Halim Ina Photography - The Use of Photography to Promote Social Change and Gender Equality

Wednesday, December 29, 2021

Branch + Death Valley, California, 2019, Limited Edition (50), 11x14 Silver Gelatin Print,

Death Valley was unlike any other place I had ever visited in my life. People warned me about going unprepared, but I thought I would be fine. Driving there in a rental car seemed just fine, even with just a gallon of water with me. Then as the car climbed one of the mountains the overheat light turned on. Then I realized that leaving the fan on while driving in this hot environment was not such a good idea. I turned off the A/C immediately and the light disappeared. From that moment on I respected the space much more so, and appreciated all signs of life.

Including this sample from the mountain top, with the valley in the distance. I thought, 'how fragile life was, how seemingly fleeting it can be!'

The frame was exposed with the sun coming from the other direction, giving me a better perspective of Death Valley and life in general.

The purpose of selling these prints on Etsy is to support the social work being accomplished through my photography. Presently we have six sewing centers in two states of India, serving both the Hindu and the Muslim communities. In these sewing centers, young women learn a trade while also making clothing for their families. The centers are located in the rural areas, where young women have only one option normally, marriage and a family. At this moment, due to COVID-19, the work is on hold. However, we plan to restart the centers in 2022 and the funds from the sale of these portraits will be applied to the work in India.

This is a silver gelatin print made by me, the photographer, in my darkroom. It is printed on Ilford MGIVWT glossy fiber 11x14 paper, and toned in selenium for permanence. It is processed in a Zone VI washer to archival standards, and allowed to dry overnight on a screen. The camera/lens combination was a Hasselblad 501CM/100mm, and the frame was exposed onto Ilford Delta 100 using natural light. This portrait is from a library of well over 300,000 negatives exposed over the last 24 years, from four continents and a dozen countries.

Tamy + Baseball Field, Countryside, Cuba, 2018

This is just one example of an incredible afternoon with Tamy in the countryside. She happened to see this baseball field as we were photographing in the neighborhood and was willing to walk on wet grass without hesitation. Seldom do I find someone who is as willing as I am for the sake of the image. I hold her in the highest esteem and hope that we will see each other soon.

Young Student + Madrasa, Uttar Pradesh, India, 201

I really do miss this girl and her friends, and have the highest respect for their courage in the midst of indifference and intolerance. Their village is their world, and more exactly their home is their world. Unless they are attending school, they are almost always within the confines of their homes. School is a refuge for them, a place where they may learn and where they can be themselves among friends.

They’re fully aware of the hardships facing them and yet they persevere and endure through it all. In this classroom they could be themselves and act out their creative thoughts. It’s been an honor to be at their side all of these years.

This village specifically, and this very school, are dear to me. The school itself is very small, has perhaps 24 girls and 20 boys. This is the scenery just behind the school, and all around it as well. The children are so curious and deserve our best in order to help improve their circumstances. We hope to do better in 2022.

Four Images of Tamy, Campo, Cuba, 2018

What makes these images even more incredible is that they were made within an hour or so one morning. For these images to have been possible, Tamy needed to be ready and we needed to reach this part of the countryside well before sunrise.

We decided on this neighborhood a day in advance, but the specific locations depended on how the light was in the morning. This made her professionalism that much more valuable. We used this location once in 2018 and never again. These prints were made in the darkroom yesterday, and toned in selenium this morning.

It was so early that the grass was soaked with the morning dew. Nonetheless Tamy was kind enough to walk onto the baseball field without hesitation, even with the animals in the distance. While these images are normally made in the city, to bring her unparalleled talents into the countryside made me proud. Dance after all is for everyone, from city dwellers to farmers.

Sunday, December 26, 2021

Young Girl + Window, India, 2020, Limited Edition (50), 11x14 Silver Gelatin Print

This young girl attends a religious school six days a week, and endures a most conservative society day to day. We have worked with this school for the past eight years and hope to support their headmaster with his vision to bring a more rounded curriculum to his school. She and her sister are identical twins, with the exception of the pattern on her right cheek. They both love to be photographed and their eyes open wide when we ask them to come over. Their headmaster is a wonderful man and hopes to expand the curriculum past the existing one based on religion only.

The purpose of selling these portraits on Etsy is to support the social work being accomplished through my photography. Presently we have six sewing centers in two states of India, serving both the Hindu and the Muslim communities. In these sewing centers, young women learn a trade while also making clothing for their families. The centers are located in the rural areas, where young women have only one option normally, marriage and a family. At this moment, due to COVID-19, the work is on hold. However, we plan to restart the centers in 2022 and the funds from the sale of these portraits will be applied to the work in India.

This is a silver gelatin print of a young student made by me, the photographer, in my darkroom. It is printed on Ilford MGIVWT glossy fiber 11x14 paper, and toned in selenium for permanence. It is processed in a Zone VI washer to archival standards, and allowed to dry overnight on a screen. The camera/lens combination was a Hasselblad 501CM/100mm, and the frame was exposed onto Kodak's fabulous Tri-X film.

As a side note, my belief is that you will be very pleased with the print in person, as the tones of a silver gelatin print are difficult to represent through the screen. One may sense the surface of the print by looking at the gloss in certain areas of the print's surface. In the end, the print you will receive will be slightly different than the one represented on the screen, both in tone and in emotional impact... different in the best sense of the word. Every print is an original, and my hope is that it finds a good space in your home.

Each print will be signed and dated by me, the photographer, and numbered to a maximum of 50 prints (11x14) per negative.

Dancers + Freeway Exit, Bauta, Cuba, 2015

Going back to 2015 with the creative Érica in the countryside, here is a darkroom print from this past week. Behind the image is the dedication of these young girls and their families, ready to go at 5:30 in the morning without question. It’s such an honor to have these images, and the experiences are beyond priceless!

Student + Trees, Western Kenya, 2007

A dozen years ago I was privileged to have access to a beautiful community in western Kenya, thanks to a foundation named MACODEF. We went from village to village, from school to school, in search of incredible people and stories. This school was on the outskirts of Kisumu, and we walked just to the side to make portraits of the entire student body. Some children had shoes and some lacked, while almost all of the children were wearing the only uniform that they possessed. The foundation is doing remarkable work given the conditions, and I applaud their efforts sincerely.

Dunes + Sky, Imperial Sand Dunes, California, 2019

How I miss driving thru Southern California, with a camera in my hands. Over every hill was another set of photographic possibilities. While in LA the weekends were reserved for the landscapes of sand dunes!

Saturday, December 25, 2021

Imperial Sand Dunes, California, 2019, Limited Edition (50), 11x14 Silver Gelatin Print

This is a silver gelatin print made by me, the photographer, in my darkroom. It is printed on Ilford MGIVWT glossy fiber 11x14 paper, and toned in selenium for permanence. It is processed in a Zone VI washer to archival standards, and allowed to dry overnight on a screen. Walking around these dunes is a remarkable experience. Every time one thinks that they've exhausted the possibilities, more come up as the peak of one dune is reached and the view ahead is seen. The camera/lens combination was a Hasselblad 501CM/100mm, and the frame was exposed onto Ilford Delta 100 film using natural light. This frame is from a library of well over 300,000 negatives exposed over the last 24 years, from four continents and a dozen countries.

The purpose of selling these prints on Etsy is to support the social work being accomplished through my photography. Presently we have six sewing centers in two states of India, serving both the Hindu and the Muslim communities. In these sewing centers, young women learn a trade while also making clothing for their families. The centers are located in the rural areas, where young women have only one option normally, marriage and a family. At this moment, due to COVID-19, the work is on hold. However, we plan to restart the centers in 2022 and the funds from the sale of these portraits will be applied to the work in India.

As a side note, my belief is that you will be very pleased with the print in person, as the tones of a silver gelatin print are difficult to represent through the screen. One may sense the surface of the print by looking at the gloss in certain areas of the print's surface. In the end, the print you will receive will be slightly different than the one represented on the screen, both in tone and in emotional impact... different in the best sense of the word. Every print is an original, and my hope is that it finds a good space in your home.

Each print will be signed and dated by me, the photographer, and numbered to a maximum of 50 prints (11x14) per negative.

Table of Photographs, Madrasa, Uttar Pradesh, India, 2019

I was lucky enough to have been in India prior to the pandemic in early 2020, while the rest of the world was dealing with the emergence of COVID-19. It was a more innocent time, one in which we sat and sorted out some 900 photographs to hand out at this school. Asking the men to help was useless, as only the girls recognized themselves and their friends. The rooms behind were some of my favorite spaces for portraits, exquisite light!

Best Friends + Syrians, Near Zahle, Lebanon, 2019

Normally boys create chaos due to my photography of the girls, but these boys were my allies in keeping the peace. Even though chaos ensued to some degree, I was proud of them!

Laura + Dry Lake Bed, Southern California, 2019

Soon I hope to repeat this session with Laura and make something better out of these difficult times.

This frame with Laura represents to me the very best of photography. The obstacles in the way of our collaboration could have prevented this image from being exposed, but Laura persevered and the resulting images are, to me, priceless.

Friday, December 24, 2021

Maasai + Boulders, Kenya, 2007, Limited Edition (50), 11x14 Silver Gelatin Print

This is a silver gelatin print of a young Maasai man made by me, the photographer, in my darkroom. It is printed on Ilford MGIVWT glossy fiber 11x14 paper, and toned in selenium for permanence. It is processed in a Zone VI washer to archival standards, and allowed to dry overnight on a screen. This young man and his friends agreed to be photographed in advance of that morning, and met us at the spot agreed upon earlier. They were so kind and generous with their time. They even held my hand as we crossed the street, and really made an impression on me.

The camera/lens combination was a Hasselblad 501CM/180mm, and the frame was exposed onto Fuji's brilliant Neopan Acros 100 using natural light. This portrait is from a library of well over 300,000 negatives exposed over the last 24 years, from four continents and a dozen countries. Every person is spoken with prior to the portrait, and the process is explained fully. Most of my work is on film, and the countries are revisited year after year in order to continue the documentation of the same families, of the same communities.

The purpose of selling these portraits on Etsy is to support the social work being accomplished through my photography. Presently we have six sewing centers in two states of India, serving both the Hindu and the Muslim communities. In these sewing centers, young women learn a trade while also making clothing for their families. The centers are located in the rural areas, where young women have only one option normally, marriage and a family. At this moment, due to COVID-19, the work is on hold. However, we plan to restart the centers in 2022 and the funds from the sale of these portraits will be applied to the work in India.

As a side note, my belief is that you will be very pleased with the print in person, as the tones of a silver gelatin print are difficult to represent through the screen. One may sense the surface of the print by looking at the gloss in certain areas of the print's surface. In the end, the print you will receive will be slightly different than the one represented on the screen, both in tone and in emotional impact... different in the best sense of the word. Every print is an original, and my hope is that it finds a good space in your home.

Each print will be signed and dated by me, the photographer, and numbered to a maximum of 50 prints (11x14) per negative.

Muslim Girl + Classroom, Shamli District, Uttar Pradesh, India, 2019

I really do miss this girl and her friends, and have the highest respect for their courage in the midst of indifference and intolerance. Their village is their world, and more exactly their home is their world. Unless they are attending school, they are almost always within the confines of their homes. School is a refuge for them, a place where they may learn and where they can be themselves among friends.

They’re fully aware of the hardships facing them and yet they persevere and endure through it all. In this classroom they could be themselves and act out their creative thoughts. It’s been an honor to be at their side all of these years.

Model + Racquetball Court, Santa Maria Del Mar, Cuba, 2015

Another day in the darkroom reliving my mornings at the racquetball courts of Cuba. This is one of my favorite places in the world for photography, the light is just perfect. This young woman was incredible, did so well under the glaring sun!

PS Negative exposed with a Hasselblad 503CW/180mm combination, the print toned in Selenium.

Syrian Child + School, Near Zahle, Lebanon, 2019

It’s amazing to see such expressions of love on my first visit to a place. One, this is a conservative community. Two, the pictures are being made by a stranger to her camp. Three, I am Lebanese while she is Syrian.

In the end all three points are irrelevant. More than Arabic as a common language, it’s the language without words that matters most.

Here she is in front of the NGO school in her camp, expressing herself with that pose and smile!

Thursday, December 23, 2021

Young Girl + Stairs, India, 2020, Limited Edition (50), 11x14 Silver Gelatin Print

This is a silver gelatin print of a young student made by me, the photographer, in my darkroom. It is printed on Ilford MGIVWT glossy fiber 11x14 paper, and toned in selenium for permanence. It is processed in a Zone VI washer to archival standards, and allowed to dry overnight on a screen. The camera/lens combination was a Hasselblad 501CM/100mm, and the frame was exposed onto Kodak's fabulous Tri-X film.

This young girl attends a religious school six days a week, and endures a most conservative society day to day. We have yet to work with this school but hope to support their headmaster with his vision to bring a more rounded curriculum to his school. This school is the second school in one of the villages we support. After hearing about us they sent the invitation for a visit. We of course accepted, since many of these girls know the girls in the second school. We hope to do justice to the needs of these children soon.

The purpose of selling these portraits on Etsy is to support the social work being accomplished through my photography. Presently we have six sewing centers in two states of India, serving both the Hindu and the Muslim communities. In these sewing centers, young women learn a trade while also making clothing for their families. The centers are located in the rural areas, where young women have only one option normally, marriage and a family. At this moment, due to COVID-19, the work is on hold. However, we plan to restart the centers in 2022 and the funds from the sale of these portraits will be applied to the work in India.

As a side note, my belief is that you will be very pleased with the print in person, as the tones of a silver gelatin print are difficult to represent through the screen. One may sense the surface of the print by looking at the gloss in certain areas of the print's surface. In the end, the print you will receive will be slightly different than the one represented on the screen, both in tone and in emotional impact... different in the best sense of the word. Every print is an original, and my hope is that it finds a good space in your home.

Each print will be signed and dated by me, the photographer, and numbered to a maximum of 50 prints (11x14) per negative.

Yaniuska + Beach, Santa Maria Del Mar, La Habana, Cuba, 2015

Going back to 2015 with the creative Yaniuska at the beach, here is a darkroom print from this week. Behind the image is the dedication of this young girl and her family, ready to go at 5:30 in the morning without question. It’s such an honor to have these images, and the experiences are beyond priceless!

Young Student + Classroom, Shamli District, Uttar Pradesh, India, 2020

I really do miss this girl and her friends, and have the highest respect for their courage in the midst of indifference and intolerance. Their village is their world, and more exactly their home is their world. Unless they are attending school, they are almost always within the confines of their homes. School is a refuge for them, a place where they may learn and where they can be themselves among friends.

They’re fully aware of the hardships facing them and yet they persevere and endure through it all. In this classroom they could be themselves and act out their creative thoughts. It’s been an honor to be at their side all of these years.

Young Student + Orphan, Kisumu, Kenya, 2007

A dozen years ago I was privileged to have access to a beautiful community in western Kenya, thanks to a foundation named MACODEF. We went from village to village, from school to school, in search of incredible people and stories. This school was on the outskirts of Kisumu, and we walked just to the side to make portraits of the entire student body. Some children had shoes and some lacked, while almost all of the children were wearing the only uniform that they possessed. The foundation is doing remarkable work given the conditions, and I applaud their efforts sincerely.

Wednesday, December 22, 2021

From a Distance, Monument Valley, Utah, 2016

This is a silver gelatin print made by me, the photographer, in my own darkroom. It is printed on Ilford MGIVWT glossy fiber 11x14 paper, and toned in selenium for permanence. It is processed in a Zone VI washer to archival standards, and allowed to dry overnight on a screen. The camera/lens combination was a Hasselblad 501CM/100mm, and the frame was exposed onto Ilford Delta 100 using natural light. This frame is from a library of well over 300,000 negatives exposed over the last 24 years, from four continents and a dozen countries.

Monument Valley inspired me to continue with landscape as a subject, in addition to my portraiture. The place is otherworldly, and I am so grateful for having had a little bit of my life in that space.

The purpose of selling these prints on Etsy is to support the social work being accomplished through my photography. Presently we have six sewing centers in two states of India, serving both the Hindu and the Muslim communities. In these sewing centers, young women learn a trade while also making clothing for their families. The centers are located in the rural areas, where young women have only one option normally, marriage and a family. At this moment, due to COVID-19, the work is on hold. However, we plan to restart the centers in 2022 and the funds from the sale of these portraits will be applied to the work in India.

As a side note, my belief is that you will be very pleased with the print in person, as the tones of a silver gelatin print are difficult to represent through the screen. One may sense the surface of the print by looking at the gloss in certain areas of the print's surface. In the end, the print you will receive will be slightly different than the one represented on the screen, both in tone and in emotional impact... different in the best sense of the word. Every print is an original, and my hope is that it finds a good space in your home.

Each print will be signed and dated by me, the photographer, and numbered to a maximum of 50 prints (11x14) per negative.

El Arte de Patricia, Yudel y Gysleda, Guanabacoa, Cuba, 2016

¡hermosos recuerdos del año 2016!

¡gracias a Patricia y a Yudel R. Contreras Garcia por su arte!

PS Negative exposed with a Hasselblad 503CW/180mm combination, the print toned in Selenium.

Sisters + Mountains, Near Zahle, Lebanon, 2019

It’s amazing to see such expressions of friendship on my first visit to a place. One, this is a conservative community. Two, the pictures are being made by a stranger to their camp. Three, I am Lebanese while they are Syrian.

In the end all three points disappeared in the face of true friendship, between themselves and between them and the stranger with the camera. More than Arabic as a common language, it’s the language without words that matters most.

Here are two girls simply having fun without any concern for the thoughts of others!

Joven + Campo, Guanabacoa, Cuba, 2018

Sometimes I love taking a square negative and filling up the space of an 11x14 print. That was the case with this young girl's portrait from the countryside of Cuba. It has been my honor to photograph her and her family for the past five years, and I hope that she and her family are safe during these difficult times.

Tuesday, December 21, 2021

Mursi Woman + Sky, Lower Omo Valley, Ethiopia, 2010

This is a silver gelatin print of a young woman from the Mursi Community. It is made by me, the photographer, in my darkroom. It is printed on Ilford MGIVWT glossy fiber 11x14 paper, and toned in selenium for permanence. It is processed in a Zone VI washer to archival standards, and allowed to dry overnight on a screen. This young woman lives is a most difficult environment, and holds true to her traditional culture. Even though you'll see very few other Ethiopians in her area, vans of tourists stop now and then. Each time the tourists step out and walk into the village. Once they do the community walks over to them in order to try and earn a living with their goods, mainly the lip and ear plates as well as woven baskets. They also earn a living by being photographed, as each tourist pays a certain amount for a photograph.

The camera/lens combination was a Hasselblad 501CM/180mm, and the frame was exposed onto Fuji's brilliant Neopan Acros 100 using natural light. This portrait is from a library of well over 300,000 negatives exposed over the last 24 years, from four continents and a dozen countries. Every person is spoken with prior to the portrait, and the process is explained fully. Most of my work is on film, and the countries are revisited year after year in order to continue the documentation of the same families, of the same communities.

The purpose of selling these portraits on Etsy is to support the social work being accomplished through my photography. Presently we have six sewing centers in two states of India, serving both the Hindu and the Muslim communities. In these sewing centers, young women learn a trade while also making clothing for their families. The centers are located in the rural areas, where young women have only one option normally, marriage and a family. At this moment, due to COVID-19, the work is on hold. However, we plan to restart the centers in 2022 and the funds from the sale of these portraits will be applied to the work in India.

As a side note, my belief is that you will be very pleased with the print in person, as the tones of a silver gelatin print are difficult to represent through the screen. One may sense the surface of the print by looking at the gloss in certain areas of the print's surface. In the end, the print you will receive will be slightly different than the one represented on the screen, both in tone and in emotional impact... different in the best sense of the word. Every print is an original, and my hope is that it finds a good space in your home.

Each print will be signed and dated by me, the photographer, and numbered to a maximum of 50 prints (11x14) per negative.

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