Zoral Khurram Naik is an award winning Photojournalist and Architectural/Interior photographer, and a photography instructor based in Karachi, Pakistan.
Naik is best known for his photo essay titled Burnout - a long form piece about the various complexities surrounding the Karachi Fire Department which earned him the Agahi Award in 2017 and the ADA Award in 2019. Naik has also been been a recipient of the International Mobile Category 1st Prize in the ROSL Photography Competition 2019 based in the UK. His photos and stories have been published on all leading local news platforms and on international platforms such as The Guardian, Al Jazeera, The Telegraph, Voice of America, Del Disasters Emergency Committee, Der Spiegel, TRT World and Roads and Kingdoms. He is available for assignments all over Pakistan and South Asia.
Naik also has an independent practice by name of Zoral Naik | Architecture Photography dedicated to shooting all sorts of built spaces in the residential, retail, hospitality, institutional, industrial and corporate sector. Some of his major clients/projects include: Arshad Shahid Abdullah (ASA), Aga Khan University Hospital, Engro Corporation, Dewan Cement Limited, United Energy Pakistan, MCB Bank, Meezan Bank, Getz Pharma and Khaadi.
EDUCATION
Bachelors in Communication Design | 2011- 2015
Major: Graphic Design & Typography
Minor: Photography
Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture
Conversation in Image-Making | 2017
Photography workshop by Singaporean fine art photographer Wei Leng
Photojournalism Workshop | 2016
With Andy Spyra’ at the Goethe Institute, Karachi
WORK EXPERIENCE
Zoral Naik | Independent Photojournalist | 2015 - Present
Reporting on commissioned international stories in Pakistan
www.zoralnaik.com
Zoral Naik | Architecture Photography | 2017 - Present
Principal Photographer dedicated to shooting all sorts of built spaces
in the residential, retail, hospitality, institutional, industrial and corporate sector.
www.zoralnaik.com
Khaadi | Retail Photographer | 2022 - Present
Contractual photographer for Khaadi’s retail outlets in Pakistan
The Express Tribune | 2016 - 2018
Full time photojournalist/documentary photographer and Photo Editor
PAF KIET | 2017 - 2020
Visiting faculty member for the Digital photography undergraduate course
CAS School | 2018 – 2019
Visiting faculty member member for the Photography module
R | Photography | 2012 - 2016
Senior Wedding/Events photographer
PUBLISHED WORKS
Al Jazeera | 2024
Photographing Hakeema Umar for the series ‘ What’s your Money Worth’
www.aljazeera.com/-a-pakistani-fisherwoman-steps-up-to-support-her-family-2
The Guardian | 2023
Photo essay - ‘After the floods, the future looks bright : Truck Art In Pakistan’
www.theguardian.com/after-the-floods-the-future-looks-bright-truck-art-in-pakistan
The Telegraph | 2022
The story of Pakistan’s catastrophic floods, told through photographs
of the families struggling to survive
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/10/07/how-escaped-pakistan-floods/
Voice of Amercia (VOA) | 2019
Documentary photography for an investigative report on child marriages
projects.voanews.com/child-marriage/english/region/pakistan.html
TRT World | 2019
Commissioned for a photo essay on Women March 2019
trtworld.com/magazine/the-march-for-equal-rights-in-pakistan-24802
Roads & Kingdoms | 2018
Commissioned photography piece for the story Cooking with Fire
roadsandkingdoms.com/2018/hazara-restaurant-quetta-pakistan/
Maekan | 2018
Commissioned editorial photography for the story 'Muted Music'
maekan.com/article/muted-music-the-private-spaces-of-karachis-underground
The Express Tribune | 2016 -2017
expresstribunelabs.wordpress.com/2017/05/23/burnout/
expresstribunelabs.wordpress.com/2016/08/31/william-and-the-black-hole/
expresstribunelabs.wordpress.com/2017/01/02/tipping-point/
labs.tribune.com.pk/losing-sanctuary/
labs.tribune.com.pk/a-war-against-the-sea
labs1.tribune.com.pk/inside-machar-colony/
tribune.com.pk/story/1144214/walk-pakistans-diverse-barbershops-stunning-images/
tribune.com.pk/story/1160965/painting-town-green/
tribune.com.pk/story/1136779/ramazan-mosques-markets/
tribune.com.pk/story/1179936/eidul-azha-animal-photos-will-leave-peals-laughter/
Burn Diary | 2016
Photographer of the week on the Instagram account of Burn Magazine,
curated by David Alan Harvey
www.instagram.com/burndiary/
Roads & Kingdoms | 2015
Commissioned photography piece for the article A Stage Set for Slaughter
roadsandkingdoms.com/2015/stage-set-slaughter/
Dawn | 2016
Photography reportage for SCEI’s spring festival at beach luxury
images.dawn.com/news/1174922
AWARDS
Agahi Awards | 2019
Awarded Photojournalist of the Year for a photo essay on Women March 2019 commissioned by TRT World
trtworld.com/magazine/the-march-for-equal-rights-in-pakistan-24802
ROSL International Photo Competition | 2019
1st Prize Winner in the photography category of mobile photography
www.rosl.org.uk/rosl_news/928-rosl-photography-competition-announces-2019-winners
ADA Awards | 2019
Winner in the photography category for photo essay tiled Burnout
expresstribunelabs.wordpress.com/2017/05/23/burnout/
Agahi Awards | 2017
Awarded Photojournalist of the Year for a photo essay tiled Burnout
expresstribunelabs.wordpress.com/2017/05/23/burnout/