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Sharjah - Suzan Al Ameri is the first Arab photographer to cover events in the Nashville area of ??Tennessee, and became an acclaimed journalism photographer after her education at the Nossi College of Art

Set amongst the backdrop of increasing Islamophobia in the United States, a popular Emirati photojournalist has won the prestigious ADDY photography award for the picture of an elderly woman performing her prayers at a mosque in Nashville, Tennessee.
ADDY is the advertising industry's most representative competition, attracting more than 40,000 entries every year. Suzan Al Ameri, a former Arab journalist in Dubai, has won the honour for her creative spirit of excellence.
Al Ameri is the first Arab photographer to cover events in the Nashville area of ??Tennessee, and became an acclaimed journalism photographer after her education at the Nossi College of Art. She recently won two silver medals at the Tennessee annual ADDY competition and has been nominated for entering national competition.
Al Ameri moved to the US one year ago to pursue her higher education in journalism and photography. 
Successful Journey
Al Ameri's journey from Dubai to the US began in 2014 when she decided to continue her university education and quit her job as the first editor of an Arab daily in the UAE.
Speaking to Khaleej Times during her vacation in the UAE, Al Ameri said: "I was apprehensive about my trip, especially as I left my job, which was my only source of income. I was not sure about the new life in a completely different society. Therefore, from the first year, I was keen to set my direction, and as photography was my dream, I joined the Nossi College of Art and specialised in digital photography."
She said she manages to complete her first year at the university with excellence and distinction. From there she started covering events there, including Swan Ball, one of the biggest annual charity gatherings in Tennessee. 
She said: "I did not expect to be chosen to cover the Swan Ball, because it's kind of a special event usually attended by the upper class of American community. Only 300 important personalities attended the ceremony. A wedding, a jewellery exhibition and a dance party were held, followed by a gala dinner. I was considered lucky to filming that event, which made me to became first Arab photographer to contribute to documenting such an important occasion."
 
Respect is essential
Al Ameri still continued her interest in charity activities, which started during her time as a journalist in Dubai. She volunteered to film many charity events in America, which is not easy without gaining confidence of the local community, especially with the growing political events in America related to Muslims.
"The American society is peaceful by nature and is characterised by individual emotions, where the individual determines his/her attitude towards those who deal with him. In my experience, I have not been exposed to any kind of racism. On the contrary, I found acceptance from the university officials, students and the majority of society. They are curious to learn more about the Dubai culture," she said.
Pointing out that respect is the basis of human relations, she said "once you respect the freedom of the other entity and be tolerant towards others, they will also respect you as a human being - whatever your nationality or religion or your skin colour is".
 About the award
"I won the awards by submitting two pictures in the category of black and white photography with a cultural and humanistic character. The first picture, titled 'A Different Culture', is the portrait of a girl wearing a popular dress for East Asian countries, and the second photo is of an elderly woman who performs Eid prayers at the Islamic Centre in Tennessee. 
"I got $100 for the first shot I took. It was a small amount. However, my intention was not the money, but to gain the experience and win the trust of the client, especially as we are completely different in terms of thinking, culture or language. But humanity brings us together and the photography is based on the embodiment of human feelings, according to the situation to make the picture to sing about a thousand words.
"But later I have received offers from various institutions specialised in Press photography and commercial photography," said Al Ameri.
afkarali@khaleejtimes.com