Being the Best Despite Imperfections

Kompas/Angger Putranto

Achmad Zulkarnain

Born with physical limitations, Achmad Zulkarnain, 25, knows perfectly well what a life of hardships is like. He was discarded, ostracized and looked down upon. However, all these bitter experiences have now turned him into a special individual and an inspiration for many.

The sun was scorching Boom Beach in Banyuwangi, East Java. The sand was hot. Zul, as Achmad Zulkarnain is often called, tried to find shade after taking photographs of the release of turtle hatchlings.

Zul’s body swung sideways as he moved forward. With all his energy and might, Zul, who was born without complete arms or legs, tried to avoid the scorching heat and the hot sand. He carried his camera and monopod on his right shoulder so that they would not disrupt his steps. Despite his physical imperfections, he moved nimbly.

Zul is a great photographer. His physical limitations do not obstruct his work with the camera. He always has a camera strapped around his neck. A monopod helps him hold the heavy camera and a 70-200 millimeter telephoto lens.

He uses his left arm to hold the camera and point it at the subject of his photograph. His right arm adjusts the lens. Zul adjusts the camera’s focus and zoom with his finger. After he is pleased with how the image looks in the viewfinder, he presses on the camera shutter with his right arm.

When Kompas interviewed Zul on Boom Beach on Saturday, Oct. 10, he said he had been interested in photography since 2014. At the time, Zul was working at an internet café, which offered an ID card photo taking service.

At the internet café, he was tasked with managing the photo service. “It was the first time I learned about photography. I then dreamed of owning my own camera. However, I didn’t have enough money back then,” he said.

After leaving the internet café, Zul’s interest in photography grew. Zul, who was by then working for a law firm in Banyuwangi, bought a digital single lens reflect (DSLR) camera for Rp 6 million (US$444) by paying installments for 18 months.

Despite the difficulties his physical condition brings to his mobility, this has not stopped him from exploring his area. Zul once took pictures of the landscape on Mt. Ijen and its crater, which is located some 2,443 meters above sea level.

With his own camera, it became easier for Zul to engross himself in his hobby every day. Eventually, Zul joined the Anak Osing Singojuruh (AOS) photography community in Banyuwangi.

Zul said that he felt lucky to have friends in AOS. The community often accompanies Zul during photo-hunting sessions. Often times, they take turns carrying Zul or putting him in their carriers on hiking trips.

Zul spends many hours with his friends in the community. More than just a community, AOS is a place for Zul and his friends to earn money. They offer pre-wedding, wedding and event photo services.

To facilitate his mobility, Zul uses a go-kart-like motored vehicle. He designed the vehicle himself but his father helped him assemble it. It took nine months to make the vehicle.

Furthermore, Zul also continuously seeks to improve his photography skills, including by participating in a number of photography competitions. One day, Zul took part is a special photography competition for the disabled, in which he got the chance to meet veteran photographer Darwis Triadi. Zul was then given the opportunity to enroll in Darwis’ photography school for free.

Thanks to his knowledge and photography skills, Zul is often invited by a number of communities to give photography workshops. Apart from sharing his photography knowledge, he also includes motivation materials in the workshops.

“I have encountered many difficulties because of my physical condition. Carrying the heavy camera and pressing the shutter button are challenging for me. However, I have overcome them little by little by making efforts to adjust,” he said.

Inner conflict

Zul said that he had accepted his physical limitations and remained confident in spite of it.

Back when he was still a student at the Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Tarbiyatul Mubtadiin Islamic boarding school, Zul was often ridiculed by his peers. This depressed him and made him reluctant to socialize with other people.

“I spent my days sulking in my room until, at one point, I began thinking about my future. I thought about how it would affect me if I continued to be embarrassed by my limitations and what I could achieve if I chose to rise and accept myself as I was,” he said.

Apart from being ostracized, Zul was also discarded by his parents a few days after he was born. He was put in a plastic bag and thrown in a garbage bin. Fortunately, one of his parents’ relatives found out and took him in and cared for him.

Zul has never forgiven his parents for what they did. For him, what they did was not a mistake. “It was human to wish for perfection when what you get is imperfection,” Zul said.

He said this moment was important for him and that he also mentions it in his motivational speeches. By telling the story, Zul wishes to say that accepting one’s strengths is as important as accepting one’s weaknesses.

In the face of the discrimination he has experienced, Zul found a way to rise up. He no longer minded that his peers ridiculed him. Now, Zul laughs about his own condition. For him, physical limitations should not prevent him from achieving what he wants.

One of his life mottos is surah Ar-Ra’d verse 11 of the Koran, which says, “Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.”

“The verse convinces me that all of my success depends on how I organize my life and my future. If I want success, I need to make changes, small and big,” he said.