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Amir Hamja

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Amir Hamza
Born
Mohammed Amir Hamja

1992
Chattogram, Bangladesh
NationalityBangladeshi
EducationUniversity of Science and Technology Chittagong (USTC)
Known forPhotography
AwardsSony World Photography Award (2017)
Websitehttps://www.amirhamja.com

Mohammed Amir Hamja, colloquially known as Amir Hamja is a Bangladeshi photographer and journalist based in New York.[1][2][3] He's a photographer for The New York Times. His works have appeared in Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, The Washington Post, among others. He served as the official photographer of the Emmy-winning Netflix show Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj.[4][1]

Early life and education

Amir Hamja was born in 1992 in Chattogram, Bangladesh.[1] He pursued a degree in Pharmacy at the University of Science and Technology Chattogram (USTC), graduating in 2014.[5][6] During his studies, Hamja developed an interest in photography, beginning amateur photography in 2012.[5][7][3]

Career

Amir Hamja is an Arabic name. Amir means "prince," "commander" or "ruler." And Hamja (Hamza) means "strong" and "steadfast" and refers to the Islamic Prophet Muhammad's Uncle "Hamza," who was a skilled fighter and commander. I prefer using "J" instead of "Z" in Hamja, as it's more suitable with my native language, Bengali "হামজা." To avoid confusion, I don't use Mohammad as a first name in my byline (or any other online presence), as it is a very common first name among Muslims.

Amir Hamja, on Asian photographers share the stories behind their names, by NPR[8]

In 2016, Hamja's photographs from the Shakrain Festival in Old Dhaka caught the attention of Bangladeshi filmmaker Piplu Khan.[1][5] This led to Hamja's first professional photography job, working on a documentary about BRAC founder Fazle Hasan Abed.[1][5][7] Hamza's work on the Abed documentary and a biographical film about the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, "Hasina: A Daughter's Tale," earned him a scholarship to the International Center of Photography in New York,[5][7] from where he graduated in 2018.[4]

Hamja has worked on the Netflix series "Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj" as the official photographer of the show.[4][5] He has also worked as a photojournalist for media outlets such as Vogue,[9] Bloomberg News,[10] The Wall Street Journal,[11] and The Guardian,[12] capturing images of notable figures like Brendan Fraser,[13] Novak Djokovic,[14] Mira Nair, Loudon Wainwright III,[15] and Quentin Tarantino.[2]

The New York Times

Hamja's photography during the George Floyd protests in New York City in 2020 caught the attention of The New York Times, leading to his appointment as an official photographer for the publication in 2023.[1][5][7]

Since 2022, Hamja has worked on a series of stories for The New York Times titled "A Risky Wager,"[16] which explores how online sports betting has taken America by storm. This series has been published in a five-part format, with Hamja's photography accompanying the investigative reports from renowned journalists such as Eric Lipton and Kenneth Vogel.[17][18]

In 2024, Hamja covered the 96th Academy Awards for The New York Times.[19][20]

Awards

Year Award Organization Ref.
2015 Third place, Bangladesh National Award, Sony World Photography Awards World Photography Organization [21][22]
2016 First prize, EyeEm 'People and Places' Photography Competition EyeEm [7]
2017 Winner, Bangladesh National Award, Sony World Photography Award World Photography Organization [23][22]
2018 Second Place, 'The World We Live In' Pied à Terre, France [7]
2021 Young Guns 21 Winner The One Club [24][25]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Hossain, Farid (2023-09-01). "Amir Hamja: Capturing the World Through His Lens" (PDF). Dhaka Courier. 40 (7): 48 – via Internet Archive.
  2. ^ a b MISHA, RAKSHANDA RAHMAN (2024-03-18). "MEET AMIR HAMJA: Hollywood's Bangladeshi photographer". The Daily Star. p. 6. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  3. ^ a b Mahdi, Montasir (2024-03-01). "Photography Beyond Borders: How Amir Hamja Overcame Challenges and Found Success" (PDF). CNEWS Magazine (I): 24-25 (33 on PDF) – via Internet Archive.
  4. ^ a b c "Amir Hamja Biography". The New York Times Company. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Shuvo, Ariful Hasan (2023-04-14). "নিউইয়র্ক টাইমসে বাংলাদেশের তরুণ ফটোগ্রাফার" [Young photographer from Bangladesh in New York Times]. The Daily Ittefaq. p. 7. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  6. ^ "📸✨Celebrating Amir Hamja". Embassy of the United States, Dhaka via Facebook. 2024-04-10. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  7. ^ a b c d e f "Amir Hamja: From pharma grad to New York Times photographer". The Business Standard. 2023-04-07. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  8. ^ Yoon, Arin; Huang, Shuran (May 29, 2022). "Asian Photographers Share the Stories Behind Their Names". NPR. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  9. ^ "AMIR HAMJA Archives". Vogue Arabia. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  10. ^ "New York's Empty Office Buildings Lure Rich Families Hunting Bargains". Bloomberg.com. 2023-05-09. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  11. ^ Journal, Charles Passy | Photographs by Amir Hamja for The Wall Street. "Don't Be Surprised When the Boxers Start Belting Out Opera". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  12. ^ LeDonne, Rob (2023-05-10). "'Oh my God, Obama's stopping by for pasta': can New York's Carbone survive its own success?". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  13. ^ Gilbey, Ryan (2022-12-09). "'All that hyperventilating makes you dizzy': Brendan Fraser and Darren Aronofsky on The Whale". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  14. ^ Futterman, Matthew (2023-08-27). "Novak Djokovic, Back in New York and Loving It as Never Before". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  15. ^ Hattenstone, Simon (2022-09-05). "'I was promiscuous – that's murder on marriage': Loudon Wainwright III on sex addiction, booze and family feuds". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  16. ^ Enrich, David (2022-11-20). "Key Findings From The Times' Investigation of Sports Betting". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  17. ^ Chen, David W.; Walker, Mark; Vogel, Kenneth P. (2023-02-10). "How Sports Betting Upended the Economies of Native American Tribes". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  18. ^ Lipton, Eric; Vogel, Kenneth P. (2022-11-20). "Cigars, Booze, Money: How a Lobbying Blitz Made Sports Betting Ubiquitous". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  19. ^ Hamja, Amir; Salam, Maya (2024-03-14). "In the Oscars Audience, the Superstars Were the Superfans". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  20. ^ মিশা, রাখসান্দা রহমান (2024-03-20). "চট্টগ্রাম থেকে যেভাবে অস্কার আয়োজনে আমির হামজা". The Daily Star Bangla. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  21. ^ "Banglasdesh". World Photography Organisation. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  22. ^ a b "A migrant photographer's guide to survival from Bangladesh to New York City: 'Do it yourself'". Religion Unplugged. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  23. ^ "2017 National Awards Winners". World Photography Organisation. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  24. ^ "The One Club Announces 29 Global Winners for Young Guns 21 | LBBOnline". Little Black Book. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  25. ^ "YG21 | Amir Hamja". The One Club. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
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