First was a holiday with her husband and second, the chance to shoot pictures that could help complete her project in capstone course.

Apart from the memories of a good holiday, energetic Khadija returned to Dubai with nearly 300 photographs that she captured in her two cameras. Her photographs captured the essence of Malaysia — its flora, fauna, lifestyle, food, people. Twenty-one of these photographs that could any day stand as an endorsement to the growing tourism industry of Malaysia are now being displayed at an exhibition aptly titled Malaysia Through My Lens at the Zayed University.

The Capstone course in the College of Communication and Media Sciences, requires students to combine their innate talent with the theoretical knowledge and practical skills learned while in college. Khadija’s photo exhibition is the culmination of her efforts during the course.

“I knew Malaysia could be the theme for my project before we went on a holiday,” Khadija Al Moosawi told City Times. “And while there, I spent two weeks documenting segments of that country’s lifestyle, its flora and fauna, landscapes, people, food and traditional fashion,” she added.

The 21 photographs at the exhibition, Khadija says, accurately portray Malaysian life. None less than the Consul General of Malaysian Consulate in Dubai endorsed the young photographer’s views. “Exhibition like these make our job of promoting Malaysia much easier,” Nadzri Shamsudin said at the inauguration of the exhibition. According to Shamsudin, the inflow of tourists from UAE to Malaysia grew 400 per cent this year compared to the previous year.

“It was not that I went out of my way in shooting these pictures,” Khadija, who was chosen as a co-winner of 2004 Photographer of the Year award by her college, said, adding, “The photographs were shot at places, which we visited during our holiday. I did not go to any place only to shoot my pictures.”

However she was quick to say, “I did have to make my husband wait for me at some places as I waited to capture for that perfect shot.”

Khadija’s husband, Ali Al Sayed Shubbar Al Moosawi, however, has no complaints. “I have visited Malaysia before, but the photographs that my wife has shot during our recent holiday is simply stunning,” the proud husband, an engineer working for Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), told City Times.

“It was not enough for her to simply shoot and edit photographs. To produce a successful exhibit, she needed to use her writing and designing skills to create promotional materials, such as press releases, print advertisements, posters and flyers,” said Kenneth Starck, Dean, College of Communication and Media Sciences.

The young photographer, who has also completed an internship with the Dubai’s Department of Economic Development, faced numerous problem-solving issues that included from finding location for the exhibition, to determine how to display the photographs to choosing frames for the images, to inviting a representative from the Malaysian government to inaugurate the exhibition.

“She did it all and she did it professionally. She should be proud of herself. We are proud of her and we wish her the best,” Starck said.

Dr Michael Kennedy, Khadija’s advisor of the project, could not stop himself from praising his student, “When Khadija undertook the project to produce this exhibit, she not only used her talent and educational skills, but she quite clearly demonstrated her ability to understand and use more abstract concepts of leadership, teamwork and more importantly critical thinking and problem solving.” He added, “Most people have no clue about how many details need to be addressed when producing an exhibit. Khadija handled her responsibilities from start to finish with extreme professionalism.”

Khadija believes that the course has helped her become much more than just a media professional. “I now know how much effort goes into organising such an exhibition. I have personally handled all aspects of my exhibition,” she said.

The class of 2005 student, who has majored in news and new media, however is not keen on working for any organisation. “May be, I will take up freelance assignments once I complete the course,” she said. Another photo exhibition? “God willing, may be, yes,” she replied.