Rounding up the year with a portrait of a Palestinian documentary photographer: @yamennnajem (part 1)
~ Yamen is born in Syria. From there, his family was forced to flee to Iraq, and after being displaced for a 3rd time he has now been living in the Netherlands since 2016.
We did not know each other, but there was a mutual respect for each other’s photography and ways of capturing scenes. I encountered his images of the same demonstrations and student occupations I had documented, but then photographed from a different perspective. That made it extra special to get to know him in real life and take a portrait of himself. It is impossible to fully convey his complexity in a single afternoon, but the images show what a brief encounter can turn into. And although I have a growing aversion to this medium, it can still bring these inspirational connections and conversations. Go check his work and follow his steps 🖤 Shukran Yamen.
Portrait for De Regenboog Groep ~ Ik mocht 2 leuke Amsterdammers op dagbestedingslocatie KLUTS fotograferen voor de nieuwe verjaardagskaart van @deregenbooggroep . Zo cute dat ze m daarna als poster op de koelkast hadden geplakt 🥹