Hi thank you for visiting my website!

 

I am Farhat, born of Indian heritage, culturally Arabic (having grown up in Dubai), a Kiwi by choice and recently returned to Auckland after a four year stint in Melbourne. Well, that’s a few countries ticked off on the Scratch the World Map already!

​

I have always loved the outdoors and looked forward to weekends at the beaches or the waadis (oasis) surrounding Dubai. The grand vistas of shifting sand dunes and shimmering mirages never ceased to amaze me. I would love nothing better than to climb a hill and sit atop gazing at the many sand dunes spread all the way to the horizon. My lust for adventure however, was not a winning attribute growing up in a gender biased society and soon I had to swap my dreams for a more “culturally approved” lifestyle.

 

Many years later, after a life-changing event, I purchased a camera with the aim to declutter my mind and realign my focus on life. I would often head out to the beaches in West Auckland seeking solitude amidst the crashing waves. The camera was an instrument that I hid behind pretending to focus on the scene in front. However, at some point, the focus shifted from decluttering my mind to recognising the raw beauty of nature. The first “aha” moment came when the camera settings aligned with the most glorious sunset I had seen at that beach. This was a moment of revelation; of having arrived mentally in the present with new perspective on the beauty surrounding me.

 

It was in that moment that I fell in love with the art of capturing the world in my camera. This was six years ago!

 

My journey with the camera has been an exercise in self-discovery. I no longer hide behind it; in fact, it is an extension of me, paving the way to new adventures. My passion for the outdoors has only grown and I am truly happiest roaming the mountains and valleys with my camera.

 

My desire as a landscape photographer is to capture intimate moments in nature and present it such that the viewer feels they were standing right beside me.

​

​