For his gallery, screenwriter turned photojournalist Syamsul Hadi researched the community of punks in Jakarta, Indonesia, for five years.
It took that long, he says, to gain their trust – hanging out with them, visiting their homes, talking to their parents where he could and persuading them to be photographed.
After Syamsul trained to be a screenwriter, he taught others the craft but now works as a stills photographer on feature films - taking publicity shots of scenes and actors - with companies called Kalyana Shira Films, MILES Films and LUMA Film Productions in South Jakarta.
He also has a small photography company named Box Breaker, specializing in portrait, documentary and reportage.
“I have a passion for photography and took part in a World Press Photo workshop to learn how to make the best of my ability – how to use photography to communicate and tell stories through photojournalism in a balanced way and without prejudice,” says the 25-year-old.
Syamsul focused on the punks in Jakarta to show another side to this often threatening and occasionally unlawful group with their unusual hair styles, tattoos and music.
“They look bad and people always judge them by the way they appear,” says Syamsul. “But to me they are no different from you and me. They are human, have parents, are married, have children and have hopes and ambitions.”
“They are my subjects, they are my friends and I love to hang out with them sometimes.”
Syamsul now hopes that the images of punks will form the basis of a solo exhibition and book.
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