Interfaith Collaboration, Uttar Pradesh, India, 2016

Usually I refrain from posting images of myself with the people, for the people are the central focus of this work. However this is an important image for me, since in the image are three of the most important people for me in India. I am truly honored to be with these incredible men, and hope that our interfaith efforts can gain traction immediately.

The idea is to promote unity rather than division in this hotbed of sectarian violence. My first exposure to the area was in 2013, when I was invited to photograph the refugees of the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots. They were living in tents on the lands of a most generous population, for the local farmers offered their lands without question. The government had yet to do anything at that time, and to this day has done next to nothing as well.

Two of the men in this image offered their own land as well, and continue to do so to this day. They are now focusing on establishing schools in their region, and especially in their village. They brought up the idea of a collaboration, by offering the existing school building and their cooperation in bringing the leaders together.

My dear friend Nirvana, the second person from the left in this image, was also deeply interested in an interfaith effort and presented this to me earlier this year. So when I visited the villages, I spoke with the community regarding this proposal... and they accepted with open arms. Nirvana and his team visited the villages, and were welcomed by an event at the main school.

The leaders spoke at a beautiful event in the mosque, and invited both Nirvana and myself to do the same. While the language was foreign to me, the reactions on the people's faces spoke volumes for me. It was evident to me that all were on the same page, and the feeling was sublime. We hope that we can gain funding for this worthy project, and that we can return in early 2017 with this great news!

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Note: This image was made with a phone camera, thanks to our hosts.

Young Syrian + Sky, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, 2008

Following yesterday's posts is yet another young girl from the same camp. This was where it all began for me, and will continue to be a part of my photography. LIfe has changed dramatically for the Syrians living in Lebanon certainly, as they have tragically lost the homes in Syria to which they used to return in between seasons.

These images are from more innocent times, when Syria and Lebanon were stable, as stable as recent memory could remember of course. These families lived in the Bekaa Valley and worked odd jobs, earning more than they could have earned back in Syria.

I used to drive my uncle's car to their camp on my own, and walk around the camp without question. They have known me for almost two decades now, well before this young girl was born. Often times we had dinner together, and always had tea. They are as generous as any in my life, and will always be remembered as the ones who had first accepted me as a photographer.

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Note: This image was made with a Canon G10.

Student + Nirvanavan Foundation, Rajasthan, India, 2015

Last month she won more than a few people's hearts and went home with one! Thanks to those generous spirits showing up a the magnificent Cleveland Print Room she will continue to attend classes in a school less than a one minute sprint from her home. This young girl seems to only know one form of movement, the sprint!

When we show up, she sprints to the classroom... and when we tell her that we're going to photograph her in front of her home she sprints there! She is a remarkable girl, always a ray of sunshine in an often times difficult world. A dear friend purchased her portrait and in doing so funded an entire month of education for two dozen girls. 

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Note: Image was made with a Sony RX100M2. 

Three Refugees, Uttar Pradesh, India, December of 2013

These three children were at the time escaping the violence brought upon them by an uncaring world. They were living in tents made of thin canvas, their only protection from the elements. My visits were made possible by my dear brother Asrar, as he sacrificed time with his family to be with me.

When we visited this encampment the children were beyond curious. They ran up to us immediately. I could have only imagined what they were thinking about the man with the camera, the only visitor from the outside that they had had up until that day we were told later.

They were nonetheless more than courageous when standing for these informal portraits, having fun with each other's time in front of the lens. Although they only had a minute to express themselves, all did so without exception… with such honesty.

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Note: This image was made with a Sony RX100M2.

Syrian Migrant + Chair, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, Summer of 2009

This portrait is dedicated to the countless refugees on the move presently around the world. This young boy happened to be a migrant worker photographed during my time in Lebanon. His family crossed into Lebanon in search of a better economy, working in the fields picking vegetables or in the factories of the region.

Their tent towns dotted the landscape, filled with life. Most would pass by them without as much as a glance, driving at such speeds which would seem unimaginable should their own children we walking in the streets. The children themselves were incredibly resilient, taking care of themselves and their younger siblings. They played with handmade toys, a stick with a wheel at the end… or perhaps with a rag doll short on recognizable features.

This was the exact spot in which my photography began, and I yearn for the day when I can return to greet these families, as well as my own of course. My hope is that next year this will happen, that the violence in the Middle East at the moment is far, far away from this young boy and his family.

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Note: This image was made with a Canon G10.

Young Student + Garden, Humana People to People India, Chota, Rajasthan, India, April of 2015

It's been a little over a week yet my mind is still with this girl, and her friends in the classroom. Here she stands in her teacher's garden barely keeping it together due to her extremely shy nature. When in front of the video machine, she dances without reservation… but put her in front of a still camera and she is another girl altogether. This alone fascinates me about her, one variable among many.

Her presence is so powerful perhaps without meaning to be, for it is effortless. She defies all categories, her short hair playing with the word 'gender' like a feather in the wind… yet underscoring the word 'feminine' without question for those able to truly see her. She alone drives me to push her message along, to collect support for her school… and with two dozen just like her in that same classroom, she can rest assured that my support will never diminish.

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

Refugee + Wall of Fabric, Uttar Pradesh, India, November of 2013

Through the generosity of my friends Shari and John, this young girl found a new home this past weekend. In contrast to the peaceful environment in which her portrait will hang, she lives in a refugee camp located planets away from her original village. She and her community were forced to move out of their homes due to a storm of violence falsely perpetrated by some in the name of religion.

She now lives without running water, without electricity, without a school, without a bathroom, without medicine and without privacy as this image illustrates. We were walking within the camp as the sun rose to an almost unbearable height for portraits. This young girl and her friends were following us around, and we happened to be in their part of the camp when we thought about doing something different.

We asked her to stand behind the 'wall' of the tent, and she accepted without hesitation. We exposed a few frames as she listened to her friends' giggles, then thanked her and moved further up the camp. In this image, as in her life, the fabric is the only barrier between her and the environment, her only protection against a world often times cruel in nature.

The camps are located in Uttar Pradesh, and I look forward to visiting them once again with my dear friend Asrar. When asked about when we could visit these camps, this good man only responds in this way: we are working for humanity. This is the same answer he gives whenever I ask to go anywhere with him. So I have accepted this with humility and hope to do as he says in a week or so.

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