Through His Lens: Rutgers-Newark Alumnus Documents Campus, City and Community

On a morning walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, Tanzeel Hussain noticed what others might have passed without a second thought: a woman smiling amid the rush of commuters and tourists. He had only seconds to capture it, but that's what draws him to photography: finding the quiet moments unfolding within everyday life.

Hussain came to the United States from India to pursue higher education, choosing Rutgers-Newark for its strong academics, cultural diversity and proximity to New York City. He earned his master's degree in Information Technology & Analytics from Rutgers Business School, pursuing a career in technology while continuing to nurture the creative side that drew him to photography years earlier.

It was an outlet that became especially important as he adjusted to life in a new country. His first months brought cultural shocks and the challenges of finding his footing, but photography helped him reconnect with himself. 

“Rutgers didn’t just become a place to study, but a space for personal and creative growth,” Hussain said. He began documenting the university as a student and continues to photograph it as an alumnus, now with a different perspective on the people, moments and changes around him.

His work has since reached audiences beyond his own social channels. Tanzeel's photography has appeared in 63 exhibitions, including Photo North Festival in Leeds, United Kingdom, and has been featured in 29 publications, including Digital Camera World and Digital Camera Magazine.

"The recognition has affirmed something he had already begun to understand about his work: he was less interested in building an audience than in becoming a better photographer. “I stopped looking at followers, at numbers… It stopped bothering me,” he said. “All I wanted to do was tell stories I witnessed from afar."

Living in Newark while being minutes from New York City has given Tanzeel two very different places to document. In New York, he is drawn to the constant movement of the city and the people within it, photographing strangers crossing paths, celebrations, and everyday street scenes. In Newark, his camera turns toward a place that feels more familiar, from students gathering on campus to the everyday moments of a community he has come to know. Yet after photographing New York, he says the feeling that stays with him most is boarding NJ Transit back to Newark, "to home."

His appreciation for the city extends naturally to Rutgers–Newark. "Rutgers is my home," he says.

He describes it as a place where cultures, identities and experiences intersect. "RU–N is one of the most lively places I have seen," he says, adding that the university doesn't simply exist within Newark, it connects with the city around it. Some of his favorite images capture that connection through the people who bring campus to life, including students celebrating together, dancing at campus events and sharing moments of joy that might otherwise pass in an instant. 

Returning as an alumnus has given him a new perspective. "Earlier, I was a part of those moments, living them without realizing their value. Now, I observe them while trying to create value for those who are living it,” he said.

As Rutgers-Newark continues celebrating 80 years since joining the Rutgers system, Tanzeel sees the milestone as more than an anniversary. For him, it's an opportunity to document a historic moment in the university's story.

 "It is not just about capturing what is happening today, but also about preserving something that will become a memory for future generations," he says. Being able to photograph a community celebrating eight decades of growth, culture and connection, he adds, feels like "being part of something much bigger than myself."

Whether he's photographing a campus celebration, a quiet street in Newark or a bustling morning in New York City, Tanzeel hopes his work encourages people to see what they might otherwise miss.

"I hope they pause. Life moves very fast, and if my work can stop someone for even a few seconds, that would mean the world to me."