Groningen Through the Lens of Rara: How an Accidental Click Became a Winning Shot

Fahrulia Rahmania Farid (aka Rara), a 22-year-old Indonesian student at the University of Groningen, won the HanzeMag Photo Competition.

‘I found it on my Instagram Explore, actually’, she says with a smile. ‘It was unintentional.’ While casually scrolling online Fahrulia Rahmania Farid, who goes by the name of Rara, stumbled upon the call for submissions from HanzeMag for its Photo Competition. HanzeMag invited students in Groningen to submit a photo of their favourite spot in the city, a place that felt personal, comforting or inspiring. It was open to all students, not just those from Hanze. So the competition ended up receiving submissions that showed Groningen through many different eyes, some familiar and some unexpected.

Just a nice snapshot of Noorderplantsoen, one of the green lungs of Groningen and one of Rara’s favourite places

Rara is a double degree student in International Business at the University of Groningen. ‘I’m not a Hanze student and was not familiar with HanzeMag so it was interesting to end up winning.’ She sent in her photo without thinking too much about it. Just a nice snapshot of Noorderplantsoen, one of the greenest lungs of Groningen and one of her favourite places indeed.

‘I took it during one of my early days here in Groningen, during the Noorderzon Festival’, she recalls. ‘The sun was out. There were people lying on the grass, walking around, listening to music. And even though it’s in the middle of the city, it felt peaceful. You can study there, walk, or just hang out with friends. It’s that kind of space.’

Coming from Indonesia, Rara is no stranger to green spaces. Her hometown, Bogor, is home to one of the oldest botanical gardens in Southeast Asia. ‘So maybe that’s why I really like Noorderplantsoen’, she says. ‘It felt familiar. It reminded me of home in a quiet way.’

The photo was not taken with a fancy camera. In fact, it was shot on a disposable Kodak film camera she picked up before coming to the Netherlands. ‘I didn’t have any proper camera at the time’, she explains. ‘So I brought that one with me. Just something I grabbed before I left Indonesia.’

Although she does not consider herself a professional photographer, photography has always been an enjoyable hobby. ‘It’s not related to my studies at all’, she laughs, ‘but I enjoy it. Everyone has their own style, and that’s what makes photography interesting.’ She has also dabbled in videography and even joined a competition in high school. ‘Didn’t win that one’, she adds, ‘but it was fun. I still like filming things sometimes.’

Rara: ‘It is nice to see the city from different angles, and it makes me search for different places’

Winning this competition was different. ‘It was my first time submitting something to a photo contest like this’, she says. ‘It’s just really interesting to see other people’s photos and how they see the city.’ When asked whether the exhibition changed her perspective of Groningen, she pauses. ‘It is nice to see the city from different angles, and it makes me search for different places, but Noorderplantsoen still is my favourite.’

With the € 500,- voucher that came with the prize, she is planning to finally buy a proper camera. ‘The one I have now isn’t great. So yeah, this really helps’, she says. ‘I’ve been thinking about getting a better one for a while, but cameras are expensive.’

As for what is next, she is not sure. ‘I might explore photography more seriously in the future’ she says. ‘But for now, it’s still just something I enjoy.’

What is clear is that she has an eye that is honest (though not necessarily trained or technical). Her approach is simple. Take a camera, walk around, and click when something feels right. That is what happened with the winning photo. A disposable camera, a calm afternoon, a new city, a quiet park, and a beautiful picture.