When MSU alumnus Khalid Ibrahim was a young boy, his father routinely gave him all his used photo equipment to help him create his own photographs. It wasn’t until many years later that Ibrahim began his own photography business, Eat Pomegranate Photography.
“Since then, I have been absolutely obsessed with capturing people’s personalities in portraiture,” Ibrahim said in an email.
In addition to photography, Ibrahim said science always has been a passion. After graduation, he started working for MSU with Dr. Stephen Obaro on a study investigating bacteremic syndromes in children with sickle cell anemia.
“I am incredibly thankful to MSU’s administration for helping promote me as a student and as a staff member,” he said.
At first, Ibrahim said he took photos just for fun, but when he saw others taking enjoyment out of his work, he knew he needed to start a real business.
“My photography business started because my friends and family kept telling me that I should get paid for the work I do,” Ibrahim said. “I often took it for granted because I assumed my friends and family were biased, but when strangers started noticing my photography, I got a lot more serious.”
Studio art senior Jill Hakala said Ibrahim’s business gives hope that she will be able to practice her art form after graduation.
“When I see a successful MSU (alumnus), especially one in the art field, that makes me feel more confident that I will be all right after I complete my degree,” Hakala said. “The unknown of what the future will be like is frightening for many, and seeing that another’s future turned out all right is reassuring.”
Journalism freshman Sophie Smith said photography is an important art form today.
“It stops time,” Smith said. “Photos of people are especially interesting because emotion is involved. You can see the expressions on faces or body language and just imagine what they were thinking or feeling at that time.”
Recently, Ibrahim began his current project, The 100 Strangers Project.
“The idea is to take a portrait of a person you don’t know when you release the first shutter,” Ibrahim said. “As I am traveling for work or just walking about town, I come across people who have captivating personalities … I have been introduced to incredible individuals this way, and if they are up to it, I ask them to be a part of The 100 Strangers Project.”
At times, Ibrahim said getting strangers to open up about their personal lives can be a challenge.
“My goal is to try to sneak around that fear of the big black camera and photograph the real self. Once in a while, I am able to get ‘the shot,’ and those photographs make all the failed attempts worthwhile.”
Currently, Ibrahim is in southern Africa helping an MSU professor with a clinical trial of a new drug that would prevent seizures in young children who have cerebral malaria.
To learn more about Ibrahim and Eat Pomegranate Photography, visit eatpomegranate.com.
Support student media! Please consider donating to The State News and help fund the future of journalism.
