Capturing Life

Salahuddin Ahmed. Photo: Prabir Das

From early childhood, Salahuddin was passionate about light and camera. However, at that time he never thought that his love would turn towards photography. Salahuddin Ahmed is one of the most brilliant emerging documentary photographers in Bangladesh, whose works have been acclaimed nationally and internationally. He has recently awarded The Ian Perry Scholarship 2015 for his outstanding documentary photography.

While studying in tourism and hospitality management in Malaysia, Salahuddin used to pursue photography out of passion. "I used to read articles on photography techniques and would memorise them word by word. Then I used to try the rules with my inexpensive camera -- not at all suitable for professional photography," says Salahuddin.

After completing his undergrad studies, he discovered his love for books on photography and would often experiment with his camera. Eventually, he jumped into photography professionally. "When all my friends were busy with their jobs and businesses, I went for a new beginning," he says. "I enrolled myself at the Pathshala South Asia Media Academy for a 3 year long diploma course on photography."

From the day he bought his first DSLR, Salahuddin started to capture the life of the tannery workers. "I grew up and still live in Rayer bazaar which is very close to Hazaribagh, the hub of Bangladesh's tannery industries," he says. "I used to spend time with the tannery workers and observe how they live and work in this fatally hazardous condition."

From this experience Salahuddin decided to take a series of photos on the life of these workers, some of the most neglected labour forces in Bangladesh. With selected photos, Salahuddin made a photo story called 'Toxic Tanning' which got him 'The Ian Parry Scholarship Award 2015'. 

Besides these, Salahuddin is also known for his works on the Rana Plaza disaster, one of the most tragic building collapse incidents in Bangladesh. He visited Nepal immediately after the devastating earthquake to capture the disaster there. Polaris Images, an international photo and news agency has published many of his works.

Salahuddin is planning to expand his project 'Toxic Tanning' and work on it more extensively. He says, "I am passionate about documentary photography and I will continue doing it for the rest of my life. Through my work, I want to depict the survival of our people."