Here Is Everything You Need to Know About the Genius Egyptian Artist Behind GFF’s Dramatic Shoot

By Summer El-Morally On Oct 10, 2018

Via Ahmed Hayman Photography

You might think it’s all about hitting the shutter-release button at the perfect moment, but it’s not that simple. It takes talent, experience, and an adept mind to make it through in the photography scene. And whether you’re really into the details of photography, or you just appreciate a beautiful portrait or even a skillfully taken selfie; it takes a lot of skill to take those unbelievable selfies, you’ll definitely enjoy the work of Ahmed Hayman, AKA Hymanics.

Amidst all the fashion rave, the movie recognition, and the paparazzi drama in El Gouna Film Festival, Hayman got in with his lens and left us with an art to revel in. In his series “Dramatic Portraits,” he captured a number of actors, actresses, directors, and starlets of the GFF18, in their most real and humane state. That’s why we decided to dig deeper and know everything about the artist behind all those sensational and eloquent portraits.

Ahmed Hayman is an illustrious photographer who studied Mass Communications; and carries a Visual Storytelling Diploma from the School of Media and Journalism in Denmark, back in 2011. His Photography earned an abundance of awards, and he had a number of exhibitions such as “From My Lens to Her Dreams” which was organized by UN-Women & PLAN back in 2013. Hayman decided to contribute more to the photography community and started his own school for photography, Beit El Sura, which is also a gallery, a studio, and an exquisite outdoor co-working space.

We sat down one on one with Hayman to get to know about him even more and here’s what he had to say!

How did you delve into photography?

Photography is my way of expression, and I enjoy meeting new people and documenting their lives through photography.

Which of your exhibitions is your favorite so far?

“The Dream Is Still Alive” which is about the Syrian women and their dreams. It’s a project I had with the Arab Women Organisation and UN Women and it was the first release of my first photography book.

Which country do you want to visit for your next shoot?

I’d definitely love to visit Iceland and Japan.

If you could, which of the world famous figures/celebrities would you capture?

Whoa, well, I would choose Jennifer Laurence, Jim Carrey, Joaquin Phoenix, and of course, Tom Hanks.

What made you start Beit El Sura and when did you start it?

Well, I didn’t start it alone. My wife, Reem Ossama, and I started Beit el Sura 2 years ago. We both wanted to contribute to the society by impacting our clients to see all the beauty that’s around them and becoming the enhanced versions of themselves.

Are you planning on expanding the school around the country?

Well, let’s hope for the best.

On your recent shoot in El Gouna, which of the Stars were the most photogenic from your own point of view?

Honestly, every single person I photographed is very special.

Is it easier to capture actors and actresses than other people?

I thought it would be a challenge, but it turned out to be fun and very interesting. I’m used to street photography, approaching and photographing strangers all the time, so I think both are equal.

What made you choose the dark background and the one-word caption? Did you choose each word for each person?

I checked many photos for everyone I photographed, and I couldn’t find a dramatic portrait with a black background. So I thought of doing something different. We also asked all the celebrities to wear dark or plain colors to unite the theme, which worked out really well. Regarding words, it was one of Reem’s roles, as well as filming all behind the scenes video footage.

Will we be seeing more of these shoots?

Hopefully.

What was the hardest shoot for Hayman?

If it’s about El Gouna Film Festival, then it’s definitely Owen Wilson as I only had 2 minutes to break the ice, fix the light, and try to get an emotion out of him.

On the photography scene in Egypt, how can a photographer be discovered?

Facebook and Instagram now are very easy to use and could be used to reach everyone. Also, there are lots of photography events happening at Beit El Sura, where we do a lot of workshops and we feature the impressive end results on our page.

What is the next step for Haymanics?

Stay tuned for a big project very soon.

WE SAID THIS: Which portrait is your favorite?

#photoshoot Ahmed Hayman el gouna film festival Exhibitions gff18 Haymanics Photographer photography