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Amir Hamja

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Amir Hamja
Hamja in 2017
Born
Mohammad Amir Hamza

1992
Chattogram, Bangladesh
NationalityBangladeshi
EducationUniversity of Science and Technology Chittagong (USTC)
Years active2014-present
Known forPhotography
AwardsSony World Photography Award (2017)
Websitehttps://www.amirhamja.com

Mohammad Amir Hamza, professionally known as Amir Hamja, is a Bangladeshi photographer based in New York.[1][2][3] Amir Hamja was a photographer for The New York Times and a member of the 2023-24 Times Fellowship class. He left The Times in May 2024, although he still occasionally contributes to the publication.[4]

His works have appeared in Bloomberg, National Geographic, The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, and The Washington Post, among others. He served as the official photographer of the Emmy-winning Netflix show Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj.[5][1][3]

Hamja's photographs have appeared in the front page of The New York Times multiple times,[6][7] as well as of The Wall Street Journal.[8]

Early life and education

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Amir Hamja was born in 1992 in Chattogram, Bangladesh.[1][3][9] He pursued a degree in pharmacy at the University of Science and Technology Chattogram (USTC), graduating in 2014.[10] During his studies, Hamja developed an interest in photography, beginning amateur photography in 2012.[10][11][3]

Career

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Amir Hamja is an Arabic name. Amir means "prince," "commander" or "ruler." And Hamja (Hamza) means "strong" and "steadfast" and refers to the Islamic Prophet Muhammad's Uncle "Hamza," who was a skilled fighter and commander. I prefer using "J" instead of "Z" in Hamja, as it's more suitable with my native language, Bengali "হামজা." To avoid confusion, I don't use Mohammad as a first name in my byline (or any other online presence), as it is a very common first name among Muslims.

Amir Hamja, on Asian photographers share the stories behind their names, by NPR[12]

In 2016, Hamja's photographs from the Shakrain Festival in Old Dhaka caught the attention of Bangladeshi filmmaker Piplu Khan.[1][3][10] This led to Hamja's first professional photography job, working on a documentary about BRAC founder Fazle Hasan Abed.[1][10][11] During that time, he also worked on the biographical film about the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Hasina: A Daughter's Tale. He subsequently earned a scholarship from the International Center of Photography in New York,[10][11] from where he graduated in 2018.[5]

Hamja has worked on the Netflix series Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj as the official photographer of the show.[5][10][3]

The New York Times

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Hamja's photography during the 2020 George Floyd protests in New York City drew the interest of media outlets,[13][14] leading to his first assignments with The New York Times.[15][16] [17][16][15] His work mostly covers style, fashion, and movies segment.[18][19][20]

In 2022, Hamja worked on a series of stories for The New York Times titled "A Risky Wager,"[21] which explores "how online sports betting has taken America by storm." This series has been published in a five-part format, with Hamja's photography accompanying the investigative reports from renowned journalists such as Eric Lipton and Kenneth Vogel.[22][23]

In 2024, Hamja covered the 96th Academy Awards for The New York Times.[24][25][26][27]

In 2025, Amir Hamja photographed Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan at Met Gala for The New York Times. Hamja's images, capturing Khan’s debut appearance at the Met Gala in a Sabyasachi black suit, aligning with the event’s theme Superfine: Tailoring Black Style—garnered widespread attention through social and mainstream media.[28]

The Year in Pictures

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In 2021, one photograph by Hamja was featured in "The Year in Pictures 2021" by The New York Times.[29] In 2023, Hamja's three photographs were featured in the selection.[30]

Others

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Before being employed by The New York Times Hamja worked as a photojournalist for media outlets including Vogue,[31] Bloomberg News,[32] The Wall Street Journal,[33] and The Guardian,[34] working with Brendan Fraser,[35] Novak Djokovic,[36] Mira Nair,[37] Loudon Wainwright III,[38] Quentin Tarantino,[39] among others.

Exhibition

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Amir Hamja's first solo exhibition, titled A Year in the Times, was held at the EMK Center in Dhaka, Bangladesh, from December 19, 2024, to January 4, 2025. The exhibition showcased 24 photographs from his year-long fellowship with The New York Times, showcasing moments such as the Met Gala, the George Floyd protests, and a poignant feature on a Palestinian family in Springfield, New Jersey.[40]

Awards

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Year Award Organization Ref.
2015 Third place, Bangladesh National Award, Sony World Photography Awards World Photography Organisation [41][42]
2016 First prize, EyeEm 'People and Places' Photography Competition EyeEm [11]
2017 Winner, Bangladesh National Award, Sony World Photography Award World Photography Organisation [43][42]
2018 Second Place, 'The World We Live In' Pied à Terre, France [11]
2023 Young Guns 21 Winner The One Club [44][45]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Hossain, Farid (2023-09-01). "Amir Hamja: Capturing the World Through His Lens" (PDF). Dhaka Courier. 40 (7): 48 – via Internet Archive.
  2. ^ MISHA, RAKSHANDA RAHMAN (2024-03-18). "MEET AMIR HAMJA: Hollywood's Bangladeshi photographer". The Daily Star. p. 6. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Mahdi, Montasir (2024-03-01). "Photography Beyond Borders: How Amir Hamja Overcame Challenges and Found Success" (PDF). CNEWS Magazine (I): 24–25 (33 on PDF) – via Internet Archive.
  4. ^ "Amir Hamja Author Profile". The New York Times. Retrieved 2025-06-05.
  5. ^ a b c "Amir Hamja Biography". The New York Times Company. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  6. ^ "The New York Times in Print for Friday, Nov. 24, 2023" (PDF). The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-04-11.
  7. ^ "The New York Times in Print for Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022" (PDF). The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-04-11.
  8. ^ Driebusch, Corrie; Hamja, Amir (2021-07-30). "WSJ News Exclusive | Robinhood Stock Sale Soured By Investor Confusion, Valuation Concern". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 2574-9579. Retrieved 2024-04-11.
  9. ^ মিশা, রাখসান্দা রহমান (2024-03-20). "চট্টগ্রাম থেকে যেভাবে অস্কার আয়োজনে আমির হামজা". The Daily Star Bangla. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  10. ^ a b c d e f Shuvo, Ariful Hasan (2023-04-14). "নিউইয়র্ক টাইমসে বাংলাদেশের তরুণ ফটোগ্রাফার" [Young photographer from Bangladesh in New York Times]. The Daily Ittefaq. p. 7. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  11. ^ a b c d e "Amir Hamja: From pharma grad to New York Times photographer". The Business Standard. 2023-04-07. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  12. ^ Yoon, Arin; Huang, Shuran (May 29, 2022). "Asian Photographers Share the Stories Behind Their Names". NPR. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  13. ^ "Amir Hamja: From pharma grad to New York Times photographer". The Business Standard. 2023-04-07. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  14. ^ "2020 is not 1968: To understand today's protests, you must look further back". National Geographic. 2020-06-11. Retrieved 2024-04-11.
  15. ^ a b Shuvo, Ariful Hasan (2023-04-14). "নিউইয়র্ক টাইমসে বাংলাদেশের তরুণ ফটোগ্রাফার" [Young photographer from Bangladesh in New York Times]. The Daily Ittefaq. p. 7. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  16. ^ a b Mahdi, Montasir (2024-03-01). "Photography Beyond Borders: How Amir Hamja Overcame Challenges and Found Success" (PDF). CNEWS Magazine (I): 24–25 (33 on PDF) – via Internet Archive.
  17. ^ Hossain, Farid (2023-09-01). "Amir Hamja: Capturing the World Through His Lens" (PDF). Dhaka Courier. 40 (7): 48 – via Internet Archive.
  18. ^ Holtermann, Callie; Hamja, Amir (2023-07-31). "What We Saw on the Beyoncé Express". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-04-11.
  19. ^ Hasan, Sadiba; Hamja, Amir (2024-04-10). "Getting Dressed for the 'Muslim Met Gala'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-04-11.
  20. ^ Dargis, Manohla; Wilkinson, Alissa (2024-03-11). "Torn Between Golden Past and Thorny Present, Oscars Still Had Some Fun". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-04-11.
  21. ^ Enrich, David (2022-11-20). "Key Findings From The Times' Investigation of Sports Betting". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  22. ^ Chen, David W.; Walker, Mark; Vogel, Kenneth P. (2023-02-10). "How Sports Betting Upended the Economies of Native American Tribes". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  23. ^ Lipton, Eric; Vogel, Kenneth P. (2022-11-20). "Cigars, Booze, Money: How a Lobbying Blitz Made Sports Betting Ubiquitous". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  24. ^ Gonzalez, Shivani (2024-03-10). "Oscars 2024 Winners: See the Full List". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-04-11.
  25. ^ Hamja, Amir; Salam, Maya (2024-03-14). "In the Oscars Audience, the Superstars Were the Superfans". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  26. ^ Times, The New York (2024-03-11). "Best and Worst Moments From the 2024 Oscars". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-04-11.
  27. ^ "📸✨Celebrating Amir Hamja". Embassy of the United States, Dhaka via Facebook. 2024-04-10. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  28. ^ "Bangladeshi photographer captures SRK on his lens". The Daily Star. 2025-05-06. Retrieved 2025-06-05.
  29. ^ "The Year in Pictures 2021". The New York Times. 2021-12-15. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-04-11.
  30. ^ Leonhardt, David (2023-12-19). "The Year in Pictures". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  31. ^ "AMIR HAMJA Archives". Vogue Arabia. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  32. ^ "New York's Empty Office Buildings Lure Rich Families Hunting Bargains". Bloomberg.com. 2023-05-09. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  33. ^ Passy, Charles. "Don't Be Surprised When the Boxers Start Belting Out Opera". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  34. ^ LeDonne, Rob (2023-05-10). "'Oh my God, Obama's stopping by for pasta': can New York's Carbone survive its own success?". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  35. ^ Gilbey, Ryan (2022-12-09). "'All that hyperventilating makes you dizzy': Brendan Fraser and Darren Aronofsky on The Whale". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  36. ^ Futterman, Matthew (2023-08-27). "Novak Djokovic, Back in New York and Loving It as Never Before". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  37. ^ "Mira Nair on Bringing "Monsoon Wedding" to the Stage". Asian American Arts Alliance. Retrieved 2024-04-11.
  38. ^ Hattenstone, Simon (2022-09-05). "'I was promiscuous – that's murder on marriage': Loudon Wainwright III on sex addiction, booze and family feuds". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  39. ^ MISHA, RAKSHANDA RAHMAN (2024-03-18). "MEET AMIR HAMJA: Hollywood's Bangladeshi photographer". The Daily Star. p. 6. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  40. ^ "A Year in the Times: A capsule of history through Amir Hamja's lens". The Business Standard. 2025-01-01. Retrieved 2025-06-05.
  41. ^ "Banglasdesh". World Photography Organisation. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  42. ^ a b "A migrant photographer's guide to survival from Bangladesh to New York City: 'Do it yourself'". Religion Unplugged. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  43. ^ "2017 National Awards Winners". World Photography Organisation. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  44. ^ "The One Club Announces 29 Global Winners for Young Guns 21 | LBBOnline". Little Black Book. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  45. ^ "YG21 | Amir Hamja". The One Club. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
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