ArtCreative Visuals

Photography Against the Apathetic Eye

This post is also available in: العربية (Arabic)

The attempts are endless. A photographer’s attempts are the ambition to preserve the life and vitality of a moment and to draw the viewer into the astounding depth of a scene.

Such astonishment is a subjective feeling, and perhaps comes naturally to a photographer. But can this feeling be transferred, and equally felt by others?

As a photographer, I try to convey the everyday life of ordinary people and focus on local details through the image. Most of what I document are popular customs and practices that are easily overlooked as trivial, yet they are integral parts of everyday life. For many people, these practices and customs are seen so much that they are no longer seen, the viewer stops becoming aware of their existence. My process  is similar to that of documentation, but it relies on an artistic dimension; that is, framing the image through the photographer’s eye and revealing a bias. I am convinced that the image has the potential to initiate an inner dialogue with the viewer. It is a dialogue that generates different feelings about that moment, documented by another self – the photographer. What combines the moment of taking a photograph and looking at it is the interpretation and understanding of the dimensions of the image and what it carries within it.

Photo courtesy of the photographer

Rahman Taha is a photographer interested in documenting everyday life. He took these photographs using a phone camera. He recently contributed a number of photo essays to al-Madaniya. Taha works as a visual consultant for Mocha Hunters, and previously as a coordinator of exhibitions at Raufa Hassan gallery. His work has been featured in many international publications, such as The New York Times, Süddeutsche Zeitung, al-Hayat, Nafas Art Magazine and Forbes. Taha’s work has been presented in various solo and group exhibitions in Yemen and around the world.
You can see more of his photography via his Instagram account:
https://www.instagram.com/rahman.rt.taha/ 

Photo Essay by Rahman Taha:

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