“Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.” This quote from the famous English play writer William Shakespeare still resonates in the twenty-first century. Most people, in this digital age, have to work hard to achieve greatness. But, the path to greatness is not smooth and comfortable. It is rough and tiresome. A lot of people who start on their journey to success eventually give up on their journey because of the struggles of the expedition. Only a few of them persevere, survive the test of time and eventually achieve greatness. Fatimah Haroon is one of them. She was one of the few people who achieved greatness in their short lifetime. Determination, perseverance, consistency, hustle and a desire to succeed are required to achieve greatness.
Fatimah Haroon is a female photographer based in Islamabad, Pakistan. She was born in Karachi and moved to Islamabad with her parents later on in her life. She was passionate about photography from a young age. She completed her A-Levels from Karachi and went for higher education to London, England. She completed her Bachelors in Psychology, International Relations, and Media. She studied at the University of Arts London and Birmingham City University.
After her education, she went on with professional photography. Not only she achieved success and fame in her home country, but also, she was internationally acclaimed. She worked in Hollywood, Bollywood and many other industries in the world. Her photographs feel alive and depict the continuity of life. She takes photographs in multiple domains and has worked with famous celebrities including Aishwarya Rai, Deepika Padukone and Sonam Kapoor. Only a few Pakistanis have been able to nurture their talents and skills and achieve huge success in life on an international scale. But Fatimah Haroon has been able to bring international recognition to not only herself but also her home country, Pakistan, at an early age.
In Pakistan, life for a typical female person is extremely difficult. They are deprived of their rights, lack opportunities and struggle to play a positive role in the male-dominated society of Pakistan. Women are not allowed to work in most parts of the country and are supposed to stay at home and look after their children. All these circumstances make it extremely difficult for any woman to achieve success in life. But Fatimah Haroon knew from an early age that she had to achieve something at all costs. She escaped the patriarchal system of Pakistan that limit the role played by women in society to kitchen work and cleaning and became a role model for her fellow countrywomen. She competed with male photographers throughout her life and dealt with the stereotypes with courage and determination. She did not pay heed to what people are going to say or think about her and continued her struggle day and night. She triumphed in her goal, broke stereotypes regarding women and proved to everyone that women can accomplish amazing things in life and are equally competent in every profession they get their hands on. Fatimah Haroon does not listen to disparagers and continues to be a guide for right and opportunity deprived women of Pakistan.
Fatimah Haroon became the youngest Pakistani female photographer at the age of 15. She became the youngest Pakistani female to have ever walked on the red carpet of Cannes Film Festival at the age of 22 even before the famous Pakistani actress Mahira Khan. She made her parents proud and brought international recognition to her country. Also, she is the youngest Pakistani female internationally qualified filmmaker. She worked day and night and accomplished her goals. Her eyes are now set on even bigger goals and she is determined to succeed in her future endeavours.
Her journey has been very difficult from the beginning but it became tougher when she realized that she suffered from mental health issues. She did not allow herself to give up, she conquered her fears, dominated her afflictions and proved to everyone that you can be successful despite all odds. She demonstrated to everyone that success requires determination and the issues like lack of opportunities can be overcome if you are determined to achieve success at all costs.
She travels globally and has been to London, New York and Dubai for work. Soon in her journey, Fatima realized that photography is more prevalent at conventional events such as weddings and fashion shows. She did minor photography tasks such as photo shooting her friends and family friends and later on, photographed for acclaimed magazines and newspapers. Early on, she was known by her stage name “Fatography” and was invited to speak at acclaimed universities in Pakistan.
Fatimah Haroon knew her self-worth, believed in herself and hustled to achieve her dreams. She has no excuses and regrets in her life because she took ownership of her life. Fatimah has given hope and confidence to everyone including women that if you are actually prepared to surrender everything for your goals, you have to take the road not taken by most people.