Capturing the spirit of Syawal
It’s the best time to take some human interest photos, writes Salliza Salleh
IN a few days, we will be celebrating Hari Raya. This celebration is all about togetherness. Families from all over the country will travel back to their hometown and spend the first day of Syawal together. Homes will be decorated with colourful lights, new curtains, etc and the dinner tables will be filled with various traditional and modern Hari Raya delicacies for family members and guests.
This is also the time to capture festive photos. Bring along your camera when you “balik kampung”. Capture the crowd at the mosque during Aidilfitri’s morning prayers, snap the joy of preparing and enjoying meals, and take those precious moments of shared generosity and seeking forgiveness among family members and friends.
Here’s what you can do to capture those special moments.
Hari Raya is a good time to stock up on our photo collection. The festive mood, decorations, cookies and traditional food such as lemang, ketupat, rendang, tapai and burasak are easily available during this time. I decided to capture and document the process of making my favourite Hari Raya cookies, the pineapple tart.
Capture that special moment of your loved ones preparing traditional food this Raya. Train your eyes to see from an artistic perspective and make every moment memorable. This is a photo of my mother sitting on a carpet with abstract designs while preparing the Kelantan ketupat daun palas. The source of light came from the door in front of her. I stood on a chair and pointed my camera down towards her. The photo captured an aesthetic side of her life.
On the first day of Syawal, we will wear the best Hari Raya attire and be surrounded by family members. This is a perfect moment for a family portrait. Put your camera on a tripod, set the camera on self-timer, say cheers together and just be goofy. This is a family portrait taken at my mother’s house. We do this every year during Hari Raya Aidilfitri and Aidiladha.
Malaysians love our open houses especially during Hari Raya. While enjoying the food, I always look forward to capturing that joyful festive moment. In this photo are my friends in their festive attire enjoying the moment as we seek forgiveness from each other.
Hari Raya is about generosity and sharing. Gifts are exchanged between the rich and the poor, regardless of race or age. In this photo, my friend Zuhri Iskandar is seen giving a Hari Raya packet to a baby girl. Children’s eyes often light up when they receive this gift. Get close to your subject and try to capture the moment.