In intertwining both visual and emotional depth, photography has a manner of capturing a universal language. Beyond aesthetics, it is the investment of emotion behind each subject that births a masterful photographer. This is something that truly resonates with me when admiring the work of Tamila Shchur. As a portrait photographer who has lived in the UAE for the past 14 years, she uses her art by means of capturing the spirit of those who surround her. After dropping out of high school, Tamila began to dedicate the majority of her time to observing and networking with diverse photographers.

Her work today stands as a testament to her search for authenticity. Once mastering her own touch, she also realized the most rewarding step for her to take was planning an exhibition dedicated to her own mother. Discover Tamila’s reflections on this journey.

Following your fascination with faces and personages, what is it about portrait photography that particularly moves you?

My favorite thing about taking portraits is capturing certain glances that you wouldn’t usually notice in people. Sometimes it’s hidden anger, sometimes pain, and other times it’s just pure happiness.

How have your experiences of growing up in the UAE transpired into your work?

Growing up in the UAE opened me up to so many different cultures that have made me realize that I love nothing more than capturing people in their beautiful traditional outfits, especially when they feel nostalgic.

My mother went through hell and back through-out her life. Raising two daughters and working full time wasn’t really a piece of cake, which is why growing up by her side made me realize that women are the strongest human beings on this planet.

So shortly after I started taking pictures I realized how important it would be for me to pay homage to all the beautiful, strong women on earth.

Go out there, shoot everyone, on the spot, plan a separate day with the model, but most importantly shoot. Don’t be afraid of reaching out to different models, stylists, agencies to help you reach certain brands. The more you practice your craft, the better you get at it.

You also have a passion for painting and sculpting. In what ways has nurtured a creative means of expression contributed to your personal growth?

It has taught me the true meaning of patience and that you can’t expect yourself to perfect every craft from the first try. Also, one of the things the majority of people have trouble understanding is that all forms of art are therapeutic in their own way. It helps people let out their emotions and hopefully find peace.

Can you tell us more about your new venture as the founder of “No Boys Allowed”? What birthed the concept?

I started No Boys Allowed in hopes of finding girls that were into the same things as me, sneakers and streetwear. From then on the plan was to build a strong community of powerful girls based in this region. I always felt a little out of place, you could say slightly lonely, growing up, and being talked down to for not being feminine enough as a 13-year-old girl with a tomboyish style.

Eventually, everyone was hoping I would grow out of it but of course, I found a couple of girls throughout the way that had the same taste, interests as me which made me feel more complete, more normal. Throughout the years I realized the number of girls that I know based all around this region, with similar stories as mine, but not really having a strong community they could also be a part of or could relate to, so I decided to create one.

We love your eye for detail! In what ways does your work as a photographer influence this new project?

Every project we’ve done so far has been directed, shot, and styled by me. It’s been fun and exciting doing passion projects for yourself with no strict rules or guidelines, but we’ll definitely start curating photo shoots and collaborating with more female photographers, stylists, and MUAs, so definitely look forward to that!

What would you define as the driving ethos for your body of work?

I’d like to convey the appreciation of the female as a whole.

What can we expect from the future of the brand?

Once we build a strong community of powerful women in this region, my plan is to hopefully open a first female sneaker shop. Our plan will be to put out the best curation of sneakers and streetwear for us girls in the region. We can not wait for you to see everything, inshallah!