Beat
Social issues, daily life and conflicts.
One Shot
“The pygmys live in really straitened circumstances and often go hungry. On this day the community began to play music, dance and sing, and there was a feeling of carelessness. For, me, this pictures represents a moment of grace.”
Profile
A photo book by Chris Marker called “La Jetée” – is my earlier memory of photography. A friend gave it to me when I was a teenager.
I taught myself how to take photographs – I would walk the streets or travel overseas, experimenting with different methods.
My first assignment was in Egypt in 2013 - I worked on a story about the thousands of families in Cairo who live in cemeteries because of overcrowding in the capital. In hindsight, I didn’t immerse myself in the story. When I work on stories now I really try to get to know the subjects in question.
An assignment in eastern DR Congo left the biggest mark on me - In 2016, I arrived in a village just after 17 people had been killed in a machete massacre. Most of the victims were children and pregnant women. I spent time with the local villagers, who told me their stories.
The stories which excite me the most are ones about social injustice – I enjoy giving a voice to the people who are not represented. Getting to know them and helping them tell their stories to the world.
I never think about an audience when I take pictures - A picture is for anyone who looks at it.
I respect the Czech photographer Josef Koudelka - I enjoyed his series about the Roma people in Western Europe. I also have a lot of respect for those courageous photographers who take pictures in the most hostile environments.