In a conversation, Ata Mohammad Adnan, Rasem Bappy and Umer Aiman Khan, the co-founders of Reminiscence Photography, elaborate on their journey, the evolution of Bangladesh’s wedding industry and the experience of going global.
Reminiscence Photography is at the forefront of the wedding photography industry now. How did it all start a decade ago?
Ata Mohammad Adnan:
Our journey as photographers began with simply taking photos on the street. At the time, the wedding photography scene in Dhaka was very portrait-based. Every household would have photo albums containing typical portraits of the bride and groom, with plenty of group photos. However, street photography is based on moments. Any movement or change can happen in a split second; if you miss it, it’s gone for good. The same goes for small moments during weddings, and we realised that these moments really matter. Think about the first time the parents see their daughter as a bride. They experience a plethora of emotions, but they get caught up in the moment to commit every detail to memory. This is where we come in; we capture such precious moments so that they can relive them and lose themselves in reminiscence. This is how Reminiscence Photography came to exist; we wanted to let our clients have a record of the cherishable, beautiful stories that were shaped by these special moments of their special day.
Co-founder of Reminiscence Photography, Ata Mohammad Adnan is a pioneer in candid wedding photography in Bangladesh. He has exhibited photographs in more than 10 countries & won multiple international awards including Sony World Photo Awards 2015 and International Photo Awards (IPA’2017). Adnan is also the brand ambassador of Sony Bangladesh.
How has the (wedding photography) industry evolved since you first started?
Rasem Bappy:
If we compare our industry to wedding photographers globally, then we can proudly say that it has grown considerably. Client preferences have changed, and people now value story-telling through photography. While decor and attire are still important to many, they prefer to capture emotions instead of traditional portraits. Due to this change over the years, Reminiscence Photography and the industry have become even more relevant now than it was a decade ago. Our wedding industry is now similar to that of other South Asian countries, such as India and Pakistan.
Rasem Bappy, co-founder of Reminiscence Photography, picked up a passion for photography in 2010 while photographing friends and family with a cell phone. Over the course of ten years, he has developed a style of his own with a mix of cinematic portraits and an eye for quirky moments at weddings.
Reminiscence Photography is now going global. How has this experience been for you?
Umer Aiman Khan:
We wouldn’t have believed you if you had said this to us a decade ago. Whether it’s the UK or Singapore, we have received the warmest welcomes from the Bangladeshi community abroad. It is heartwarming to be recognised for our work outside of Bangladesh. We have worked in the UK, India, Nepal, Thailand, Singapore and even the US. It is humbling to think that our clients choose us over the photographers in these countries, who are all formidable and thoroughly capable in their own right. It is also a bit overwhelming to think that we started as a Bangladeshi company, and are international photographers now. Regardless, we are immensely grateful for it all. Someday, we hope to shoot weddings in Kashmir, India or Lake Como, Italy.
Umer Aiman Khan is the youngest co-founder of Reminiscence Photography. Aiman’s love for experimenting with artificial light, as well as his fun approach to weddings, has made him a favorite amongst many prospective clients.
