Girl

Laura from Birmingham, United Kingdom

Nice portrait with the eyes looking just off centre. Can you translate the slogan?

10 Jan 2009 10:39am

Benoit Darrieux from Clermont Ferrand, France

Hello Mohsen, you have very good pictures on your pages. Your shots are very interesting, because you want to show us something more important than only a nice picture: I can feel a kind of implication or engagement as a journalist could have to show or analyse a particular situation. I've spent time in different countries around Iran (Paksitan, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Palestine...) and I continue to travel a lot in that region as I'm working with humanitarian organisations. I'm interested by the different political contexts, which are quite often under the light of the news for different reasons. I feel concerned by what is going on in these countries.

But there is something I regret on your pages, there are no explanations of your pictures, even not any translations. I think it's very important to show "political" or "commited" pictures with a complete description. Without description/legend, and without any translation of the slogans we see on your shots, it can provocate misunderstandings and confusions.

So I've a question for you to understand the complete meaning of your pictures:

Do you consider your pictures as photo-journalism or do you show your pictures to encourage a political movement ?

We can take pictures of everything, but we cannot show everything... Showing pictures needs to take into consideration the public you have and the way you choose to diffuse it...

Thanks a lot in advance for your answer.

Regards.
Benoit

10 Jan 2009 5:30pm

Roberto Bárcena from Lima, Peru

For a person like me, used to get the news through BBCWorld and DW-TV, it's so rare to have the chance to see people from Iran. It's a world apart, not only in the distance but in the culture.
For example, I didn't realize that what this woman wears in her forehead is text. At first glance, my eyes only saw an ornament.
So, I agree with Benoit Darrieux in the need for some explanation in your provocative photographs. Forgive me for being so ignorant of iranian culture and people.
____________
Para alguien como yo, acostumbrado a leer las noticias a través de BBCWorld y DW-TV, es raro que pueda ver gente de Irán. Es un mundo aparte, no sólo en la distancia sino también en la cultura.
Por ejemplo, no me dí cuenta que lo que esta mujer lleva en su frente es un texto. A primera vista mis ojos sólo vieron un adorno.
Por tanto, estoy de acuerdo con Benoit Darrieux en que se necesita una explicación a tus provocativas fotos. Perdóname por mi ignorancia de la cultura y la gente iraníes.

16 Jan 2009 12:57pm