Connected MENA chats with Anna Shtraus

Having worked on Iconic photographic and videographic projects in this region, Anna has gained unique creative experiences as well as overcoming creative challenges…

Connected MENA is looking forward to understanding life behind and in front of the camera!

Hi Anna, tell the Connected MENA audience about what inspired you to pick up the Camera?

My full-time photography career started with the founder of Gulf Photo Plus running after me in the street and offering me a job as a studio photographer in 2016. But looking back, whenever in a job interview, a recruiter would ask: “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?”, my answer is “5 years ago I was a fashion magazine assistant at @SavoirFlair, 5 years before that I was a translator on an oil drilling ship, and 5 years before that I was studying to become a professor of linguistics” so unlikely anyone can guess where I will be in 5 years from now. Would I have ever anticipated becoming a full-time photographer (in such a dynamic city as Dubai)? No. But I was always documenting my life along the way which eventually led me to a career in the field. 

It’s tricky trying to explain to an industry-outsider, how it feels when you see perfect light or a perfect composition and get charged with the urge to capture it so strong that it’s nearly seeping through your fingers. All photographs are memento mori. To take a photograph is to participate in another person’s (or thing’s) mortality by slicing out this moment and freezing it; all photographs testify to time’s relentless melt, as famously stated by Susan Sontag.

What have been your most memorable shoots and what made them memorable?

One fun thing about this job is that it makes you collect stories. Whether it is a story of chasing a Container Truck of Hapag Lloyd through Downtown Dubai or shooting the Minister of Interior because the Ministry photographer didn’t show up that day, it is never boring. I have met celebrities and been to places you don’t normally get invited to because I had a camera with me. I had to run on a tarmac of DWC airport to capture that perfect shot of a private jet landing with the Burj Khalifa in the background. Another time I got chased by a policeman from Fujairah, who wanted me to take a picture of his car… as you can tell, there are plenty of memories to pick from. Feel free to follow my blog at: www.annashtrausblog.com where I share some of them.

How has the profession evolved over the past 5 years, are you seeing some significant changes in what clients need? 

There has been an obvious shift in focus throughout the industry going away from the culture of providing only a single service to becoming an all-round professional. It is rather rare nowadays that a photographer gets hired because of their particular style, but rather due to their ability to reproduce desired results requested by the brands. At the same time, even individuals present themselves as brands today and are in need of visuals to support their “brand vision”. We are definitely moving away from the boring corporate portraits on neutral backgrounds to a “business card expressed in your portrait” styled shots.

At the same time, the job description of a photographer/videographer is getting replaced by the “content creator” and urges us to be ready to tell the story in newer, shorter and more engaging formats, as our clients’ attention span also gets shorter and shorter. Whether you like it or hate it, these are the new rules to play by if you want to stay relevant in this industry.

What would be your top success tips for newbies in this industry?

The famous quote of Henri Cartier-Bresson says: “Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst”, so don’t get discouraged if your results don’t match your expectations the day you purchased your fancy photographic equipment - it is all about practice. 

Don’t go bananas purchasing every lens, tripod and stabilizer that the famous YouTuber’s gush about - if you need something specific for your next job, you can always rent it out and charge it to the client.

And last but not least, no matter how brushed up your social media grid looks or how impressive your portfolio is on your newly built website, you still need to go out there and network. Every gathering is an opportunity to sell your skills, so don’t be shy and always keep a pocketful of business cards, ready to dispatch whenever a chance occurs.

Keep in mind, there are a lot of photographers out there, but if people feel comfortable having you around, they will keep hiring you. So, smile (yes, even with the mask on), always have your camera ready with you, and have fun. Otherwise, what’s the purpose?