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Photographer Mohammad Jasem Alwazzan discusses how social media can be used as an inspirational tool. Mohammad Jasem Alwazzan found "accidental" fame with his breathtaking photos

Ask any photographer of note and they'll tell you the art of photography is much more than a technical process. Good photography is not just about pointing the camera and pressing a button, it's about capturing that elusive moment invisible to the naked eye but which the medium of photography can render visible for all eternity. Mohammad Jasem Alwazzan knows exactly what it takes to make a good photo. His skills behind the camera have transformed him into a social media superstar and poignantly proved how a person's passion can transform their life.

"It happened more or less by accident," explained Alwazzan when asked how he found fame behind the lens as opposed to being in front of it. "I have been working as a professional photographer in Kuwait since 1996, but with the rise of social media, I started posting on various platforms the pictures I took of people I found interesting, places I had visited, even plates of food I found intriguing. I posted anything, really, that fired my interest and could tell a story within a photograph. It wasn't a commercial venture at first, I was just keen to showcase my portfolio of work to as big an audience as possible."

Slowly, but with a life of its own, Alwazzan's photos began to attract a growing following. Soon people were commissioning Alwaazzan to work on individual projects.

Alwazzan revealed, "It began with a few requests to cover various events, live shows, and restaurants, and then it snowballed. I was inundated with requests to attend and photograph all manner of events. It really is flattering when people like what you do, but I found myself having to turn a lot of work down because I just didn't have the time. It was a strange experience, becoming famous, because as a photographer your job is mainly to be the anonymous person on the edge of everything, carefully observing, not participating. To take effective photos, you should always be outside looking in, and so to be in the center of the storm that accompanies fame is a pretty surreal experience."

Although he's quick to stress that he's grateful for all social media has afforded him as a photographer, Alwazzan views it mainly as a tool to inspire other people to try their hand at photography.

Alwazzan said, "Social media has benefited my photography and consequently myself, enormously. It has given me a shop window to the world. However, my passion is and always will be photography. If my photos inspire and encourage others to pick up the camera and start snapping, then that's the biggest thrill of all."