Young Syrian + Camp, Zahle, Lebanon, 2017

This young girl lives in Lebanon at this time, escaping the violence next door in her homeland of Syria. Her home happens to be the camp in which my photography was born, and she lives among the children of the children whose portraits were made almost 20 years ago.

She is quite the strong spirit, allowing this portrait to be made on our first day together. It was as if she had done this a million times before, such a natural. Her eyes are as clear as the Lebanese sky during the summertime, yet she was able to open her eyes perfectly in the sunlight. She is a sister to the girls just photographed in Nicaragua, to the girls photographed a few months ago in Cuba and to the girls in India to be visited in two months.

Her life is almost unimaginable for most, having lost her homeland and living in a tent city where even the most basics of life are absent. Unlike the children of my friends, she cannot attend a school, lacks a place to bathe herself or to attend to her needs in private. She presents herself to the world in this portrait with only the positive, perhaps as if to shield us from the difficulties she faces on an hourly basis. I admire her without limits, and see her as a true hero in this most difficult world.

Website

Tumblr

Twitter

Facebook
Instagram

Note: This image was made with a Hasselblad 555 ELD/180 mm combination.

Syrian Refugee + Garden, Zahle, Lebanon, 2017

The generation before her gave birth to my photography over twenty years ago, as a taxi driver dropped me off near to this camp. The generosity of the Syrians living in these tents was immediately felt as the women invited me to have some tea. Ever since that first moment the children of this community have been documented, their stories recorded.

The boys who used to give me trouble have now become the leaders of the camps. Instead of teasing me, they referred to me as Uncle Halim and attended to me as they would attend to their elders. The transformation was unlike any in my photographic experience, perhaps showing me the future of my work in the various communities as time passes.

This year was different than previous years, since the conflict in Syria has changed the region entirely. The number of Syrians seeking safety in Lebanon has increased dramatically, and amongst them may exist those intent on doing harm to an outsider.

Thus my Uncle asked to come along for my first visit this summer. We drove to the camp and realized that the families had relocated due to construction. They were about one mile away, and a little further from the main road. We arrived and were immediately greeted by those young boys who had become the leaders. Immediately hugs and kisses were exchanged, and smiles were on everyone's faces. My Uncle was relieved and comfortable enough to allow me to visit on my own for the rest of my time.

This young girl was of course unborn at the time of my early work, and has energized my work once again in the region. To know her language is such a relief, unlike my work in other countries. Watching her react as we speak is priceless, hearing her story firsthand without translation is irreplaceable. 

Website

Tumblr

Twitter

Facebook
Instagram

Note: This image was made with a Sony RX100M3.

Young Syrian + Shawl, Zahle, Lebanon, 2017

Her portrait was made almost exactly in the spot where my photography was born twenty years ago. She is from the same community, Syrians living in Lebanon... but the circumstances today are much different than they were then. Her homeland is in ruins, and amongst her community are those who pose great danger to all regardless of faith or political leaning.

She endures a most difficult life on a daily basis, living in a tent settlement on a winding road. Cars pass by without slowing down, and without much care for the children playing near the edge of the street. While of course her parents love her so, the life of the children in these camps is more than just rough. The actions of the boys, in any other setting, would be seen as anywhere from violent to criminal. In front of my eyes, while we were making her portrait, two children fought with fists and without reservation hitting each other with full force in the face.

This goes on daily in front of this beautiful girl, and much more. Lebanon has absorbed hundreds of thousands of refugees from Syria, totaling almost half of its normal population. The jobs are now even more scarce, adding to the friction between the communities. In this pot of emotions she has to exist, and does so with such strength.

Many ask me, especially after seeing how difficult the photography is in the camps, "why continue?" It is simple, I admire this young girl and those like her for surviving the ignorances of those around them, and for doing so with such innocence and grace.

Website

Tumblr

Twitter

Facebook
Instagram

Note: This image was made with a Sony RX100M3.

Syrian Girl + Garden, Zahle, Lebanon, 2017

She is as striking as her predecessors in her camp, as beautiful as any other in this world. Her homeland is in distress, and her life in Lebanon is anything but stable. Yet she does what she can to help her family, and endures with such grace.

On my second day to her camp she was helping her mother with the purchase of some vegetables from a visiting truck. She caught my attention right away, but her presence was missing as we had our first session.

As the third day arrived it seemed that she would never come, and then she approached us with a smile. She might have seen the photographs in her friends' hands from the day before, or just the commotion from the photography. Regardless she allowed me to make her portrait twice, in the shade and in direct sunlight.

She was silent the entire time, but spoke volumes through her expressions. My hope is that this portrait does justice to her spirit, and that she allows me once again to make her portrait tomorrow.

Website

Tumblr

Twitter

Facebook
Instagram

Note: This image was made with a Sony RX100M3.

Daughter of Sheikh, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, 2009

On the 11th of August in 2009 her portrait was made, over a dozen years after my photography was born in her camp. She and her family lived in Lebanon as migrants, and her father was in charge of negotiating between the Lebanese farmers and the Syrian laborers in his encampment. Her community had one foot in Lebanon, and the other in Syria.

She has two older sisters who had been photographed by me previously, when they were allowed to be photographed... and two younger sisters who photographed freely with us at the time of this portrait. She is the most precious of girls, and words fail me in describing my feelings for her and her family. She is like a daughter to me, and my upcoming trip to Lebanon is filled with the hope of seeing her again.

One day as we finished our photography and were walking back to her tent, we shared the most incredible conversation out in the open, yet out of hearing range from the community. It will remain in my memory for life, and is what drives this work forward. Such experiences are priceless and demonstrate how special this path in life truly is.

Website

Tumblr

Twitter

Facebook
Instagram

Note: This image was made with a Hasselblad 555 V system.

Young Arab Girl + Sky, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, 2010

Whenever this young girl steps in front of the camera she presents the most beautiful smile. Her features alone are beyond compare, and being with her in person is an indescribable experience. She rarely speaks, and when she smiles she lights up the world. She is of Syrian origin, and lives with her family in Lebanon in order to earn a better living. Their home is a simple tent and is without running water, a toilet... with electricity being a simple wire for a single light.

She and her family have fascinated me from the beginning. They live just outside of the tiny tent city, at the edge of the field. The families in the main homes refer to themselves as Arab, while they refer to her family as Bedouin in origin. She may be 15 years old by now, and my mind can only imagine how beautiful she has become. i look forward to visiting the site of this portrait, and hope to reunite with her family in a few weeks.

Website

Tumblr

Twitter

Facebook
Instagram

Note: This image was made with a Hasselblad 555 ELD/180 mm combination onto Fuji Neopan Acros 100 film.

Young Student + Madrasa, Shamli District, Uttar Pradesh, India, 2017

For those of us working with this school, and for those of us looking to join, we present this young student's portrait. This was her first year with us, and she took to the camera in the most natural of ways. This was her expression day after day, as she arrived to school to find us waiting.

She lives in a village near a mystical river, surrounded by the most sublime fields. The village itself is quite small, yet it has a government school and a madrasa. While all of the children are registered in the government school, few actually attend. We visited the school on many occasions to see the well-meaning teachers sitting around with perhaps a dozen students playing in the courtyard.

This is the thought of our host from the village, and it is his intention to try and change the standing of the village's children. He runs the local madrasa and would like a formal curriculum introduced. Thanks to those involved, we have begun the search for three teachers at this time, and have also organized a list of sewing students who are more than ready to begin classes.

Later this year, guided by Nirvana and his team, the formal curriculum will be introduced and the sewing machines will start turning as well!

Website

Tumblr

Twitter

Facebook
Instagram

Note: This image was made with a Sony RX100M3.

Migrant Child, Delhi, India, 2016

A few years ago this young girl and her community were introduced to me through Humana India. They moved to this part of the country in search of a better life, yet live in unimaginable filth and squalor. Their homes are made of fabric, and they lack running water. The people use the area behind the alley for a bathroom, and cook their children's food right in front of their homes, facing the garbage and passing traffic

Humana India has done a wonderful job for the community, and is involved in a major community project. They have built a shelter in the midst of the population for those unable to find a place to sleep, and help the community with work training as well as the paperwork necessary for migrants to attain their rights as citizens of a new region. The children attend classes just like the adults do, and are under the care of motivated individuals from the foundation.

My dear brother Jayanta has dedicated himself to this work, and does so with humility and respect. Though the funding for his project is in question year after year, he finds motivation to continue regardless. I have the highest respect for this incredible man, and hope to see him next month under that freeway.

Website

Tumblr

Twitter

Facebook
Instagram

Note: This image was made with a Sony RX100M3.

Young Student + Bench, Panipat, Haryana, India, 2016

Since my first visit to this region in 2013, the communities have embraced me and my work fully. Although they are deeply conservative, they have allowed me to photograph their daughters without limitation. They know of my work, and understand my admiration and adoration of the girl spirit.

So when Anna showed interest in another school for this region, it gave me further impetus to present it once again to our FB family. So in this spirit, and over the next two months, I will once again present a second school for your collective review. We do so on behalf of girls just like this very student, who is as hungry for an education as any in the world.

We met her through our hosts in Kairana, Uttar Pradesh. One of our hosts invited us to a school in nearby Panipat, Haryana. We drove out for an afternoon visit and were greeted by some of the most beautiful children in the world. We were allowed to photograph all of the students in the school, including all of the girls. This is almost unheard of in such a conservative society, but this is the privilege we have been granted by our friends.

She and her friends were so excited to see us, and got up quickly when their turn came to be photographed. They walked over to where the teacher usually sat, close to the doorway in order to be graced by the light.

So Anna should we be able to gather another 24 people for this school, we will make it happen immediately. We have 3 months to make this happen!

Thank you for the inspiration!

Website

Tumblr

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram 

Child Laborer + Bricks, Haryana, India, March 16, 2015

She is but one of millions bearing the brunt of globalization, making possible the gleaming buildings rising all across the Indian landscape for example. She works in this position all day under the hot sun, turning one brick after another in a seemingly endless line of bricks, as her fragile body moves along the lines gracefully.

Her family came from the northeastern portion of India in search of work, for back home there was even less. She lacks access to a school, medicine, running water, safe housing, electricity and so much more. Her family lives in a small brick room with a corrugated, metal roof... making the interior unbearably hot. The room lacks windows, yet is unable to protect the children from mosquitos, roaches and the like.

She represents a sizable portion of the population, those responsible for harvesting the rare earth elements for the sake of modern phones, for making the bricks necessary for the gleaming high-rises. She is the price society pays for its progress, hers is the pain few in power will ever see.

So while countless politicians argue about what is to be done, she gets up every single day and pays the price for their inaction with her labor, with the loss of her childhood. For her the new school is being introduced, she is our inspiration.

Website

Tumblr

Twitter

Facebook
Instagram

Note: This image was made with a Fuji GA645 system, onto Kodak TMX film.

Young Bedouin + Birds, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, 2008

Does she still live in Lebanon? Had she moved back to Syria since this portrait was made? How does she look? Does her family still live as migrants? Are they now considered refugees?

These are some of the questions in mind as plans are made to visit Lebanon very soon. Certainly everything has changed in the region, and the possibility of making portraits once again is less than slim. This time around the visit is about my immediate family, while of course keeping in mind my photographic family.

I will visit her camp, and hope to see her and her sisters as well. At least we will reunite, and plan for perhaps next year when we hope the region will be free from the present tragedies.

She and her sisters are on my mind today, and will be until we see each other this Fall.

Website

Tumblr

Twitter

Facebook
Instagram

Note: This image was made with a Canon G10.

12 Frames of Laughter, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India, 2015

This young girl lives in an impoverished section of Jaipur, far from the gleaming, pink walls for which this city is known. The entire slum is illegal yet the families do what they can to survive. They are migrants from the east and have come to Jaipur in search of work.

In the midst of this however the most beautiful spirits exist, such as this young girl. While we were photographing a few others in the neighborhood she walked over to take a look at the scene. Of course we invited her for a portrait.

She was unstoppable, and everyone enjoyed her energy. The proof from yesterday's scans says it all!

Website

Tumblr

Twitter

Facebook

Note: This roll was exposed using a Hasselblad 555 ELD/180 mm combination.

Elder, Humana India, Madhya Pradesh, India, 2016

With gratitude to Humana India, this image is being shared.

Perhaps the most beautiful landscape from my travels through India, this incredible region also had one of its kindest communities. We spent about one week documenting two dozen schools, and with each experience my impression of the communities was enhanced.

When we began our photography this morning a few elders gathered to watch. I looked their way a few times and saw this beautiful man wearing the most beautiful fabrics. Without translation we looked at each other and agreed on making his portrait. He walked over as a few of the children giggled, and stood poignantly for his photograph to be made.

The landscape was just as beautiful, and complimented the colors on his skin perfectly. He stood at this spot for less than a minute, then walked away quietly to sit alongside the other elders. I so look forward to seeing his portrait on film hopefully soon.

Website

Tumblr

Twitter

Facebook

Note: This image was made with a Sony RX100M3.

Young Girl + Mansarover Park, Humana India, Delhi, India, 2016

Yesterday afternoon we were beyond lucky to find the same faces from last year's visit to this incredible project. Thanks to the peerless work of Jayanta at Humana India, we were able to find this specific girl and her friends. With only a day's notice our work in this slum was arranged flawlessly, and we were able to photograph the three oldest girls before the clouds moved in.

It took me a minute to recognize her, but when I did the smile on her face was priceless. She had changed so much from last year, yet her expressions had remained the same. We were blessed with the wall of the homeless shelter, and with the help of those around us. This is in fact one of the countless slums in Delhi, and has been around for almost two decades.

Jayanta and his team are doing the hard work here, the work that goes unnoticed by the society at large. They are going into the streets at night, collecting the people forgotten by the communities, and bringing them to these shelters.. allowing these good people to collect themselves, to regain their composure and to once again go back into the world with perhaps a new skill set.

This young girl is a hero to me, more so than any cricket player or any politician. She goes about her chores day to day, and yet as enough love for the strangers in front of her to allow this portrait, and to share her smile with a world almost as foreign to her. Millions will tune in to the cricket tournament this week, yet only a few brave souls are doing the necessary work in these communities. My hope is that our societies will one day regain their composure and realize the work that is necessary in order to make sure such a girl never has to endure such difficulties in live.

Jayanta and his team realize this, and have my respect always.

Website

Tumblr

Twitter

Facebook

Note: This image was made with a Sony RX100M3.

Migrant Girl, Under the Train Station, Outskirts of Delhi, India, 2015

So the search begins this week for the faces from last year's work with Humana India, including this young girl living under a train station on the outskirts of Delhi. We visited this encampment last April in order to document the good work being done by the foundation, and were immediately seized by the incredible need present.

People lived in a tent city just under an immense bridge, with flies buzzing around everywhere. The children were playing on piles of garbage, and the sound from the traffic above was deafening at times. In the midst of all of this the most angelic faces were present, including this young girl.

Her face caught my attention as we drove up to the main building. She was standing next to a bench on which her family was sitting. I tried to maintain my composure but let it be known that she needed to be photographed as this was the smile she gave me when we passed by.

After we set up for our session an hour or so later, I once again made it clear to my friends that we needed to do so... but she was never told by our team. Almost in desperation I walked over to her area and asked one of my friends to come along. We asked about her since she was now gone, and she came forth with the most beautiful expression. She and her sister walked with us to our location a few dozen meters away, and we made this portrait of her.

Few young girls have such tattoos on their faces, as such practices are fading in India and in the Middle East as well. While I have seen such with the older women, such tattoos are rarely found on the younger generation. My initial impression of her was of course much more than the tattoo, as her features spoke volumes about the spirit inside.

Later this month I will visit this spot once again, and sincerely hope that she is present to speak once again through her expressions. At the same time, I do hope that her living condition has improved, and that she has found a better place to thrive. This is the nature of the work, to wish for the best regardless of the photographic outcome.

Website

Tumblr

Twitter

Facebook

Note: This image was made with a Sony RX100M2.

Release, Syrian Migrant, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, 2005

While she certainly has never asked to be, for me hers is the face of the current refugee crisis. Two years before the war ravaged this land, her family lived as migrants in Lebanon, hundreds of miles away from her beloved city of Halab. In this cruel setting she is able to portray her joy to us, her sense of hope.

During my visits to these camps, the children's faces were charred from the sun and the wind, while their hair had the consistency of cotton candy. They played in the dirt paths between the tents, sometimes running dangerously close to the streets nearby. Every once in a while a child would be struck by a speeding motorist, the communities shared with me, while local authorities treated such incidents as inconsequential. These brave faces lived on the outskirts of the surrounding society, performing their duties unseen in order to help support their families back home.

For those of us with children, can we imagine for one second our child's face with such scars? Can we imagine the hair on our children's heads having such a consistency? Can we imagine the clothes on our children's backs so fragile, so stained? Can we for one moment endure the dryness of their skin, dirt near their lips?

Yet these children do more than endure, do much more than survive. While there is little doubt that the cruel world has dealt them a hard set of circumstances, they refuse to give up. The boys do what they can with the tools around them, taking for example a long wire and fixing a cylinder to its end as a toy. The girls take flowers from the gardens in front of their tents and adorn themselves, playing with stuffed pieces of cloth as others would do with dolls. While their physical world is limited, they have shown me that their imaginations cannot be restrained.

Website

Tumblr

Twitter

Facebook

Note: Images made with a Hasselblad 555 ELD/180 mm lens combination onto Fuji Neopan Acros 100 ISO film.

Child of Syrian Migrants, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon

At the time this image was made, Syria was more stable than Lebanon. Regardless this young child and her family has migrated to the Bekaa Valley in search of better employment. Although they lived in tents and lacked anything resembling modern conveniences, they did at least have work and hope for a better future.

A decade or so later, I wonder about this young girl and her family. Where are they living now? Are they still in Lebanon or are they living in Syria? Have they migrated once again, perhaps to Europe now?

This is where my photography was born, with this young girl and her friends in the Bekaa Valley of my homeland, Lebanon. A simple taxi ride to their area and a subsequent cup of tea gave birth to this work, two decades of photography and hundreds of thousands of images.

The effects of the hot sun and dry wind can be seen on her skin, and in the texture of her hair. Most wear shirts and sweaters with words they will never understand. They play in the dirt paths in front of the tents and as soon as they reach working age, they begin walking down lanes of vegetables for a dozen hours each day for less than the price of a cup of coffee overseas.

When each of us purchases such at our local coffee shop, we are putting on the countertop the amount that this young girl works an entire day for under very difficult conditions. This applies to me of course, and makes me pause almost every single time.

I do hope that she and all children under such conditions are safer today than yesterday, and that such violence can be a thing of the past in the near future. I understand that to have this hope is to be naive, nonetheless I have it.

Website

Tumblr

Twitter

Facebook

Note: This image was made with a Contax G system.

Syrian Migrant + Animal Shed, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, 1998

Her portrait goes back to the beginning, when the power of photography began to show itself to me. This was the first year I returned with prints in my hands for the people. Their reactions taught me a lot about keeping one's promises, about the importance of a photograph.

This young woman's name is etched in my mind, almost 18 years later. Her name was and is Zahia, and this was the last time she would be in my presence. Is she living in Lebanon or Syria now? Is she safe regardless?

When we made this photograph an animal shed was in place. A few years later the animal shed had been torn down and a family has erected a tent in its place. The field in the background is still there to this day.

She might have remained in the camp, but since her age prohibited me from interacting with her, I would have never known if she was one of the young women stepping down from the trucks as they returned from working in the fields, with fabrics covering their faces.

Some would smile at me in a familiar way, making me think 'is that her?'

Regardless I have this timeless portrait of her, when she was able to face the world uncovered and with such a smile. This is the image I will always remember of Zahia, and I hope she thinks of this more innocent time now and then.

Website

Tumblr

Twitter

Facebook

Note: This image was made with a Hasselblad 501CM/80 mm combination.

Partial Proof, Syrian Refugee, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, 2010

While she certainly has never asked to be, for me hers is the face of the current refugee crisis. Two years before the war ravaged this land, her family lived as migrants in Lebanon, hundreds of miles away from her beloved city of Halab. In this cruel setting she is able to portray her joy to us, her sense of hope. 

During my visits to these camps, the children's faces were charred from the sun and the wind, while their hair had the consistency of cotton candy. They played in the dirt paths between the tents, sometimes running dangerously close to the streets nearby. Every once in a while a child would be struck by a speeding motorist, the communities shared with me, while local authorities treated such incidents as inconsequential. These brave faces lived on the outskirts of the surrounding society, performing their duties unseen in order to help support their families back home.

For those of us with children, can we imagine for one second our child's face with such scars? Can we imagine the hair on our children's heads having such a consistency? Can we imagine the clothes on our children's backs so fragile, so stained? Can we for one moment endure the dryness of their skin, dirt near their lips?

Yet these children do more than endure, do much more than survive. While there is little doubt that the cruel world has dealt them a hard set of circumstances, they refuse to give up. The boys do what they can with the tools around them, taking for example a long wire and fixing a cylinder to its end as a toy. The girls take flowers from the gardens in front of their tents and adorn themselves, playing with stuffed pieces of cloth as others would do with dolls. While their physical world is limited, they have shown me that their imaginations cannot be restrained.

Website

Tumblr

Twitter

Facebook

Note: Images made with a Hasselblad 555 ELD/180 mm lens combination onto Fuji Neopan Acros 100 ISO film.

Young Student, Mewat, Haryana, Spring of 2015

This is a young girl for whom next month's event at the Cleveland Print Room is dedicated, thanks to the generosity of Shari and her team. Most of you are of course familiar with my work, and so many of you have generously given since this work began. For those unfamiliar with these portraits and their stories, the week before Christmas will be a great opportunity to see incredible faces, read their stories, watch videos of the students as they attend classes for the first time, enjoy the company of like-minded people and purchase prints for your loved ones while supporting directly the education of such a girl thousands of miles away!

This young student is attending school for the first time in her life, thanks to our collaboration with Humana People to People India. The foundation has identified villages in need and approached the communities in order to initiate a conversation. Some of the communities responded favorably, and thus the schools have begun. The new model is to work with the local government schools, transition the girls out of school into a classroom within the school run by the foundation, and then mainstream them back into the government system.

This will allow the foundation to run sustainably since the government of India has made it a priority to bring education to all, while aiding the government in its outreach to the communities most in need such as this girl's village. Now she and her friends attend classes every single day in a safe environment.

For this young student next month's show is dedicated, and I hope that many of you will make the time in your busy schedules to attend and show your support. 

While the show is local, anyone interested in participating from a distance is more than welcome to share their thoughts... and I will do my best to include everyone interested in helping!

www.halimina.org
www.humana-india.org

Note: This image was made with a Sony RX100M2.