Souhayl A

Winner of FotoSlovo Award 2024
We are thrilled to interview Souhayl A, who became an Overall Winner of the FotoSlovo Award 2024.
His project “Gangsta Dating Story” stood out for its remarkable emotional depth, compelling storytelling, and technical mastery, capturing our attention and leaving a lasting impression.
Hello Souhayl! You became the Overal Winner of FotoSlovo Award 2024, our congratulations! Winning an award is a major achievement. How do you think this impact your photography career going forward?
Winning a photography award is always a pleasure, especially since I rarely enter competitions. That said, it is always good to confront the critical eye of the jury, in order to get constructive feedback on your own work. This experience also gives me a sense of how my photographic project resonates and is received!
The theme of your project is quite unusual. Can you tell more how you came to shoot the Gangsta project? Describe your creative process when starting this project. Did you plan it out in advance, or was it more spontaneous?
In 2011, I set out to photograph people with fully tattooed bodies, naturally looking to the United States, where tattoo culture was more established. A pivotal encounter soon shifted my focus, inspiring me to capture not only the tattoos but also the lives of individuals connected to a Miami-area gang.
 Through a key contact, I gained access to this otherwise closed world, and the vision for the project quickly took shape. By 2012, I was certain this work had the depth and potential to become a photographic book. It was no easy task, but with patience and perseverance, I managed to build this project and produce a result close to what I had initially imagined when I started it.
"A good photographer should decode and reveal emotions that resonate universally."
What was the inspiration behind this project? Could you share the story or emotion you wanted viewers to get by this series? How did you approach capturing emotion in your photographs?
I wanted to edit the project and present it in such a way that the viewer can place it in an unknown universe, and we come away with the feeling of having learned something about a non-documentary medium in photography.
 For inspiration, I looked to the narrative structure of Training Day, the Oscar-winning film starring Denzel Washington. Like the film, I shaped the book as a story unfolding over 24 hours: beginning at night, moving through the events of the day, and concluding the following night.
All my past experiences influence how I perceive and capture the world. I photograph what moves me, whether positively or negatively, and I’m no longer drawn to capturing weak or fleeting moments. To me, a good photographer is someone who can decode and reveal emotions that resonate universally. Across all cultures and differences, there exists a common thread that unites us as humans, setting us apart from other species.
 A photographer should be able to capture joy, sadness, despair, loneliness, boredom, ecstasy, madness, love and grief— in any given moment.
What advice would you give to aspire photographers who just started their career and searching for a personal style? Do you recommend applying to photo-contests?
Absolutely! Competitions are an excellent way to elevate your skills, whether by receiving feedback from an expert jury or by entering into a sort of competition with other artists, which allows you to judge your current artistic level. Photo Awards offer valuable exposure and networking opportunities.
  As Foto Slovo Award exhibited my work in Gallery, I had the pleasure of attending the exhibition's opening event, where I look forward to meeting you and connect with others in the photography community. This event could open doors to further opportunities later..
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