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.

Boy + Koranic School, Uttar Pradesh, India, April of 2015

Sometimes the boys do take center stage, and this was the case in this small Islamic school located just inside of Uttar Pradesh from Delhi. Last year we met some local families dealing with the humanitarian crisis in the area as best as they could, and formed bonds with them which led us to this school earlier this year.

We drove from Rajasthan to Uttar Pradesh one morning, and reached the school in time to see the students prior to their departure. Can any of us imagine one day sitting down in a tiny village reciting the Koran then looking up and seeing this stranger with a camera walking in?

The looks on the faces, especially the girls, was indescribable. These are the expressions which keep me going back overseas, and which drive my work. This time however the boys were equally curious, and led me to include them in the portraits more so. We of course worked digitally, for the film was reserved for the girls and a select number of boys.

However, looking back at this portrait, I do wish that I had included more boys in the film photography. That being written, I am content in having this young boy's portrait digitally. He is magnificent, his expression as haunting as any from that day. The school is just behind him, with one room reserved for the boys and one room reserved for the girls.

The landlord is my friend, the man responsible for singlehandedly bringing forth the vision for a needed school and for building the school with his family's resources, onto his family's land. The children have a place to study, and in the near future my friend aspires to expand the curriculum to include other languages, mathematics, the arts and science. He is a visionary, and knows how to work within the system while including voices from the outside.

www.halimina.org

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.

www.halimina.org

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

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

In color this time, this is another image from the session in the Islamic school located in Kairana, Uttar Pradesh. Just like in the portrait posted earlier this morning, we made this photograph using indirect light outside of the classroom. The boys had been photographed just earlier, now it was the girls' turn. A few at a time were called from their lessons to be photographed, took turns in front of the camera and returned to the recitation of the Koran.

www.halimina.org

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