Umar Farooq (b.2004) is a Journalist and Photographer based in Indian Kashmir. In his practice, he has been documenting regional news and long term stories at the intersection of everyday life, environment and politics. He was born in an agrarian family in a village in south Kashmir, who lost their saffron land to changing cropping patterns and climate change years before he was born. Umar’s interest in visual journalism stems from the erasure of his own family’s archives, which derogated due to the lack of knowledge on how to store prints. The void of losing a personal family archive has brought a deep regard for photography as a tool of documentation and the importance of photographs as visual evidence especially in his homeland, where he believes loss echoes throughout.
In 2024, he attended Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi and studied Still Photography and Visual Communication. Prior to that, he holds a bachelor's degree in journalism and mass communication from Cluster University Srinagar. Growing up with the experience of cultural and personal loss has shaped his vision towards how he reads and interprets visuals. Today, much of his work focuses on Kashmir’s identity and livelihoods, traditions and cultural preservation and the communities grappling with climate change and conflict.
Umar currently works as a contract photographer with Zuma Press and contributes to national and international publications from Kashmir and New Delhi. He is a registered member of the Overseas Press Club of America.
In 2024, he attended Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi and studied Still Photography and Visual Communication. Prior to that, he holds a bachelor's degree in journalism and mass communication from Cluster University Srinagar. Growing up with the experience of cultural and personal loss has shaped his vision towards how he reads and interprets visuals. Today, much of his work focuses on Kashmir’s identity and livelihoods, traditions and cultural preservation and the communities grappling with climate change and conflict.
Umar currently works as a contract photographer with Zuma Press and contributes to national and international publications from Kashmir and New Delhi. He is a registered member of the Overseas Press Club of America.