By Uzma Zafar
Make technique your master and skill your slave!” This was the advice the photography legend Nisar A. Mirza had for all his students that he used to teach them while he was still alive. He left a great legacy behind him as he silently left for his eternal abode on 24th November 2005. He was only 63 when he died!
Born on 12th October 1941, he was one of the pioneer from day one of PTV, he joined it in 1964 at the age of 23. Aslam Azhar hired him as a photographer in PTV. As he retired as Controller of Camera and Film Facilities, PTV, he did not stop there but later started his studio at F-7 by the name of Focal Dot from where he initiated short courses and shared his expertise on ‘Painting with Light’ as he termed photography through short courses along videography lessons also. He also taught Fatima Jinnah University to teach digital photography.
During his career, he was awarded the highest civil award by Gen.Zia. He was the recipient of Pride of Performance Award, won 3 PTV awards, got gold medal on PTV Silver Jubilee, was listed amongst top 20 photographers in the world back in 80s and 90s and first 5-star photographer of Pakistan which is an American Award for those whose over 600 pictures are accepted worldwide and the award is received as a recognition of it!
He was one of the founding members of Photographic Society of Pakistan and as his student he guided me to become a member of Islamabad Camera Club which works under PSP, which not only opened up my ‘inner eye’, as my mentor Nisar Mirza termed the ‘photographic eye’ but also enhanced my creativity to a large extent as through ICC, his students could go on field trips, attend training workshops and even get their work exhibited and participate in contests here and abroad, and that too with likeminded other photographers of the city. Thus Nisar Mirza just did not teach but guided others on the right career path also.
Never ever did he hesitate to assist his students, day or night, whenever they needed his support. He taught not just photographic and videographic technique but developing film also and in fact, enhanced the creativity in his students. For instance, my focus was good but I never cared for background. He told me that whenever I shoot, I should ask myself what was I shooting. My photograph should speak for itself. I should not have to explain it in words. He even got me my first DSLR, freeing me of the burden of going to the market and the choice of it, and that too which exactly suited my skill and range. He always had good words for everybody! Always a radiant smile on his face!
Once I was covering an event as a journalist and Nisar Mirza was being presented a flower bouquet as he was the chief guest at the place. I guess it was some ceremony in connection with SAF Games in Islamabad. As I was so nervous while capturing the big legend, I was so starstruck that I lost the moment of shot! He told the host to replay the action and told me to come forward and after I had captured him well, he sat at his designated seat. He was not interested in his photo being printed in the newspaper but he did it to encourage me, his student! He was this gentle! A gem of a human being, so down to earth! He used to say that though he had got so many awards but each one brought him a separate joy!
He was so down-to-earth! His creativity had no bounds! He just loved playing with film and light. His passion for creativity was amazing! Nisar Mirza was such an amazing human being and a pro in photography, the best of the best of his field and one of his kind! He had an array of cameras in his studio from ancient to the most modern modes for explaining the journey of photography to the students, right from the first known photographer. He was the one who told us that photography was invented before the photographer itself!
The sole documentary available with PTV, on the Kalaash tribe, was in fact, a product of Nisar Mirza’s efforts. Talking about it, he once stated, “I told the tribe members to act as if they were getting married. They laughed and said that we cannot do that as then we would actually get married as the rituals are such!” Once I was looking at the mess at his studio. He simply explained, “Well, I am an artist. Artists are restless souls! That’s the very quality of an artist!”
He might not be with us today but he is very much there in the hearts of all the people he has ever known, in his photographs, each one that is a legend in itself, in his videos and in the hearts of his students as he was a mentor for so many! His son, Sarmad Nisar Mirza, remembering his father, while talking to The Daily Mail, stated, “He left too early. He could have enjoyed all these social medias and gadgets! He was so into it!” He was not just a legend in itself but was a pride for the entire country and nation as well. He would always live on in every one of us…!
