Girl at Play, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, 2018

My photography in Lebanon is different than my photography in other countries, for my family lives here also. The contrasts are as striking as the similarities. The children I photograph speak the same language as my family, yet they are from another country. In the morning I may be with my family in the town and then photographing in the camps located below in the valley.

There is the contrast in religions, the difference in nationalities... while there is the similarity in ethnicity, in culture. It is a fascinating experience and one perhaps which has been taken for granted. Next year that changes, for I will be spending more time with both families, one blood and one photographic.

Speaking of culture, on the morning this image was made the girls decided to imitate what they see on their television screens. The films of India have made their way to Lebanon in a dramatic fashion. The children watch the films with fascination, and know the popular songs by heart. They even recognized some of the songs on my phone, videos of girls in Uttar Pradesh performing popular pieces from Bollywood.

So after an hour of formal portraits, the girls decided to dress up and have some fun. They changed scarves and pulled jewelry out of nowhere it seemed. The energy level during this phase of photography was much different, more vibrant. They exchanged scarves and helped each other with styling.

It was also chaotic, almost too much on the mother of the tent in which we were photographing. She endured as much as she could, and then came up with a reason to end it all as the situation was almost out of control!

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Note: This image was made with a Sony RX100M3.

Ballerina + Beach, Santa Maria del Mar, Cuba, 2016

As summer nears my mind wanders to the beaches of Cuba, and the dancers kind enough to allow this collaboration. This young dancer and her parents have been involved in my work for the past two years, and my hope is that this summer makes three. 

We were fortunate enough to have found her as we waited for one of our families in front of the dance school. That morning we were looking for a young dancer to take the role of an apprentice to our veteran dancer. She then appeared seemingly out of nowhere, on the back of her father's bicycle. We knew immediately that she was the one, and the rest is history as is often said.

On the day of this image, we picked her and her parents up from their home in Havana and headed for the beach. We were lucky enough to have sunshine in the late afternoon on the island, and took advantage of the light. She was very courageous and climbed up to be photographed, embracing her moment in the spotlight.

She lives to dance, and takes photography just as seriously. Her family's acceptance humbles me truly, and even more so in that they go out of their way to ask for inclusion in my work. I look forward to this summer, and hope to do better for her and her parents.

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A medida que el verano se acerca, mi mente vaga por las playas de Cuba, y los bailarines son lo suficientemente amables como para permitir esta colaboración. Esta joven bailarina y sus padres han estado involucrados en mi trabajo durante los últimos dos años, y mi esperanza es que este verano sean tres.

Tuvimos la suerte de haberla encontrado mientras esperábamos a una de nuestras familias frente a la escuela de danza. Esa mañana buscábamos a un joven bailarín para que asumiera el papel de aprendiz de nuestro bailarín veterano. Luego apareció aparentemente de la nada, en la parte trasera de la bicicleta de su padre. Inmediatamente supimos que ella era la única, y el resto es historia, como se suele decir.

El día de esta imagen, los recogimos a ella ya sus padres de su casa en La Habana y nos dirigimos a la playa. Tuvimos la suerte de tener sol en la tarde en la isla, y aprovechamos la luz. Ella fue muy valiente y se subió para ser fotografiada, abrazando su momento en el centro de atención.

Ella vive para bailar, y toma la fotografía con la misma seriedad. La aceptación de su familia me humilla de verdad, y más aún porque hacen todo lo posible para pedir la inclusión en mi trabajo. Espero con ansias este verano y espero hacerlo mejor para ella y sus padres.

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Note: This image was made with a Sony RX100M3.

Refugee + Home, Uttar Pradesh, India, April of 2013

After we finished photographing the girls formally, we walked around and made some spontaneous images. The refugees in this camp had escaped ethnic violence just a few months earlier, and such could be felt through the expressions on the faces. In this image a young boy stood in front of his home, with this fragile fence as his protection. He lived without electricity, running water, education and medicine.

This is the face of those enduring the effects of violence the world over, he is the one that suffers while those with power wage campaigns to maintain their position. He will never understand what brought him to this place, what forced his family to abandon its home hundreds of miles away to live like refugees. We have a long way to go before we can hold our heads up high in his presence.

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Note: This image was made with a Sony RX100M2.

Young Student + Koranic School, Uttar Pradesh, India, April of 2015

This little classroom from an Islamic School has given me a truer sense of appreciation regarding available light. While photographing the boys a few rolls were exposed alongside the digital images. The light was magnificent, from one direction and with this wall as a background.

Two years ago we visited this area to document the refugees from a most recent eruption of sectarian violence. Our host family had done so much already for the camps, had signed over a portion of their considerable land so that the families could build more permanent homes.

Earlier this year I saw them doing even more. They had built this school, and were moving to present a more progressive school program to these very communities. The young man responsible for this movement shared with me that he would like to do more, to present art and the sciences as well as language courses. His views on the matter of education impressed me deeply, as we talked about the future of the school.

One needs to remember the environment in which his school existed. It is a mostly rural region, a distance away from the big cities. The community is a deeply conservative one, especially from the viewpoint of the girls. They face immense restrictions and walk with a sense of timidity through the alleys of their villages. When our eyes connect, it seems to me that every single one of them is trying to send a 'message in a bottle' through me, and through my photography.

It is my responsibility to do so, and one to be embraced fully.

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Note: This image was made with a Sony RX100M2, with available light only.

Young Student +Islamic School, Kairana, Uttar Pradesh, India, April of 2015

Here is yet another portrait from that single day in the Islamic School located near Kairana, Uttar Pradesh. In just one day, we made photographs of over 120 students in various settings… from the subtle light of a window to the glorious rays of the sun. Most of the boys were dressed in white fabric, yet this young boy was different. He was quiet, and photographed beautifully when placed next to the window.

Our last visit in 2013 introduced us to a local family and their good works. Like a few families in the area, they have given their land for the sake of the refugees, and have even built more permanent homes for them in addition to handing over the deeds to the land. Our host for the weekend had built this school financed completely from his own pocket, and would like to go even further should funds be available to do so.

The school is in the middle of a very conservative village, without which we would have never been able to make such portraits. Even my friends in India were quiet surprised when seeing the images, thinking that such was impossible. The family in less than one year has been able to change the mindset of those around them, to include the girls in their quest for education and to show that Christians, Hindus and Muslims could work together seamlessly like in the team making this image.

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Note: This image was made with a Sony RX100M2, using natural light only.

Young Boy + Islamic School, Kairana, Uttar Pradesh, India, April 19, 2015

This past weekend we spent a few days in the troubled region of Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh. Over the past two years violence has erupted causing tens of thousands of refugees to flee their homes in search of safer ground. Some of these families have settled in villages surrounding Kairana, and one in particular being that of our host for the weekend.

Our last visit in 2013 introduced us to this wonderful family and their good works. Like a few families in the area, they have given their land for the sake of the refugees, and have even built more permanent homes for them in addition to handing over the deeds to the land. Our host for the weekend has even built a school financed completely from his own pocket, and would like to go even further should funds be available to do so.

We were granted access to the children from the village in this safe, serene space. On this day the boys were photographed first with the subtle light of a window, one by one as they took a break from their religious studies. Some knelt facing the window, others facing the camera. Most were wearing white fabrics, some like this young boy a bit darker.

The school is in the middle of a very conservative village, without which we would have never been able to make such portraits. Even my friends here in India were quiet surprised when seeing the images, thinking that such was impossible. What the family has done in just one year has been to change the mindset of those around them, to include the girls in their quest for education and to show that Christians, Hindus and Muslims could work together seamlessly like in the team making this image. 

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Note: This image was made with a Sony RX100M2, with natural light.

Refugee + Camp, Uttar Pradesh, India, November 23, 2013

On November 23 of last year her portrait was made in a small camp just inside Uttar Pradesh, India. She was then living within a collection of tents just outside of the village proper, driven out of her home months ago by unimaginable violence between two communities. The people of the neighboring village have been kind enough to provide temporary housing as well as the land for them to build more permanent structures. Our host family for the evening before was actually the driving force behind this generosity, and their home was a mere 100 meters or so from her humble tent. 

We arrived early in the morning thinking that the children would be sleeping, but were surprised when almost all of them quickly gathered when hearing of the photography. The presence of our host family enabled us to make portraits of the girls first, quite a feat in light of the fact that this was a most conservative Muslim community. A few men stepped forward to help with the work, and one was exceptionally talented at styling the girls prior to their appearance in front of the lens. 

This young woman's presence is made that much more exceptional in that she was only moment's before unaware of this event. She presents herself here for us to witness the power of her spirit, unfiltered and unadorned. My memory of her is as clear today as it was six or so months ago. By my reaction she was aware of her effect on me, and knew the immensity of her power… yet was sublime in her approach. Her features are of course without equal, few could match her physical beauty regardless of fame or money. In spite of what she has been forced to witness, or perhaps because of such, her expression is one of understanding and kindness. I will always remember this about her, and am grateful for having spent one minute in her presence.

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Note: This portrait was made with a Sony RX100M2, edited for size and contrast only.

Refugee + Camp, Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, India, December of 2013

One of the camps we visited at the end of last year, here shown from a distance. The boys were photographed in the back of the camp against the tall, natural background. The people living here were victims of the most recent sectarian violence in Uttar Pradesh, India. Over 100,000 people were living in these conditions, spread among 25 camps. They live without electricity, without lights and without a water supply. The camps are located in the middle of nowhere, without access to education, medicine nor governmental assistance. As a matter of face, we were the first to visit the camps with the aim to document visually the conditions at the time.

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Syrian + Beauty, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, Summer of 2010

She stands here in front of a neighbor's tent, blasted even in her tent city by a western philosophy of beauty, yet completely unaffected by it. In one expression she carries more confidence that can be painted on by any stylist, make-up artist or photoshop specialist!

After we made these images this young girl was walking next to me and looked at me as she always does. She is as close to a daughter to me in Lebanon, and said these words to me in response to a conversation, part of it was acknowledging the mutual sentiment of holding hands while we walked while knowing that such was impossible.

'You are my father, my brother and my son.'

I have known her since birth and her expressions have always been deeply moving.

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Refugee + Camp, Muzaffarnagar Riots, Uttar Pradesh, India, December, 2013

Sometimes the portraits exclude the environment in which these young girls live, presenting the individuals rather than the community. In this instance both are included for your review. This young girl has seen hell on earth, has been uprooted from her village through intense violence and has been forced to live in this makeshift collection of tents.

We can only imagine what she has seen and experienced as a young girl during the most recent violence in the Muzaffarnagar region of Uttar Pradesh, India. The government is nowhere to be found here, only private citizens doing what they can do. I was advised that some of these young girls had been violated even more so, and this brought a sense of shame to me as a man while pushing me even more so to represent them with the highest of respect through these portraits.

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Refugee + Muzaffarnagar Riots, Uttar Pradesh, India, December, 2013

Another young girl from this camp presents herself to us in this portrait. Months after this was made my mind is still seeking answers, trying to understand more so her expression. Amazing she is in that she does this in front of three dozen of her friends and in front of the male members of her community watching just meters away. I am always in awe although tens of thousands of these portraits have been made over the years.

When we arrived in these camps my friend Asrar would just tell me, 'put the camera down someplace and just tell me which faces you would like to photograph.' This was difficult for me to do at first until I realized that these girls were drawn to the camera, and that my presence was a welcome one. So we did just that, put the camera down in a good spot and watched as all of them walked from their tents over to us.

Chaos would ensue at first, followed by an incredible patience on their behalf. They would sit near to us and wait for their turns without making me feel hurried, especially when the sun will only give us an hour at the most of perfect light. In this portrait she turns to her to the left, allowing that sweetest of triangles to light the shadows under her left eye.

My friend Asrar and his team have gone out to visit the camps most recently and have begun the reconstruction efforts. Soon many of these camps will be more permanent, with housing and bathrooms in addition to water wells in each area. I hope that this improves her life and allows her to begin the healing process.

Girl + Refugee, Camp, Muzaffarnagar Violence, Uttar Pradesh, India, November 30, 2013

On November 30 of last year her portrait was made one early morning. She was living in a camp constructed for the refugees of the recent violence in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. Her family had been uprooted from its home and forced to travel to a safer region where they have been given a plot of land to rebuild their lives.

The people in the camps reside in a various assortment of homes, from simple fabric tents to humble one-room homes made from mud and bricks. Anything more than this is truly a luxury. Some of the camps have a public bathroom and a water well, but many lack one or perhaps even both. The girls and women are forced to wait for the cover of darkness in order to relieve themselves, rather than risk the discomfort of doing so in public view.

When we arrived my eyes were overwhelmed by the number of children; they were everywhere and all so vibrant. Each face was as beautiful as the next, and held a reservoir of emotions unfit for any population and much less so for the youth. This was our last day in the camps and this was our last community to photograph. More than fifty or so girls waited an hour or more for their chance to be photographed, and I did my best to provide them with the chance to express themselves on film.

Four good men from the camp helped me out immensely, and cleared the area of most men and boys after both groups had been photographed of course. They were so gentle with the young girls and I remember this making such an impression on me. Then this young girl stepped up and my guide noticed a reaction on my face. He responded this way: 'you really like this one.'

She was so small, had the clearest of eyes in the crowd and produced this incredibly powerful stare. The sunlight did nothing to diminish this, and it made her even more exceptional. Going through the negatives I will also admit that all of the girls from these camps produced a profound level of respect in me, both for their strength in the midst of their hardships and for their abilities to share this with me through the lens.

There was no favorite regardless of my reaction… she just caught me off guard.

Foundations and non-governmental groups are helping this population regain a footing in society, but the work is extremely difficult. Without the support of the formal structures, these families fear going back to their villages and must make do with an environment which is already extremely hard for those established within it. Jobs were almost non-existent before their arrival, and now are up for grabs between many more hands.

However certain families from the surrounding villages have permanently given their lands away to this population, have provided building material and security under which to support their families. I was just as moved by their actions and hope to revisit this area next spring.

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Elder + Refugee, Camps, Uttar Pradesh, India, November 21, 2013

A quick scan of the film just processed is being shared here. This woman, and her community, have been uprooted from their homes in a most violent way, and now live in tents made of thin fabric and plastic sheets.

The sadness described above is occurring in Uttar Pradesh, India. Tens of thousands of people are living in over two dozen camps, with only the help of the local villagers being offered. The government is absent thus far, and into this void the local villagers have stepped. They have given their lands for the sake of this community, and have also provided the building materials for proper homes to be built.

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Note: This image was made with available light, on a dirt path and with a Hasselblad 555ELD/180mm combination onto the film shown in the scan.

Refugee + Shawl, Camp, Uttar Pradesh, India, December 1, 2013

It's hard to believe that such beauty can exist in the most difficult of circumstances and harder to believe that such beauty can present itself with this level of joy. This young girl has endured what most of us will hopefully never have to witness, violently forced to leave her home and live in what may seem to a child as another planet.

Being invited to visit the camps by Asrar Ahmad was an honor, and being allowed to photograph their girls even more so. Incredibly the entire community brought them forth for this stranger to document, and did so with a cooperation rare in any region of the world. As everyone told me, my camera was the first one to document their story in detail. Government officials have been non-existent and only private citizens have stepped up to help.

Many, like our hosts in Uttar Pradesh, have permanently signed over land for these people to attempt new lives. One family was invited to put their grocery stand in the patio of my host's home, selling vegetables to people in the village in order to help turn their fortune around. 

The young girl in this image was one of perhaps sixty girls waiting silently to have her portrait made while a few good men went about organizing the proceedings. They sat in a semi-circle less than five meters from me, and when a girl was finished with her portrait all would look our way hoping to be called for their chance. Choosing the next girl was extremely difficult, but made easier by the logistics of the sun. As explained to the girls by Asrar, we went about selecting the girls according to their facial features… those with less pronounced features were chosen first, allowing those with more pronounced features to be photographed without shadows under their eyebrows.

This young girl came up with this piece over her head and was about to remove it when she saw me react. She realized that I loved it and left it on for her portrait. All of the other girls went about giggling, and the mood was set for her to shine.

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Note: This image was made with a hand-held Sony RX100M2, and edited for size and contrast only.

Man + Refugee, Uttar Pradesh, India, November 30, 2013

When we finished the girls' portraits, we moved onto a different area to photograph the boys. The tall grass behind one tent seemed to be the spot and so we started there. The boys came in groups and took positions behind various clumps of tall grass. We did this for maybe thirty minutes and then were asked to photograph some adults.

Some women stepped up for their pictures, then a few men wanted to do the same. Some were the husbands of the women just photographed, and some were just men on their own. One memorable exception was a young man carried in a most gentle manner by a friend from the camp. The moment touched me deeply and caught me off guard. It took me a minute to recompose myself before making their portrait, and they forgave me this lapse in composure.

The man being carried had the most peaceful expression, a gaze of understanding quite rare in my work. This was the look of love as normally seen from the girls, but displayed very effectively in this beautiful man. He thanked me for his portrait with a gesture, and the two men disappeared into the camp shortly after.

I expected to be moved deeply by the plight of the children, and this was of course the case when looking at each girl sitting there patiently waiting for her portrait. Here they were with next to nothing, yet willing to give of themselves completely. This was exactly the feeling I received from this man, and was totally thrown off guard because he was an adult.

Later on as we walked through the camp making more documentary images, I walked between two tents and spotted him sitting there smiling at me. This was the smile he presented with earlier, and I asked for his portrait once again. He of course obliged and this was the portrait made. This time I was ready for him, and he knew it. This is the look of love, this represents hope.

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Note: Image made with a hand-held Sony RX100M2, edited for size and contrast only.

Girl + Refugee Camp, Uttar Pradesh, India, December 1, 2013

When we visited the camps this afternoon we were given two choices, the one adjacent to the village and another less than one minute's drive. After seeing both we were forced to choose since only one could have been photographed perfectly. So we chose the one adjacent to the village, hoping that more girls would be present. This turned out to be the case, and more than could be photographed on film showed up immediately.

Once they saw the camera, they ran out of the tents and sat themselves neatly around us. There were perhaps over 120 children now waiting to have their portraits made. It was early and so I decided to begin with the boys, in groups of three to five. Even with this arrangement it took almost one hour to photograph the boys. What was most surprising was the help we received from the men in the village. Rather than sitting and watching, four to five took active part in the process and made sure that all was in order. Once a group of boys was photographed they shuffled them off back to their tents, or at least in the direction of their makeshift homes.

Then it was time for the girls and I was almost unable to control the excitement. Their eyes, attentively fixed on me and the camera, spoke volumes about their curiosity. Here was this man from another country, setting up a studio to make their portraits. The silence was almost unbearable, in the best of ways. My translator, Asrar Ahmad, explained to all of them that the entire group would be photographed this afternoon so nobody needs to worry. He also explained that we'd be choosing those with flatter facial features first, then girls with more pronounced features last to prevent the existence of unwanted shadows in their portraits. He at least told me that he explained this to them in his own way.

So one by one they were chosen, and stepped in front of the lens for their portraits. Amazingly almost all of the boys kept their distance, and the same went with the men except for the ones helping. Girls never photographed before formally now stood in front of their friends and strangers, stood their ground firmly and coaxed the lens to represent them as they wished to be represented. I for one was more than thrilled to do so, and advised those around me to follow the cues given by the girls rather than asking every single girl to smile reflexively.

The realities of their day to day lives hit me immediately, as each girl took her turn. These were girls forced out of their homes months ago and living in a foreign place. None of them attended school now and none had access to medical attention, palliative care just to ease their pain. Each and every single one of these girls more than likely exhibited some form of PTSD, yet will never receive treatment to resolve their pain, their bad dreams.

Yet here this little girl stands for her portrait, stronger than I would be under these circumstances. What has she seen? Does what she has experienced keep her up at night? Does she avoid thinking about her home and her friends lost?

Her portrait means the world to me, it is a record of this little girl as that very moment. Only she knows what was running through her mind when the shutter released, but I do hope that those viewing her portrait can at least feel her experiences through the image.

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Refugee Family + Store, Uttar Pradesh, India, 2013

A refugee family standing in front of the only stand on the road alongside their camp. In the background and to the left are their tents, and the only light being supplied is the single bulb along with the various fires. Only with the guidance of Asrar and the good people of these villages could the images have been made.

My dear friend Asrar told me: 'Halim, you need to visit the camps during your time in India.'

He was more than spot on, and the images made displayed an incredible level of courage, dignity and bravery on behalf of the people photographed. Instead of pushing people away, they welcomed outsiders to listen to their stories, to share their experiences. I was humbled by this willingness, and hope that these images tell their stories effectively to those in positions to improve the lives of these communities.

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Note: Image made with a hand-held Sony RX100M2, edited for size only.

Girl + Refugee, Camp, Uttar Pradesh, India, December 1, 2013

The intensity with which the girls expressed their thoughts to the lens was undeniable in these camps. Living great distances from their villages, driven away from their lands by the most recent bout of violence in Uttar Pradesh, they have survived.

One by one they took their turn in front of the camera, and almost 100 onlookers. To be provided a chance to tell their story through the photograph is almost unimaginable to them yet here they were doing so. In a most conservative community the men lent their support and made sure that the boys stepped to the side to allow the girls their chance. A half dozen men took on that responsibility with only a few minutes notice, and did so with smiles on their faces. Their gentle touch allowed the environment to be conducive for the task at hand.

What has she seen in her young life? Will those far from her understand her plight? What was going through her mind as she turned slightly to allow the light to strike her distant eye ever so gently? When she woke up this morning, did she ever think that a stranger was going to walk into her camp and wish very much to make her portrait?

I for one am in awe of her ability to express herself so and hope that my work has done justice to her eternal beauty.

www.halimina.org

Note: This portrait was made with a Sony RX100M2, edited for size and contrast only.

Refugee Camp + Bulb, Uttar Pradesh, India, November, 2013

Life is unimaginably hard in these camps, protected from the cold outside only by a thin plastic sheet at times. When the sun disappears in the late afternoon, the only source of light is this single bulb. I imagine being five years old and looking around me in this land, haunted by the violence thrown upon me and my family just a few months earlier. The thought is almost impossible to possess for someone living in my shoes. Nonetheless I owe it to the people in my images to attempt to imagine their plight, and to share it with those outside of this region.

The refugees in this camp are refugees from the recent violence in Uttar Pradesh. They have fled their villages in search of calmer environments, and have been provided land by these villages in order to put the broken pieces of their lives back together again as well as can be done.

Through these images I hope the message is communicated to the outside world.

www.halimina.org

Note: Image was made with a hand-held Sony RX100M2, edited for size only here.

Refugee + Store + Camp, Uttar Pradesh, India, November, 2013

This young man from the camp has done what he can do to support his family, and opened the only store in the camp. Like the rest living in this small collection of tents, he has lost his home and some of his community members to the recent bout of violence in Uttar Pradesh. Incredibly the government is nowhere to be seen, with the only good work being accomplished by the local villagers and some good people from Delhi, including the Zakat Foundation of India.

The thoughts regarding these images are quite complicated, being quite aware of my good fortune in relation to the very people living in these camps. My purpose was and is clear, to share these images and the stories that go along with them, hoping to gain assistance for this community. Sharing these images will go a long way to doing so, perhaps reaching those in power to do more.

www.halimina.org

Note: This image was made with a hand-held Sony RX100M2, edited for size and contrast a bit.