Aram Faghfouri: Digital Photographer

It’s time for me to stop neglecting the arts.

That might sound funny, coming from someone who possesses a climbable stack of oil paintings, more pencils than pairs of underwear, and uses a Moleskine as a wallet. But it’s true. I haven’t been doing my part to appreciate and promote the arts, and I’d like to change that.

To this end, I secured an interview with the very talented, very busy Aram Faghfouri and her glass of Cresta Blanca. A brilliant visual artist, digital photographer, and close personal friend, Aram was born in Tehran, moved to Canada via Greece at a young age, and currently lives just across the river from Ottawa in the province of Québec.

Anyone who’s seen your art can tell you’re a talented artist. Can you give an overview of the media in which you’ve worked?

I am a digital photographer. I prefer to capture whatever I see as I see it. I work in Adobe Photoshop. That is my baby; without it I have Photoshop withdrawal. In Photoshop, I am able to let loose with my imagination and give it what it needs to stand out above the rest. I usually take several angles of the same object, whether is it a person, building, or whatever, so once time comes to edit the photo, I have several different points of view to work on. I sit down and choose the best angle. I pop on some tunes that go with the vibe I am in at the time, and let the music and my imagination run wild.

It’s clear that you’ve chosen to concentrate on photography, at least at the moment. Why?

I don’t think you have to be brilliant at something, whether be it painting, photography, drawing, etc. to be called an artist. I think to be able to create something out of nothing, or to take something, say a wedding, and capture a different point of view—that is art. To make something your own, that is art. I concentrate on photography because it is the essence of life. You can write a thousand words to describe a moment. You can paint it, you can draw it; but when you take a picture of it, and you take it from an angle no one else would have thought to, that is what it is all about. To make someone else see what you saw then, to capture the moment, to embrace the feeling through a picture, that my friend, that is the power of photography.

How would you describe your artistic philosophy? What (or who) are your influences?

To take a picture of whatever the subject, and to take it as the moment is happening. That to me is art. I cannot stand the “posed” look. If I am there to take your picture, I am there to take that “moment” and hold on to it for life. You want to look back and recapture memories of the moment. You don’t want a hundred pictures of everyone smiling and posing for the camera. To take a picture of a building, you would be correct in assuming almost anyone would take the same angle since it is just a building, but there are so many different ways of capturing the true beauty in something, and I have found I am gifted in bringing out the truth in a picture. What are my influences? I thrive on being different. I don’t want to fall into the crowd and possibly get lost. I want to make sure that when you look at a photo, you would be able to tell which one was taken by Aram. Slowly, but surely, I am attaining that.

What inspires you?
A smile. To get that smile out of a client within a second of laying eyes on the finished product. That is what inspires me. Another thing would be to create something bigger and better then the last project.

What keeps you going; what motivates you to continue producing?

When I am down, stressed, whatever the case may be, my only salvation is to get lost in photography.

Your partner, Pat, is also an artist. That must make for an interesting relationship. How does that contribute to your inspiration?

Pat is beautiful. Inside and luckily for me, outside as well. [Laughs] He really does inspire me—always so fascinated with my work, encouraging me to pursue photography and my dreams. To be able to know I have that kind of support on my side, it only gives me more strength to want to dive right in.

You’ve done work for different people and organizations over the years. What were some of your favourite projects, and why?

Iceberg. A six–member Ambient Electronic Jazz band, I started working with them back in 2006. It was my first time out in public working live with a huge crowd. I was used to working in the studio, or on-my-own time projects; but to work with something so big, it really pushed me to the edge in a great way. I experimented. It was so beautiful to see what I captured every time throughout the three years I worked with Iceberg. It was great fun to go back and view my work to date, and even more exhilarating to go through the band’s reaction to each project. I learned a lot of valuable lessons that I will carry with me forever.

There’s this almost universal stereotype of the starving artist, or having to have a “day job” to supplement your art. How do you respond to that?

It is a very scary world out there if you choose to pursue your passion in art as a full-time career. I can tell you that is the number one reason why I am still working in a field that is not related to my passion. But nothing is attainable without years of hard work and effort. If you want it so bad, one way or another, day job or no day job, you will get what you are after.

The City of Ottawa has been characterized as kind of rocky ground for artists, what with the lack of cultural funding and support. How do you deal with this? Does it affect you? Is it different because you’re across the water in the Outaouais?

I am very lucky that the Québec Government treats all businesses with the utmost respect. Whether you are opening a hair salon or you want to be an artist, you have their support. As a photographer, I can say I have had a very warm welcome in the Outaouais area, and I have had the honour of them being able to pick out Aram’s work above the rest. I have to stick to my previous answer: if you want something that bad, with the right work, the sky’s the limit, help or no help.

Given the current municipal administration, is there a War on Art in this city?

It is a sea of sharks out there. I cannot say I keep tabs on the world of Art. I enjoy truth; there is nothing beyond that for me when it comes to Art. Go get what you want. If you have worked hard, it will be proven, war or no war. You cannot get mixed up in current affairs to stay on top, you are what you create. If it is done right, there is nothing that can stand in the way of that. It comes down to what the people want and there is no war that can change that.

What advice would you give someone trying to become a working artist in today’s environment?

Don’t get caught up in politics, create from your heart and soul. You must be able to recapture the same feeling and be able to smell the same air that you did when you were creating it. That is the only way you will succeed. Grab what you want, make it clear it is yours, and go as far as you need to go to be seen. Never give into what is considered “good” vs. “bad.” Art is not subject to how good you are, it is what you can create, so never let it hold you back from making something yours. Then you will be seen.

Where do we go if we want to see more of your work?

Aram Designs, FaceBook or MySpace

I strongly encourage you to peruse Aram’s work on her various websites and wherever else you can find it. If you require her professional services, Aram Designs is really the first place you should go. Enjoy!