you tell us a little bit about that? Are you still focusing on that mission within your photography today?
My senior thesis was aimed for other brown women to feel comfortable in their skin and body. The world is full of photos of white women with euro-centric features, so this thesis was to be a replacement of that for brown women. Something that could constantly be seen, so that their natural given features are what they feel confident and comfortable in. The mission of reclaiming beauty is always going to be a factor whatever work I create.
What is some changes you would like to see in the creativity industry?
All I ask for is to see more space for Black and brown women.
On Set…
What camera would you want to be your last?
It doesn’t matter too much to me, but I hope my Mamiya rz67 is buried with me...
Candid or posed? Flash or no flash? Why?
It depends on my mood!! At this moment I would say candid with flash, posed with no flash. There’s just something fun in juxtaposing.
Do you take part in styling your subjects? If so, how would you describe your style?
I do most of the styling in my photographs, and have occasionally (in commissioned work) been lucky to work with stylists that speak the same language. I would describe my style as romantic, sometimes nostalgic depending on the subject matter.
What mood/vibe do you like to curate on set? And how do you do it?
My priority is to make sure the model/subject feels comfortable and safe. I like being a hype woman. It’s important to not have an ego or create a tense environment. I also think because of the person I am in general, people tend to feel safe in front of my lens.
During the selection process what makes the final cut? What details do you usually look for in the images..
The top three things that goes into selections are: composition, facial expressions and focus.
When it comes to photography what moves you to shoot?
What moves me is the overall experience + fun in fulfilling a shoot and the fact that there are barely any South Asian faces in magazines, fashion, etc.
Any upcoming projects we can expect from you?
There are a lot of projects I had in mind right before COVID hit, so when we are all vaccinated and safe to do so, I hope to work on shoots involving groups of women at a time.
What would you like people to take away from your work?
I’d just like my work to be a safe space, an escape and a community.
Interview by 35s & 45s
04.06.21