A Thousand Faces
He came up to us, asked us to buy a pen from him for 5 rupees. When he received the money, he put it with the rest of the money in his pocket, went into a Macdonalds, and bought himself a drink, sat in the shade, and enjoyed the drink to the last drop…
- Delhi, India
A rockstar in the making And his semi-concerned first fan/sister.
- LuangPrabang , Laos
- Allepey, Kerala, India
It was the hottest day in Istanbul. Out with his buddies, all wearing temporary kid tattoos, and sporting cool "Angry Birds" swim trunks, he gave the camera a thumbs up and then back-flipped into the water.
- Ortaköy, Istanbul, Turkey
I Spotted her in the tram, waiting elegantly for her stop. I imagined her joining her friends for a relaxed night of card games, gossip and mulled wine!
Soon I found out that she is known as the lady who hands out flowers to the musicians at our local opera house in Milan every time she goes!
Changing the bulbs at Sultan Ahmet Mosque, aka Blue Mosque.
- Istanbul, Turkey
Softly whispering her hopes and wishes, she turned to the camera.
Montserrat, Spain
He was making bubbles, but his mind was somewhere else.
Perhaps it had already taken flight with one of the bubbles.
- Lisbon, Portugal
Im here everyday.
- Manhattan, New York
Elephant mama, taking care of a rescued elephant.
- Rantong Elephant Sanctuary, Chiang Mai, Thailand
My dad once said "In Iran, the more dilapidated the house, the bluer the sky. The nicer the people." I guess he was right.
- Arak, Iran
Walking the streets of Jakarta alone with too many worrisome thoughts on my mind, I made a detour on my way to the hostel and passed through a very poor neighbourhood. I saw this. What struck me was the joy and contentment I witnessed. These men had way bigger worries than me, but they were enjoying the little things: a game of chess, a cigarette, a good friend. I made a mental note to myself: “ahead of me is a universe unknown…but who cares. now I am in Jakarta, I’ve got a camera, two feet, a couple of rupees…I will enjoy.”
- Jakarta, Indonesia
She held up the flowers and a made the peace sign. Her future had perhaps changed, overnight, to a possible better one. The Iran Nuclear negotiations would life the sanctions and embargoes and enable her country's growth.
- Tehran, Iran
I never knew happiness had a face. I found it in a slum, under a bridge, in Medan, Indonesia. It peered at me from a window cut out of rusty tin.
- Medan, Indonesia
In an ancient city of clay on the high mountain range of the Alborz in Northern Iran, I saw a woman waiting with her eyes on the horizon.
- Masouleh, Gilan Province, Iran
I guess we were both very curious. Perhaps, a hole in a wall is enough to make one eagerly wonder about the world beyond it.
- Pleiku, Vietnam
At dusk, all the local families would gather by the beach to watch the sunset and to socialize, while their children played. We had never seen any other people more mesmerized and more appreciative for the nature they had seen everyday of their life. It was perhaps, the most romantic place we had ever been.
- Allepey Beach, Kerala, India
The writing on the wall said “Forgive, to be Forgiven” while the man pondered underneath
- Qazvin Desert, Iran
Here's a fun story:
I took this photo only minutes away from our crazy motorbike crash, somewhere in the least traveled areas of Laos. These two ladies had caused it all. We had driven past them, but then turned back...Their smiles were so absurdly wholesome and infectious, we wanted to take it all in. They were clearly in financial poverty, but they seemed like they owned the world. So we sat there watching them until the sun set and then found ourselves on a pitch-black dusty road. And then bam... So yes, mermaids are for real.
- Takhek, Laos
When all other travelers go in one direction, pick the opposite. U might just come across a beautiful dirt road and make some new friends. (Or you might get lost, cry and run back! But its worth the try!)
- Siem Riep
As I was photographing the beautiful countryside of Siem Reap, I saw the three run towards the huts while turning back and shouting at me, urging me to come with them. There was absolutely nothing wrong and I wondered about the sudden panic. I followed them, running with my gear. About 10 seconds after I arrived at the hut, all hell broke loose. A Thunderstorm that would have certainly destroyed my camera.
The amazing art of maintaining eye contact and looking good for the camera, while performing a straight razor shave.
- Defence Colony, Delhi, India
A father lifts up his son in the middle of Isfahan's old Bazzar.
- Isfahan, Iran
A gypsy family, selling soup in the middle of a desert road to Assaluyeh, Iran.
Tehran; Each car window showcases a story of its own.
- Tehran, Iran
In the heart of New Delhi stands India Gate, India’s national monument. Its perhaps one the most touristy places in Delhi, swarming with tourists, touts and street sellers selling balloons, toys, postcards and food. Walking back from an interview and passing under India Gate, I came across a young man selling balloons. Not being any different from the thousands of tourists swarming the place and acting before I think, I took out my camera and shot this of him… His stare at the camera spoke a thousand words.
- New Delhi, India
- Hanoi, Vietnam
Kerala was really good to us. It fed us, showed us places, caressed us with its waves, warmed us with its sun and took good care of us with its people. Then she sent us off to our hectic lives, like a mother sends off her child to school.
- Allepey, Kerala, India
Up in the foggy mountains, in the village of Masouleh, I saw her slowly lean and peek out to watch us: the strange travellers!
- Masouleh Village , Gilan Province, Iran
A woman in a strict Hijab outfit, coming back from the Flower market.
Hùng kept raising his right leg for the photo. I couldn't understand why. The bike was on the way and I couldn't see clearly. He then sat down, pulled up his pants and showed me his two prosthetic legs. He had lost them on a mine left from the Vietnam War.
- Nha Trang, Vietnam
La Presse Du Chat Perdu, Silk Screen shop, Montreal, Canada
- Defence Colony, New Delhi, India
Tidarat, works at the Elephant Rescue Centre in Ran Tong, selling her Handicrafts. She is a member of Thailand's Hill Tribes.
The Hill Tribes of Thailand are a beautiful mosaic of many cultures and many different tribes that have come together from various origins (Tibet, Myanmar, China and Laos) over the past 200 years. Each tribe has a distinct beauty to it.
A beautiful lady and her bodyguard, keeping a close watch over the by passers.
- SiemReap, Cambodia
This is Meymand, Iran. A village of caves. hundreds of them, on a mountain side. And since caves don't have a roof, and no chimney, the fire is lit in the house and the smoke leaves thru the door. And amazingly, the smoke does not ever come lower than the top of their heads.
- Meymand Village, Kerman
Walking the empty alleys at the closing hours of the grand Tehran Bazar, alleys previously filled with the hum and bustle of merchants and customers, I came across an old man. He was dosing off, and perhaps still hopeful to make that final sale of the day…
- Tehran Grand Bazar, Iran
The Porters are the bloodline of the bazar. They are the ones who carry everything and make the transactions happen. I found him, like many others, at the closing hours of the market, tired, gazing into the street.
- Tehran, Iran
When we arrived at the waterfall in the burning heat of summer, one of the girls who had been hiking in her modest black manteau took her scarf off and ran to the waterfall, hands wide stretched, full of joy.
- Tangeh Vashi, Iran
When I was a boy, books used to be much more accessible. It was like buying groceries.
- Connaught Place, New Delhi, India
"What do you want?" she asked.
"Everything." I Said.
"True" She said. "But, the real trick in life is to want nothing, and to succeed in getting it"
- Hanoi, Vietnam
A pure stoke of luck I saw this happen and shot it. I could caption it: "Ottoman generals travelling through time, in awe of what Istanbul has become."
- Istanbul, Turkey
I love port cities.
They are like a tasty bowl of fruit salad.
Every corner, you experience a different country. This one shot in Lisbon, could have been in Kerala, India.
- Lisbon, Portugal
"She Left."
On the wall of a random street in Milan, I came across this writing in Persian. It was one of those things that make you wonder who, when and why someone wrote this.
- Milan, Italy
National Monument, Jakarta, Indonesia
Minh, uses his hands to hold a cigarette and his phone, while he drives with his left foot through the maze of rock formations at Halong Bay, Vietnam.
Candle Vigil for those lost, and in hope of a brighter future.
- Vancouver, Canada
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Akra has rigged his boat with two car engines. He now can work as a ferry between the islands and Sihanoukville, in Southern Cambodia.
- Bushehr Port, Iran
- Hoi An, Vietnam
Chùa Minh Thanh temple
Pleiku, Vietnam
- Takhek, Laos
Met her at the Hoi An Market, Vietnam.
Jakarta, Indonesia
Manouchehri St., Tehran, Iran
Just another nice day at the Chùa Minh Thanh temple, high up the mountains in Pleiku, Vietnam. One of the few buildings that survived the bombings of the town during the war.
- Pleiku, Vietnam
Angkor Wat Complex, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Bangkok, Thailand
He stood with photos around him, and right above him the sign said "Farshad's Photo Shop"
- Tehran, Iran
He said he was a theatre and tv actor, and on Fridays he came out to the Friday Bazar to sell antique goods.
- Tehran Friday Bazar, Iran
They all hesitated. They weren't expecting it after all.
- Mussoorie, Dehradun, India
A quiet, deep prayer happened in an empty temple in the heart of Hanoi.
- Hanoi, Vietnam
Old boys. Major moustache. Just another day in Paris.
- Paris, France
Something, or someone, was lost at Taj Mahal.
- Taj Mahal, Agra, India
The young ones. Experiencing politics and history, on the eve of the Iran Nuclear Agreement.
- Tehran, Iran
She was so content. Sitting Alone in Ta Prohm temple, in Angkor wat.
- Siem Riep, Cambodia
I found their golden store in an alley way in the bazar of Arak. Father and Son. They had been doing this for years.
- Arak, Iran
A dapper old man, heading home from work in the mud walled streets of Kashan, to have lunch and a nap. He will take this route again in the afternoon, when he has to reopen when the weather cools down.
- Kashan, Central Iran