Saajid Husani is a risk taker, an innovator, a photographer unlike any other with lots of edge who says his job is his hobby and he wouldn’t mind doing it for the rest of his life.
One of the first local photographers to use drones to elevate his work, Husani had a different path planned for his life than photography, as after graduating from the West Demerara Secondary School, he successfully pursued a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Sciences at the University of Guyana. But in his third year, when a “random Facebook friend” offered him his first paid job in photography, his hobby became more than a pastime, as he decided to follow what made him happy and started a photography business.
Describing his business as “art first, business second”, he explained that his philosophy was to focus “on the craft itself and the business aspect will follow”. The approach seems to be paying off, as the response has been “tremendous”. 
The De Willem native, who currently resides on the East Coast of Demerara, says he is very grateful for the support he gets from thousands of Guyanese. From weddings to commercial shoots with Rafieya Husain, Miss World Guyana 2014 and Miss Universe Guyana 2017, Husani has covered a wide range of subjects, utilising myriad techniques. In fact, he says pushing himself to keep delivering better quality all the time is the goal of Saajid Husani Photography.
Of his entrepreneurial endeavour and the lessons learnt along the way, he said, 
“It’s a long and tiresome journey, no shortcuts, but it’s all worth it.”
The artist, who says willingness to sacrifice is the most important quality of an entrepreneur, noted that he drew inspiration from other entrepreneurs and “a lot of things”, adding that his dream mentors, whom he has all met, are local Guyanese people “since they are the ones who worked right here and made it big”. He further revealed that his mother was his biggest influence and he wished he could be half the person she was.
The 23-year-old advised aspiring entrepreneurs to “have good composure when dealing with problems, and be willing to put in all your time, cause it’s not simple, a 9-5 business when it comes to entrepreneurs”.
“Whenever something has to get done, time of the day is irrelevant,” he declared when questioned about his most productive times during the day.
Such moments of intensity break through Husani’s relaxed yet edgy exterior; when coupled with his professionalism, they offer a glimpse of his complexity and many nuances.
Noting that it was a slow upward climb for his business in Guyana’s present economy, Husani said more local startup groups where entrepreneurs could engage and communicate with each other freely were needed.
Questioned about his definition of success, the photographer, whose ready sense of humour was quite evident, laughingly said “eating what I want when I want”, before turning serious: “…it’s to look at what you do, feeling content with what you have accomplished in the time you did it.”
Contact: 641-1622, www.facebook.com/Saajid.Husani.Photography/
