Gulshan Khan

"Photography is a language we can use to communicate what we are seeing," says South African photojournalist and Canon Ambassador Gulshan Khan. "My projects have always arisen from some sort of gap I see, something I feel strongly about that needs highlighting or commenting on. No matter what I'm photographing, it's always linked to the context of historical social justice and human rights."

Gulshan only became a professional photographer in 2017, but her output since then has been prolific. Her work has focused on subjects including Muslims in contemporary South Africa, as well as a range of issues related to plastic pollution, access to water and sanitation, safe housing, gender and healthcare.

She was the first African woman to be hired by international news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP), and her images have been featured in major publications including National Geographic, The New York Times and The Washington Post. Gulshan has also worked with non-governmental organisations such as the United Nations Population Fund. She is a National Geographic Explorer and received the HIPA Emerging Person in Photography Award in 2020.

Gulshan subsequently undertook a year-long photojournalism and documentary photography course at the Market Photo Workshop in Johannesburg before working as a stringer for AFP. Her first professional camera was a Canon EOS 5D Mark II (now succeeded by the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV), loaned to her by the agency. "As a machine, it's really incredible and for two years I did all of my work with it," she says. "It got me through a lot of challenging assignments."

Since then, Gulshan has combined covering hard news stories for AFP and editorial work for various publications with her own long-term projects. In the future she plans to concentrate more on her personal photography, telling stories in a more nuanced and in-depth way.

Although Gulshan often documents issues related to poverty, racism and pollution, her natural optimism, belief in the pursuit of justice and passion for communicating through the language of photography keeps her enthusiastic.

"I love watching people and seeing the world evolve around me," she says. "Often, it's about the difficult situations and witnessing how people's strength can still thrive, despite everything.

"For me, part of the flow of energy, thought and discourse on an issue is to photograph it and show it to someone. That's what keeps me going. I've gotten over the part of wanting to measure impact. I don't think that's for me to judge. You just do the work and hope for the best and, whatever comes from that, knowing that you have whole-heartedly contributed."

Do you usually know what a project will be about before you start or does it gradually evolve?
"It's a bit of both. There's the initial idea or feeling of what you want to say about something but, like everything, this is a learning curve. If you go in with exactly what you want to say and this doesn't change, then that could be a bit dangerous. You have to be open to seeing what your environment presents to you, what people present to you, and what people are saying about their own experiences. This will lead you to what you want to say."

Which project means the most to you?
"Every single project means so much to me and I pour myself into them all. My mind and heart are completely immersed when I'm photographing because I take on projects I feel are important. So I don't think I can choose one – they're all equally important."

What's been the highlight of your career so far?
"At the end of last year, some of my images were acquired by the Iziko South African Museum to be a part of our national archive. When we were growing up as Muslims in South Africa, we didn't see people like ourselves in our history books; we were learning Dutch, British and colonial history. This was the first contemporary documentary work on Islam to be taken into our national archive, which really meant a lot to me and my community. It is now a part of our collective history."

"As a photojournalist, it's important to know yourself and be true to yourself. But you also need to understand your own identity in relation to the people and context in which you are photographing, so you can remain respectful. You should work so that you don't ever hurt people, because the camera can be a weapon. Sometimes people are in situations that aim to strip them of their dignity, but you, with your camera, can still present people with dignity."

Instagram: @gulshanii

Twitter: @let_zephyrspin

Website: www.gulshankhan.com