Archive for the ‘street photography’ Category

day 1 of new yorkness!

Wednesday, July 6th, 2011

Lost, in the streets of new york, with my camera and a cup of coffee!

So – I have nothing planned but sleeping well the night before to get ready for the next day. And the most random stuff happened

It all started with where shall I go after I drop my laundry which is quite convenient (1 USD per 1 LBS)

The guy told me that a good area to go photograph is broadway and something; so all I found myself doing is heading west.

My day was full of delicious food (including but not limited to Falafel)

20110706-115010.jpg

Visiting Lecia Gallery in New York (The President’s Photographer gallery)

a 1 / 31536000 chance to meet an old friend in the street and going to have one of the best tea in the world

20110706-115226.jpg

 

Walking the subways of NYC and taking some of the best street shots I could take

 

What more to ask for but get ready for a second day full of photography

20110706-115301.jpg

20110706-115329.jpg

20110706-115318.jpg

The she in her..

Friday, April 8th, 2011

I love this picture because it reminds of the lady next door. The stylish lady who is sitting in the next table in a cold and snowy weather. She just got into the restaurant, having a cup of coffee, sitting next to the fire, looking down at the menu. Love the blurriness around her because all you can see and focus on is her hair and her fashionably beautiful sweater.

the she in her

In the streets of Damascus

Monday, January 3rd, 2011

What can I say where all I remember is nothing and everything.
What can I say where all I have of you is nothing but great memories, happy memories, nostalgic memories.
Memories of Jabal Qasyoon, memories of a cup of Turkish coffee every morning, every time we have a visitor and every time you run out of options to order. Memories of that little cup of tea that you have every afternoon while playing ‘Tawleh’ and smoking shisha.
Memories of different people you meet and every friend of yours has a different opinion about them.
Memories of, leave me alone in my own thoughts and my own artistcly engraved world of how beautiful this neighborhood, city, country is. And how great its people are despite everything said and seen. Despite all the smalls and the miniscule. Despite what the reality is. This is how I chose to look at it, and this is why I call it, despite where I’ve lived, where I live now and where I will live for the rest of my life, home! Or, Watan.

Memories of a real city life, full of happiness and sadness, full of hope and pain, and full of truth and lies.

My home sweet home, the place that I will always miss and always belong to. Your eagle is engraved in my heart and soon on my body. I love you, i miss you, i adore you. I belong to you.

The last couple of days and specially Wednesday Dec 29th 2010, have been great.. After a tour of more than 15 different salsa nights around the world, i had one of the best nights salsa dancing, damascus style this time, met great people, led new girls, communicated with new dancers. Simply great time. That morning, I did nothing but watch the weather until lunch time when my hunger for food was filled with the great rainy weather. Left home, went straight walking down alRawda road walking all the way in the rain. I was looking for a take away cup of tea until i saw this small minimarket that sells ice cream as a side order for school and college students who go there to buy their school requirements and their photocopy. The owner apologized for not having tea so I walked all the way yo get hot chocolate from Boceli, my new favorite place, which did not have take away either. Ended up watching the rainy cloudy  sky while sipping their hot chocolate.
I don’t know what to say. It’s mixed feelings. Its a feeling of come back and live here and work with all these nice people I met or I knew. And a feeling of stay away but not too far.

Listening to Lara Fabian, Je suis malade

In the airport getting ready to leave.

T

Something about my friends

Friday, May 28th, 2010

My friends, people who make my life the great way it is..

I just came out from a great night out for Alex and Svenja’s house warming.. These guys are just awesome. They always get me red-bull, they know I like 7 up and they hold my drink although they I know I’ll never hold theirs.

The small level of details they think of is amazing. in his invitation, Alex said, I am getting sausage that is non-pork for you. And Svenja of course took good care to know there was 7up, red-bull and bread..  Long story short, Svenja asked me if Alex ever proposes to her, she would want me to go to Germany and take pictures at their wedding.. Well, there is a thing. first Elena invites me to her wedding in Spain and now Svenja wants me to photography their wedding.. I won’t miss it for the world.

 

_MG_9355

 

The sad news is that, I’ll be missing my best friend’s wedding.. Baseel’s.. I really hope things will work out for the best, but if they don’t.. Then I may not be able to go to his engagement in mid July.

 

Anyway, there was something that give me my mid-life crisis couple of days ago that made me think..

Dude, I am 26, what I have done in my life so far.. Yes, I know those who are older are likely to be swearing at me saying, you’re only 26, I am late twenties or thirty-something.. Well, guess what, you were 26 couple of years ago and you came to life before I did.

 

 

I am 26, and yes, I am not feeling old, or have my mid-life crisis as AntonD said, but hey, every one of us goes through a period in time where they ask.. Where have I spent the past x years doing.. I am almost mid-something and I haven’t done what I dreamt of..

 

Well, I can’t remember now what triggered this in my head, but I looked back at what I have done and said, wow, I lived 26 years of my life, out of which I can say I am 100% happy on personal side, 80% from family side and that’s area of improvement and most importantly religious side which I am lacking way behind and should be a focus area.. But in my 24 hours per day, I spend 6 – 8 hours asleep and 8 – 10 hours in the office. That’s 14 – 18 hours of my day have gone on stuff that are out of my control. I only have 6 hours left per day, what I am doing in those.. Am I spending them wisely, I am just taking a lot of photos, or dancing salsa all the time.. It’s like a dirty math problem.  Well, regardless of what, where or whom I was spending those 6 hours with, I came to a very important conclusion.. I do not wish to spend those 6 hours with people who are not worth it.. What do I mean by that…!? People who have not contributed positively to my life, people who constantly do nothing but give you negative energy and pull you down, people who don’t know what they want in life and just like it that way, they wouldn’t listen to your advice and are there just to pull you back.. Yes, those are the kind of people I don’t want to waste my 6 hours on..

 

Paris, 2008

In the streets of Paris with Raavi..

when something triggered the decision that, I am 26. Oh man, I am 26. Do you know what that means, quarter of an era has passed and I am not sure if I have achieved what I want to do in life.. Thank God I am luck to have great parents, good friends, satisfying job, great religion and many other stuff that helps me keep going.. But hey, I am not getting any younger and my time is being wasted with people

 

Key learning: For every day that I will spend in my life for the rest of my life, I will only do what I feel like doing and I know is not giving me any negative energy.

slides from Seattle streets

Saturday, February 20th, 2010

 

My first real attempt in the space of street photography.. Sep 2009.

Full collection [other chronology]

09--Sep-09_00-38-46

 

09--Sep-09_23-32-53

 

09--Sep-09_23-34-42

 

09--Sep-09_23-35-09

 

 

09--Sep-09_23-35-42

 

09--Sep-09_23-36-50

 

09--Sep-09_23-36-58

 

09--Sep-09_23-37-59

 

09--Sep-09_23-38-15

 

 09--Sep-09_00-45-20

 

09--Sep-09_00-46-46

 

09--Sep-09_00-47-39

 

09--Sep-09_00-51-19

 

09--Sep-09_00-52-43

 

09--Sep-09_00-56-07

 

09--Sep-09_01-04-00

 

09--Sep-09_10-33-57

in memory of nyc

Saturday, February 20th, 2010

 

In memory of the beautiful city that I haven’t been to in a while..

09--Sep-09_17-48-58

TMandou

Little Karaan

Friday, February 5th, 2010

 

Going out for dinner with some friends, bumped into this little kid, who seemed to have a really nice future in modeling..

He was very cooperative and very photogenic.. It took him couple of pictures to come close until we become friend. If I remember correctly, his name is Karaan.

_MG_3187

 

 

_MG_3191

 

 

_MG_3202

 

 

 _MG_3112

 

 

_MG_3111