Abdulaziz Alsorayai

Abdulaziz Alsorayai might be a Canon Ambassador today, but when he was applying to Kuwait University more than a decade ago, photography was far from his mind. He'd just achieved top-notch grades at high school in Kuwait, where he was born and raised, and this meant he was in an enviable position when it came to choosing what he wanted to do. "I love math and numbers," he says. "I was going to be a petroleum engineer."

During his second year, though, in 2009, Abdulaziz met up with a friend who was studying graphic design. The course included a photography module and his friend was using a Canon EOS 5D, which Abdulaziz was able to try out for himself. A little lightbulb started to flicker inside him. "I said to myself, 'I could do something like this, if I had my own gear'," he recalls. "I was watching my friend, and I felt that I wanted to comment on his pictures. I had to say to myself, 'Aziz, no, you need to get your own camera, not comment on other people's photography.'"

After shifting his studies from engineering to political science, with a minor in media, Abdulaziz spent much of his spare time learning to take pictures. Since college, he has worked on shoots with a range of clients, in Kuwait and other countries across the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council), including national banks and large telecoms firms.

Initially, his focus was photography, but in 2015, Abdulaziz realised it was time to start learning videography. "I thought it would be hard to shift from one to the other – but in fact, I found it easy," he says. "Since then, I've been sharing my knowledge with other people who want to switch from photos to video."

You can see some examples of Abdulaziz's video work in his showreel, above.

Abdulaziz is a great believer in paying forward the skills he has learned. He has run workshops in Kuwait and the wider Gulf region teaching video-centric skills, from simple camera operation to understanding editing programs. He also worked as a head of creative for Kuwait's Ministry of Youth. "Now I'm not just a videographer," he says. "I'm a content creator and I'm a director. When people ask me how I see myself, I say that I'm like a joker card. In the field, you can use me however you want."

What is your process when you go into a commercial shoot for a new client?

"I first go to the location without a camera, to get a feeling for the place, the atmosphere. The first thing I check is the light. I use a phone app called Sun Surveyor – you can track the sun, where it comes from and when the best moments will be. It helps me to decide whether I'm going to use artificial light or sunlight. This makes it easier when I come to do a mood board for the client."

Would you say your images and videos have a particular visual style?

"People often say to me, 'You have a touch in your videos.' I don't know what it is – maybe it's editing, colour, or just the mood. Each client will have a different feel, a different approach, a different style. But every time, people say there is a touch of my work in there, and if they see a video I haven't mentioned that I did, they know I did it."

You have an interesting CV. Do you think this has given you a unique perspective?

"I'm glad I did all these things. I think politics has helped me when dealing with clients – how to be diplomatic, how to talk to them. Media has helped me think about the audience, what they need and what they like. And engineering helps me solve problems, to think outside the box and deal with different scenarios."

Is there a particular project or job of which you're most proud?

"I was director of a project for a bank in Kuwait. We filmed real people, loyal bank customers, and asked them just one question: 'If the bank were a person, how would you talk about them?' And people talked about the bank as a friend, as someone who had helped them. It was emotional, and tangible. That was a project very near to my heart."

"Don't forget any person who has taught you something, even if it's just how to fix a screw in your camera. And then, if any photographer or videographer ever asks you for something, share your knowledge. Sharing your knowledge, rather than keeping it for yourself, will help you improve your own passion. When I first started to reply to people's questions on social channels, they would be shocked: 'Oh, you replied to me!' And I would say, 'Yeah! Why not?' Because I have learned that kindness, politeness and willingness to help other people all make a lot of difference in the world of photography and videography."

Instagram: @alsry3