In a country plagued with pessimism and depression, Danial Shah’s positive outlook is a fresh breath of air. Travelling across Pakistan, this 22-year-old business student likes to capture the beautiful, positive moments of its landscape and cultures and then uploads them on his blog, iExplorePakistan, where he also writes about the places he visits.

What began as a hobby has now become a drive and a passion, and today Danial’s aim is to project a brighter, more optimistic image of Pakistan — an image that has been marred by terrorism and fundamentalism at the global level. Born in Quetta, Danial is influenced by nature, and his photography reflects his love for it. He later moved to Karachi and once again sought nature as his muse, and fell in love with the coastline.

“What triggered this exercise was my observation of how people tend to generalise others,” explain Danial. “We all live in different boxes and maintain a stereotypical impression of people belonging to other provinces and regions. My aim was to cut through these stereotypes.”

Danial decided to send across positive vibes about the country and its people through his travel photography and writing. Be it the locals of Sibi in Balochistan, or the Kalash people of the Hindu Kush, the breathtaking scenic views of Astor valley in Gilgit, the glaciers of the Himalayas, the art of ajrak making in Hala, Sindh, the ancient architecture spread across the country, Danial’s lens and imagination capture it all.

His efforts did not go without a reward and acknowledgment. Besides the fact that his blog is helping dispel a gloomier image of Pakistan, Danial is also a recipient of the national award, ‘Nishan-i-Azm’, by the website Azm-i-Alishan in recognition of his contribution to the nation. The young photographer has participated in Youth Festivals and has bagged the third and second prizes in 2009 and 2010 respectively. In summer 2010, he represented the youth of Sindh in a youth-exchange programme in Gilgit, Baltistan.

While his blog remains his biggest tool, Danial’s work is also published in various publications around the world that include Himal magazine, Nepal, the Sunday Guardian, UK, Alima magazine of the Central Asian Institute, and a number of local publications.

“They say that a picture is worth a thousand words and I feel that my pictures are obviously effective in how people perceive Pakistan. My friends, for example, are now taking the initiative to travel and explore their country, which they were not doing earlier,” he says.

Besides Pakistanis, Danial gets feedback from people in the US, Singapore, Malaysia and other countries as well. In fact, he claims that his blog has influenced non-Pakistanis to visit the country, something he takes pride in.

Mark Twain once said, “Explore. Dream. Discover.” It seems as if Danial Shah has followed these words to the T, and indeed his passion for capturing the ethereal beauty of Pakistan is a testament of his dream come true.

— Sa’adia Reza