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Salah-Eddine Mouslim (MA),
Observing the ordinary
(1) Please introduce yourself: What is your name, where are you from, what do you do?
My name is Salah-Eddine Mouslim, an emerging photographer from Oulad Teima, Morocco. Currently, I'm based in Marrakech, working as a full-time graphic designer.
(2) What is your relationship with photography and how did you get into it?
My relationship with photography is deeply rooted in my family, particularly with my dad, who is also a photography enthusiast. From a young age, I found myself holding one of my dad's cameras in my hands, whether it was a camcorder, a digicam, or even a disposable film camera. We often captured special occasions such as holiday celebrations, birthdays, and family gatherings, as well as landscapes from his hometown during our summer vacations. This exposure to photography from my dad has sparked a lasting passion within me for documenting what I see in my daily life.
(3) What do you think triggers you to photograph in a certain moment? Is it planned or solely driven by intuition?
I believe it's a combination of both planning and intuition, although intuition tends to play a primary role. Photography has become rooted in my daily life, especially with the convenience of phone cameras offering sufficient resolution. Often, I find myself impulsively capturing moments that strike me. However, there are instances where planning is necessary, such as in low-light conditions where I need to rely on my camera, or when the composition doesn't feel quite right initially. In such cases, observation transforms into analysis, and I mentally compose the scene for a later capture.
(4) What is the story you want your pictures to tell?
I hope that my photos can evoke any sort of emotions in viewers, or at least prompt them to reflect on their thoughts whenever they encounter something familiar within my photography.
(5) Which city would you like to visit the most, and why?
Two places currently sit at the top of my list. In Morocco, Fahs al Mhar in the region of Tetouan captivated me the moment I stumbled upon a few videos showcasing its breathtaking mountain landscapes. It seems like the perfect destination for hiking and capturing mountain scenery. While abroad, I have a somewhat silly goal on my bucket list: to listen to Frank Ocean's Pyramids next to the actual pyramids in Giza, Egypt. So, Giza is another city I am eager to explore in the near future.
(6) What is your personal relationship to cities and how do you perceive them as places in general?
It is a deeply introspective relationship. Growing up in a small city characterized by vast empty fields, sparse population, and modest urban development profoundly influenced the way I perceive the world and approach my photography.
(7) Regarding your project Observing the Ordinary: What was your intention, and how did you come up with the idea?
This series began shortly after the pandemic when I was sparked by an epiphany during the lockdown period. As I found myself confined to my home, I began photographing mundane aspects of my surroundings, particularly the walls of our home's rooftop. This realization created a hunger within me to document the simplicity of my everyday life. It evolved into a desire to capture the basic elements that construct urban landscapes and anything else that might be perceived as ordinary in the outside world.
(8) Which project did you never finish?
Actually, it might be Observing the Ordinary. This project serves as a journey of self reflection, and for now I can't think of something that would force me to finish it.
(9) What is that «one thing» you have never managed to photograph and is now gone for good?
I genuinely can't think of anything. I guess what I've missed is permanently erased from my memory.
(10) If you could travel back / forth in time, what advice would you give your younger / older self?
For my older self, «never be passive about the things you love or toward the people you love.» And for my younger self, «comparison will make you miserable over time.»
(11) What do you prefer saying: to «take a photograph» or to «make a photograph», and why?
As our brains go through several cognitive processes beyond merely clicking a button, I prefer to say «make a photograph» rather than «take a photograph.»
(12) What is the most interesting experience you have had while photographing?
It was once during a trip with my older brother to the coastal city of Essaouira, Morocco, in the cold month of January, which is considered an off-season period for the city. It was interesting to witness and photograph the transformation of the city into a ghost town compared to its bustling atmosphere in summer.
(13) If it wasn’t for photography, what would you be interested in doing instead?
I enjoy using and sensing things with my hands, so something like woodcraft or pottery would interest me.
(14) How would you describe one of your pictures to visually impaired blind person?
It is quite challenging. Most of my work showcases bright and vibrant colors. I've read once that colors can be described to a blind person by associating them with other sensory experiences. For instance, green may evoke the texture of a plant leaf, or blue might be likened to the sound of waves. However, I'm not sure if the colors I've captured in my photos can have identical representations in the real world.
(15) What are you currently working on, and—if there is—what is your next project or journey?
Currently, there are two projects I'm focusing on. One is ongoing and still in its early stages. It's an extension of the Observing The Ordinary project, exploring how frequently we perceive ourselves as passersby in today's world, particularly amidst rapid contemporary urban development. This project primarily documents pedestrians in their natural habitat against the backdrop of urban topography. The second one is a long-term documentary project in collaboration with my dad, featuring his archive photos...
Thank you, Salah-Eddine.
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Images
1 Ait Meloul, Morocco.
2 Essaouria, Morocco.
3 Teima, Morocco.
4 Agadir, Morocco.
5 Ait Meloul, Morocco.
6 Agadir, Morocco.
7 Essaouria, Morocco.
8 Teima, Morocco.
9 Agadir, Morocco.
10 Oulad Teima, Morocco.
11 Taghazout, Morocco.
12 Oulad Teima, Morocco.
13 Oulad Teima, Morocco.
14 Rabat, Morocco.
15 Oulad Teima, Morocco.
16 Inzegane, Morocco.
17 Oulad Teima, Morocco.
18 Oulad Teima, Morocco.
© Salah-Eddine Mouslim, Observing the Ordinary, 2024.
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