EUGENE: Let’s imagine everyone is unfamiliar with who Filmabdi is and the work you do. In a few sentences, how would you describe yourself and your photography? FILMABDI: My name is Filmabdi. I’m a photographer based in London, visual story teller. I document moments of celebration, community, sports, fashion. I’m really just documenting the culture in London. EUGENE: Your 'Summer is Ours' series is known for its signature softer hues and joyful, sun-soaked moments. How did you develop this style, and what is it about capturing summer that resonates so strongly with you? FILMABDI: 'Summer is Ours'. Sort of, the idea of it came in 2022 after lockdown. So, after lockdown, it came as a need to document what was going on, how we interacted with the world after lockdown (because we were away for 2 years), just documenting the post-lockdown world. I kind of stumbled on the style of that warmer tone by looking at old film photos from our childhood, our parents' photo albums, and I just thought, when we capture the summer this year, I had in mind what would it look like 10 years in the future. I always had that at the back of my mind while I was documenting. It's just evoking nostalgia in the people that were looking at the photos.

EUGENE: As someone with Somali heritage living in London, how does your cultural background shape the way you approach photography, especially when working on both personal and commercial projects? FILMABDI: I guess the biggest thing my heritage does for me is it grounds me. It makes me very humble about what I do. For me, it stresses the importance of representation as well, just making sure what I capture and what I'm capturing feels true to us, true to my background, and feels true to being a Somali in London. EUGENE: Your Hotel Zamara series takes on a more introspective, black-and-white aesthetic. How do you approach switching between different emotional tones in projects like this and the vibrant warmth of Summer is Ours? FILMABDI: With that, it was just the inspiration we drew it from, so ‘Hotel Zamara’ is very much is root-centred in Africa. So, I was inspired heavily by, like, African studio portraiture and a lot of traditional African studio work. The reasoning for the black and white was, ultimately, that it came at a time when people wanted to sort of live inside the photos, with a lot people saying, “I wish I could live in a Filmabdi photo,” you know, exist in these worlds that you capture. ‘Hotel Zamara’ came as a result of that, and the reason why it is in black and white is that we kind of wanted people to come for themselves, to experience the colour.

EUGENE: You’ve worked with big names like Declan Rice, Lamine Yamal, and brands like Nike, Versus, and the Premier League. How does your approach to photography change when working with such high-profile subjects or brands? FILMABDI: I think the core of my approach doesn’t really change. I’m still trying to capture something real, trying to still make it feel very human and authentic, so it is similar to the work that I capture in London, in the communities that I work with. Typically, yes, there’s a difference in, like, the scale and the pressure of the job, because obviously these are, like, big campaigns. But I always try to find those moments of where the subject is very human, and it feels very authentic and real. So, I would say the core of my approach doesn’t change. I’m always trying to capture something authentic and real, and feels real to the viewer. But obviously, I am not saying that I don’t feel the pressure and the expectation. I know it’s a campaign, you’ve got to deliver. I just always try to make sure it feels true to me, true to something that I will capture. EUGENE: With collaborations spanning brands like Nike, Viper, and Crack Magazine, Viper, Versus, Recess, Dankie Sounds etc. how do you manage to preserve your artistic identity while meeting the specific needs of different brands? FILMABDI: So, I guess it is just a need of telling a story, really. Storytelling is a huge part of my work, so if I see two people and can tell there’s a relationship there, I take it upon myself to capture that moment for them. Because ultimately, when you are with your person, you don’t feel the need to capture anything because you are lost in the moment, essentially. So, I’m just trying to tell your story. You’ll be surprised at how many stories I have captured of people that have gone on to get engaged — so it’s like I am just capturing your story and letting you have that moment, essentially. It’s just a need of documenting your story, documenting stories that I see around me. It is very much ensuring that intimacy isn’t always ‘making out’; it’s the smaller moments as well — it’s the hugs, it’s the glances, it’s the connections, holding hands. So, any way I can capture those moments for people, I would.

EUGENE: The tone of Hotel Zamara feels different from your usual summer-inspired work, embracing a more moody and timeless feel. What do you think black-and-white photography allows you to communicate that color photography doesn’t? FILMABDI: I guess with black and white photography, it feels more traditional. I personally feel there’s a lot more you can do in the shadows and the contrast of the colours. It allows the emotions to come through a bit more, I personally believe, anyway — because you take the colour away from it, a lot of it is driven by the emotion and what the viewer sees. I feel like it is a lot more powerful than colour photography, in a sense. That’s why, with ‘Hotel Zamara’ — because it is all (based) around visiting this fictional world, in a sense, where you feel free and you are happy — having the colour stripped away and focusing on those emotions, really honing in on what is going on, really helps. EUGENE: You’ve captured a wide range of subjects, from athletes to musicians to brands. Is there a particular shoot or project that stands out as especially meaningful or challenging for you? FILMABDI: I shot ‘The Sacred Souls’ in October 2023 So it’s a band i listen to and really enjoy their music and it sort of came about from just dm’ing the singer in the band and just saying “I’ve got a camera, your music has really inspired my photography is there an opportunity for me to just come and take some pictures?” And that was i think probably one of the first shows i ever shot but it was sort of off the back of just creating the opportunity for myself by reaching out and i was just prepared to deliver the images they ended up using it on their socials. It was a good feeling because the band meant a lot to me and the music inspired a lot of my work so sort of having that moment where opportunity met preparation so yeah it was beautiful

EUGENE: Looking to the future, what new directions or projects are you most excited to explore? How do you envision your work evolving in the years to come? FILMABDI: I think for me, I definitely want to bring the feeling and sort of all the emotions I’ve captured at events and around London into more of a studio setting — so sort of bring that feeling, that emotion, that colour into a more controlled studio setting; moving into the sports world, the fashion world, and still making it feel very much like my work. So, continuing to develop my visual language, continuing to inspire people — so, yeah, just putting great work out and hopefully documenting important moments in history as well.