The Canon EOS R, Saudi Arabia and tales of love: a wedding photographer's journey

Love is universal. But so are marital difficulties, divorce, bereavement and shame. The tension between the many unseen facets of women's emotional lives is something documentary photographer Tasneem Alsultan brings to life in her portraits with the Canon EOS R.

The Canon Ambassador is best known for her striking coverage of gender issues in the Arab world, winning praise for her 2015 groundbreaking series on Saudi Arabian women's love lives – illuminating the everyday stories behind modern women's experiences of marriage, divorce and bereavement. It's a project that's seen her grow from wedding photographer to photojournalist for some of the world's leading titles: The New York Times and Vogue Italia to Vanity Fair.

Saudi Tales of Love was inspired by Tasneem's own experiences of being married at 17 and living separately as a single parent for the last six years of an unhappy 10-year marriage. Shamed by family members for divorcing, it was only later than she realised her experiences were not uncommon, despite seeming far from the expectations of a typical Saudi housewife.

She began to pair her wedding photography with explorations of the concept of love, subverting stereotypes by following the story that unfolds after a wedding day – women who found happiness in arranged marriages, the troubles divorced women can face getting custody of their children and the requirements of Saudi women to have male guardians.

Mashael is pictured with her husband Mohammed. She's been happily married to him since 2006, but initially she had to be persuaded to meet him. "She said she wasn't looking to be in a relationship," says Tasneem. "He persisted until she gave him a chance and actually met with him. She says that sometimes the unexpected comes with benefits, as she's never regretted being married. He's supported her in ways that she thought marriage wouldn't – for instance, with freedom, education, living abroad and having a career."

Tasneem's second subject was Ashwarg, photographed in a flowing pink sari in the ruins of an old house. She had been preparing to marry the man she'd met at university when she discovered that he was having a relationship with his friend's wife.

She told Tasneem: "I felt ashamed, so I kept the reason behind our separation to ourselves. I remember waiting for the finalised divorce papers and the judge looked at me disapprovingly and said, 'Had you been a better wife and stuck to looking after your home and husband, you wouldn't be here today.'"

"The third woman, Hent, is single in her late 30s and very happy not having been married," explains Tasneem. "She says when the day comes, if she meets someone who is worthy of her 'happy ever after', then she'll think about it but that won't stop her from pursuing her life and career, and being herself."

Tasneem also took advantage of the Canon EOS R's customisable multi-function bar. "I customised the bar to have it change my ISO. All of my camera settings are on manual because I like to control things, especially when the indoors/outdoors and harsh light to darkness changes so fast. With documentary photography, I rarely have the chance to dictate any setting, so I just have to be quick with my hands and trust that the camera will be able to adjust quickly on the spot."

She normally uses 35mm and 85mm prime lenses in her work, but decided to test not only the Canon RF 35mm f/1.8 IS Macro STM lens but also the Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L USM lens on this shoot. "I loved how it gave that nice bokeh. The images were very soft and very sharp at the same time," she says. She also plans to put her existing lenses on the EOS body, which are compatible with the new system when using the Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS R, with no loss of quality and the same focusing performance.

"One of the difficult things that photographers face is that we're not invisible," she says. "I move around all the time, so the silent mode helps me greatly. It means I can get photos without the person knowing that I've clicked the shutter, which makes me much more sensitive, I think, to their stories. My subjects are not always at public events or weddings but often in more intimate surroundings, so I need to make people feel comfortable."

The Canon EOS R is the first Canon camera to offer an entirely silent shooting mode, enabling photographers to take candid photos without disturbing subjects. This is very relevant for Tasneem's particular brand of observational documentary photography, which often involves photographing people in private or intimate spaces, such as in places of worship or in their bedrooms.

So far, Tasneem has collated 27 stories from Saudi Arabian women, but the project is more than just engaging narratives; the stories are empowering Saudi women by giving them a voice.

"I want to pursue this project because it's so important for us, as Saudi women, to know that we all co-exist and we are all strong. From women who have been widowed to those who are divorced, I feel that all these (sometimes tragic) stories are important to validate the struggles we have and to help us know that we're not alone."

"From a superficial point of view, we might look the same in our own homes, like we're just confident, strong women going about our daily lives. Then you realise there are so many obstacles that Saudi women face that no other women have to. So, it's tying all those things together that show the universal theme of love, but at the same time, very distinct struggles."

The untold tales

Looking to the year ahead, Tasneem envisions continuing to balance her personal projects with covering social issues in the region. "I am looking to photograph the narratives that haven't been told before," she says.

When Tasneem started Saudi Tales of Love, she imagined a book containing the stories of 30 women. But as she continues to find compelling tales of unexpected love, the idea grows. Moreover, recent developments within Saudi Arabia have opened up the country geographically to her, bringing with it a raft of potentially powerful stories.

"I've been driving since the day they allowed women to drive," says Tasneem. In June 2018, Saudi Arabia's decades-long driving ban for women was lifted – a story that she also photographed for The New York Times. "Now that I'm driving around Saudi I've been going to regions, cities and towns that I've never had the opportunity to go to before – it's been great.

"The whole reason that I'm travelling across country is to include as many stories on Saudi women as possible. Previously I've only touched the surface because I've only been based in big cities, and now I can go around myself and meet new people and share new stories. There are so many funny stories, and so many that are very important to tell."