As a teenager and young adult, Ansari worked as a photographer and journalist in Ahvaz and Tehran. His camera became both a tool of income and social mobility. Through journalism, he gained access to cultural circles, business figures, and eventually political personalities. Photography, in particular, allowed him to move between social classes, observing industrial development projects, oil installations, urban change, and diplomatic events. This exposure nurtured in him a deep interest in modernization, technology, and international affairs.
Unlike many of his contemporaries in the technocratic elite, Ansari did not begin with aristocratic lineage or formal state sponsorship. His early success was built instead on adaptability, networking, and an unusual willingness to move across professions.
