Iraqi Kurdistan

Since the fall of Saddam Hussein, Iraq has been a landscape of bloodshed and chaos. Yet in the northern region of Kurdistan, people now live stable lives. Iraqi Kurdistan takes us into daily life there, and celebrates the beauty of peace. See the project at http://mediastorm.com/publication/iraqi-kurdistan

The introduction of this video is very nice and appealing. The music is very nice as well, but it does not relate to the events and the photos. In addition to that, the video movements and transition became too fast after the first minute. The music started overpowering the photos that the viewer starts to concentrate on the music more than the photos. It is a very busy video that keeps you trying to focus on both but it is too fast.

I am from Iraq and I know that this music does not match with the events of most of the photos. However, for non-Iraqi people, it might make sense the way the people move to the music. But for Iraqi people who know how to dance to this kind of music, it does not make sense.

The video is very long. The photographer could have added more texts and captions to add to the explanation. I think that the photographer was very lucky to get access to many of these places portrayed in the photos. For example, the photos of the president, ministers, and the army.

Heaven, Earth, Tequila

Douglas Menuez's photographic journey into one of Mexico's oldest traditions becomes a stunning visual portrait of the country — its light, its landscape, and its people. See the project at http://mediastorm.com/publication/heaven-earth-tequila

I like how the introduction starts with text to help us to know that the video is about the Mexican culture and history. It is very good starting because it gives illustration to the viewer.

The first photo in the video is very beautiful. It is black and white and has some historical touches. The transition from the first photo to the second photo of the plants is very smooth and nice. Also, it works with the tones of music. Then a surprising moment comes afterwards of a beautiful girl with her hair style and her clothes which has a traditional fashion. The photographer was very precise in choosing the photos that went along with the tones of music in the background. This is especially prevalent with the smiling man and the lady afterwards.

Sooner during the video, the events started going faster as the movement of the photos speed up. It also shows the beauty of the city, the countryside, nature in general, and the lifestyle.

The photos of people running, drinking, laughing, dancing, and the ending photos are all very grabbing and show a joyful moment among the people. I wished there were some captions or words that would explain these photos more.

The colors coordination and order is presented in two forms; one is black and white and the other is color. The video starts with black and white to show the true history of the country. The middle part is colored to show today. Then the end goes back to black and white. This shows that no matter how far from our past we are, we still go back to our origin and our traditions.

Mother

This picture story grabbed my attention because it shows a very humanistic side to the struggles of life. I loved the opener photo. The photo was chosen wisely because it truly draws the eyes to continue leaning more of the story. Also, the actions presented in the opener photo are what she does most of the time. The angle of this photo shows a lot about the conditions she works in and what exactly is expected of her in those long hours of work.

Audiences are drawn in to this story because it truly brings out the curiosity of wanting to know who this lady is, what she is doing, and where she is.

The second photo reveals a feast provided to this family by the same woman who was working. It is very interesting to see how they sit while they are eating. One could sense a rush in the way they sit, more specifically the mother. Even while she eats with her children, she is in a hurry. The children are also sitting in the same manner, but are more comfortable than the mother.

The third photo is very intimate and shows the whole family together in one place. This moment was a very private one, in the bedroom, getting ready for bed, but also having a good time with each other. The lighting quality is also appealing.

The fourth photo is also a private time between the mother and her daughter, but this time we see more emotion in the mother's face. After a long day at work, the mother wants to rest but her children are not helping and she gets frustrated. The way the baby is looking at the mother has very emotional moments.

The fifth photo shows the children eagerly waiting for the food to be served. They could not wait until the food is placed on the serving mat because, most probably, that is their only meal for the day. It breaks the heart how the baby boy is holding the mother's hand to give him food.

The sixth photo shows another struggle the mother has in dealing with her children. She wants to rest; the children are innocent and want to live their childhood in their small house, so they are try to playing and watching TV, and the clash that happened in between.

Most of the photos have pots and pans. This means that the house is probably very small only containing only the living room and bedroom and maybe not even a real kitchen with a stove and other utensils. They have a small cooker in which they cook their food. It also seems that most of the cooking happens in the living room.

I really liked the seventh photos of this story. I wished if it were the ender photo for this story. This photo shows how the mother does have a soul and a life and her spirit is alive again. No matter what circumstances she and her children might live in, they are still able to have a smile and enjoy their day. The mother is taking on the role of mother and father to replace the parents’ love.
It is a great blessing to see how much this family, or any family in such case, appreciates the small pleasures of life. I think most children who live in these circumstances grow to be quite humble in nature. They view things differently and possess a strong character.

The final photo shows the agony of adding another member to the household for even one day. The brother came unexpectedly to visit his sister. The reaction on the mother's face shows a great sense of frustration. Before I read the caption, I expected that the mother was thinking of her husband but it was really her brother she was talking with. I felt it was off topic and not a very good ending to the story. Although, it keeps the reader wanting to know how the mother will deal with her brother and what will happen next, it is a different story to discuss.

This picture story is very nice and interesting. The photos as well as the captions keep the reader going. There is no redundancy in the plot. The photographer was able to show a variety of events in his photos.

The Beauty OF Color.

From the time we wake until we close our eyes at night, we are immersed in color. Yet, some people (and I am one of them) rarely think about color, nor do they consider how it affects their lives.

I never recognized the color spectrum as very important. However, after I read the assignment about the color and then we discussed it in the class, I started thinking and pondering over everything I saw. I started feeling how the world around me was filled with mixed and combined colors.

It is very true that color pervades our physical world, affects our emotions, and gives other important clues about our personalities and mood. Thus, it is important to give color than a passing glance in both our general living and in our creative endeavors.

According to Joen Wolfrom, in his book (The magical effects of color), in art, color used as a visual language. It is the communication link between creator and viewer. Color is visually musical, being both rhythmic and lyrical. It sets the tempo of a design through the blending of a multitude of hues.

Obviously, each color has its own beauty and individuality. Symbolically, green is closely associated with nature. For centuries the nature concepts of birth, rebirth, life, growth, healing, rest and regenerations have been linked with green. Green reflects the freshness and joy of youth.

         Google

The photo of the two birds has several colors that stand out. The natural beauty is not from the creation of man. The colors green and red really attracted my attention. The combination of the light brown with the orange colors also stood out as very unique. By simply looking at these color combinations, a person is able to feel a sense of comfort or relaxation and peace within oneself.

It seems they live peacefully in their kingdom. Although, the red and green colors are of primary colors, the other combinations are also very attractive. For the first time in my life, I feel that I truly wish I was one of those birds with such colors. It is really a deceiving moment because the photographer was able to take this picture while the birds were asleep and their feathers were puffed up as if they were in a different world.

Doughlas Finkbeiner

Department of Astrophysics- Cygnus Nebula

In the constellation Cygnus (the Swan), dark clouds in front of Lynds Bright Nebula 258, from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). The red, green, and blue color planes represent the infra-red, red, and green filters of the SDSS, so ionized hydrogen (actually red) appears green in this image.

The photo of the stars is filled with all types of colors.  I have always longed to see outer space.  Thanks to the help of advanced technology, I am able to see the beauty of space with its colors that are magical and glamorous.  It is amazing to see such diversity of colors in the sky when, with the naked eye, we only see black and white.  Green is one of the primary colors, but it is also a symbol of life, and therefore we see the beauty of life through the color green.

Floods of Pakistan - Al-Jazeera Staff

I wondered about this photo for a very long time. Each time I looked at it, I thought of the figure of the photo, the ground, the rule of thirds, etc. However, after class, this photo grabbed my attention especially because of the red and green colors. They work together very nicely. Although the color green is a symbol of life, but this photo also has the color red. In this photo, the color red may symbolize danger as communicated in the floods of Pakistan. Red warns the viewer and photographer that danger is on its way and these individuals do not have another choice but to continue walking through the flood.

Muhammad Az Aldeen - Egypt 

People try to create a comfortable environment from which they live in.  In this photo we see the streets in Egypt; clearly, this street is in a poor neighborhood.  However, the civilians living in this neighborhood have good tastes in the colors they chose to decorate or include in their neighborhood.  I remember when my friends and I were kids; we tried to decorate our street by all means just to make it looks nicer than the other streets in the neighborhoods. In this photo, one can see the whole color wheel.  The young man seems pensive and thinking deeply, I  assume that the colors around him have created a nice environment to help him thinks deeply.  Finally, I like the cropping in this photo.

Motherhood

Photographer : Mohammed Al-Sawaf - Iraq

It seems that all children, no matter where they live or who their family may be, have a strong sense of curiosity. In this photo, it is through the eyes of the child, the movement of his face, his mouth, and his nose, that the audience observes how the child is eagerly peeping outside of the Abaya (the woman's black cloak) to learn what is happening. Although half of his face is showing, and the other half is cropped by the scarf, the child's face is still beautiful and full of inquisitive expression.

Traditionally, elderly Iraqi ladies living in rural areas of the Middle East wear abayas to cover the whole body with the exception of the face and the palms. So, in this case the black color is not a symbol of sadness or death, but is rather a symbol of decency among the older people. 

The love and passion that this woman possesses for the boy is represented in her aims to keep him close to her under her abaya. She worries for him. The protective covering shelters him from the heat of the sun, the chill of a cold night's wind, or the envy from the eyes of strangers. There is a longstanding myth among older women in Iraq that a child under the age of one year should be far from the eyes of strangers. This shared belief may be related to the idea of the evil eye, a popular superstition in many cultures, includingTurkey.  

The old woman is looking elsewhere. It seems she is either pensive and preoccupied with something, or she is too shy to look at the camera. However, the innocent young boy has no experience and is just now starting to explore and wonder about the world around him.  

Although the dominant colors in this photo are black and white, the light that is emphasized on the two faces make this photo very beautiful.  

This young boy, and many boys like him, is very fortunate to have a grandmother as their main caregiver who can share her stories, her culture, and her traditions.

This photo has emotional intimacy because it reminds me of my grandmother and how she used to care for my siblings and me. 

It is very obvious that there are a lot of wrinkles in the woman face, but still beautiful? Yes, it is believed that wrinkles are a sign of wisdom, which is beauty in of itself.

The Tannoor

Iraqi children look at a U.S. Army soldier during a routine patrol in

  Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, June 28, 2009. (AP Photo  Hadi Mizban)

In the Middle Eastern Arab countries, the Iraqi bread is very popular in its taste that is indescribable. When I first saw this photo, I remembered the bread my mother used to make each morning before dawn for the whole family.

The tannoor, or clay oven where the famous Iraqi bread is made, symbolizes the continuity of life in Iraq despite the war and destruction.

The six young boys standing with hands empty around the tannor, looking and thinking deeply at the armed soldier. It seems these children do not fear the soldier and are waiting for his reaction as the soldier approaches them. In their eyes, I see they have many questions and are angry at the situation. Through their facial expression, it is as if they are asking: "what do you want and why are you here?"

I am certain that the majority of these children have parents or family members that have been killed or taken as prisoners during the war. It would not be a surprise if all these boys are from the same family or extended family.

It is very noticeable the boy in the back hid his hands behind. This makes me wonder what he has in his hands. Does he have a rock to throw at the soldier or an object to make the soldier go away? I am not sure, but I predict this because I have witnessed a similar scene in front of my eyes in Iraq where young children like these through rocks and bricks at the soldiers. Unfortunately to see young boys involve in the bloody conflict, children at this age should not be a part of this violence. They should be in school getting their education. But where is education in such an environment?

The blurry focus of the soldier shows that these soldiers are all over the country and all look alike. Their emotions and feelings do not matter when they are dressed in this uniform. Therefore, we did not need to see his face or the rest of his body. We can also see that the situation in Iraq is still not clear and there is no end in sight.

The background is also blurred, not by the camera, but by the nature of the filthy air as a result of the violence and war. The weather of Iraq after the war has become very hot and unbearable in addition to 24/7 no electricity. There have been sand storms, humidity that changed the atmosphere and even the people personality. They made Iraq like a desert. Even the color green, which is a symbol of life, has disappeared.

The trees and plants are just colorless objects lying here and there. The color of the ground, the tannoor, the trees, the soldier, all have the same dull colors. It seems as though the war has militarizes the whole land of Mesopotamian, which was known as a land of peace and cradle of civilizations.

The composition of this photo is very good as it describes in the necessary details and the purpose of this shot.
Obviously, there is an abundance of emotions through the faces of the children.
I try my best to avoid photos about Iraq because they remind me of days that I am hardly trying to forget. Each time I search for a photo with a glimpse of hope, I only find photos of war and suffrage.

Siesta

                                 Photographer: Sudipto Das (From India)


This photo grabbed my attention and made me feel happy and serene because it reminded me of myself when I was a kid but in a different scenario. I felt that it showed companionship between the dog and the boy.
There is intimacy with this photo where the photographer was able to capture the moment where both, the dog and the young boy were asleep. I also feel an emotional intimacy through this photo. When I look at the subject of this photo, I remember my childhood years. It is as if I am the one in the photo.

When I was a child, I had a rooster that I played with in the garden. I always got myself dirty. Several times, my mother would come out to the garden and find that I have played with the rooster for a long time and got myself dirty and tired that I slept in the garden. Now, my nephew is 4 years old living in Iraq. His family gave him a bunny rabbit as a gift. My nephew always plays with the rabbit in the garden and gets tired and sleeps there. When my brother sees this scene, he laughs and says that he is just like his uncle, Amir.

This photo has two meanings. One is that the young boy was playing with the dog outside the rooms of his house but at the entrance or doorway of the house. In some cultures, families do not allow dogs and animals to enter the rooms. That is why the young boy would rather play and sleep beside his dog outside for an afternoon as part of the loyalty, love, and trust the two have for each other.

The second interpreting for this photo that crossed my mind as soon as I looked at it was the lock at the door. It seems that the young boy and the dog were outside the house playing. When they came back from the farm or orchard they found the outside door locked. It also seems that the rest of the family is outside the house; either at work, or out somewhere. The young boy and the dog sat at the doorsteps waiting for their family. They waited for a while until the boy felt sleepy. He slept feeling safe and secures that his friend the dog will protect him and be at his side.
 Of course, the boy started by dozing off as he was sitting on the doorsteps. Slowly, he felt that he needed to spread his legs and feel comfortable. He was hoping to find some people close by to open the door for him. But suddenly he dozed to a deep sleep. It also seems that the dog was tired and wanted to rest as well. Through this second meaning, I feel it was not the boy's choice to sleep with the dog outside; rather it was the fact that there was no one there to open the door for him.

This child is not from a poor family. Although his clothes are dirty, but that is the reality of the people of the small villages. The children always play in the gardens and among the animals and the families are always busy. In general, the environments in rural towns are different from the atmosphere in the urban cities.

A while back, I visited the Amish farm near Columbia, MO. I found the children to be in the same shape as this child in this photo: dirty clothes, bare feet, among the animals, and in the gardens or farms.
I do not know how long the young boy will wait outside his home until someone comes and opens the door for him. However, at the end of the day, he is happy and relaxed with the dog and with what he has done so far in his day.

There is a similarity between the boy's t-shirt and the colors of the photo and between the lines on the door and the color of the dog and the ground. In spite of the fact that the boy and the dog are asleep; the color green gives them the symbolism of life and beauty.

I believe that cropping was done in a nice way because every part of the photo has a deep meaning.
The movement of the boy's hands, legs and fingers are very calm and peaceful, as if he was placed on the steps in this position without much thought. This photo could be considered as part of the Innocence-Harmony type of photos through the composition and the layout. Happiness, comfort, security, and innocence are evident through the faces of both the young boy and the dog.

The Heart Of Sea

                                       

          Photographer : Somenath MukhopadhyayL- India

In this photo, I see myself is very attracted to the green color and its elements.

The beauty of this photo captures my attention by its color and the apple or heart shape that is made by the net.

The subject of this photo is the life which is shown through the water, the green color, and the power of energy with the fisherman.

This fisherman is fishing as well as making a living off of what is captured by the fishing net. This shows the struggle for life. It reminds me with an old novel I have read it long time ago called " The old man and the see” written by Ernest Hemingway. It is clear how much energy, power, strong muscles, patience and will.

Both the fishing boat and the fishing net sit on intersection points which give it an interesting composition; hence the rule of thirds.

The continuity of pulling the thread by the fisherman in this photo gives a nice shape of an apple or a heart and there is a deceiving moment because the fisherman and the viewer are looking at the net waiting for the result of the catch. The fisherman's face, the other man's face, and the viewer are both waiting to see what suppose to come up with the net. Is it a going to be a good hunt? Everyone is waiting for big surprise.

The angle that this photo was taken shows the photographer was most probably on a high elevation such as a cliff or even a helicopter. The angle, composition, and color are all of cleanliness and purity. The symbolism of power and energy is present through this photo by the muscles and powerful waves caused by the pulling the net.

This photo keeps the viewer confused and wondering what the fisherman will catch. It is purely simple with a dose of fascination and that is what keeps the viewer searching for more definitions. Looking at this photo, one could tell that in less than a second, the photo would be totally different with many different meanings and definitions.

Shyness

                                       Photographer : Alin Petrus 

The idea of the picture is very beautiful and very new to me. A touch of shyness is represented in the picture. At the beginning, the little girl grabbed my attention but then the continuity of her arm with the flower connecting to the shadow of the boy moved my eye through out the photo. 

The shapes of their arms each make triangular shapes and geometric forms are represented throughout the photo with the brick background and the shapes of the bodies. There is the rule of thirds represented in this photo through the wall where it has thick and thin lines. The shadow shows the contrast between the light and dark colors in the photo.  

Texture is very clear in this photo through the formation of the wall and how it is not fully complete. Texture is also shown due to the fact that some shadows are formed by the cracks and lines in the wall. More texture in the pants of the little girl as it is similar in form as the red rose she is holding. The girl is obviously standing in front of the wall and creating a shadow and therefore there is a form of layering with this figure.  

Continuity in the lines of the wall gives the picture endless meanings and observations as it does not end abruptly within the boundaries of the photo. The shadow of the little boy shows some characteristics of how the boy behaved when he was offered a flower from afar. By having his arm on his hip shows that he is very confident in himself and is looking at the flower and the girl at the same time. He is confident that he will receive the flower as well as be able to see the girl of his dreams. The girl also seems that she is looking at the flower as well as the boy but she is not as confident as the boy. She shows some shyness as she fiddles with her right arm and does not know where to put it.  

From the shadow figure and the scale of the viewer’s eyes, one could predict that the boy is of the same age or a few years older. The figure of this photo that grabbed my eyes first was the shadow of the little boy. The color of the shadow is very strong as compared to the rest of the colors in the photo. The second place I looked at was the red rose as it was connected to the shadow. However the red rose did not grab my attention first because it had the same tone or shade of colors as the rest of the photo.  

In the mirror of time

                                 Photographer :  Herman Cater

This photo shares the power of memory and brings the past memories to life as we live reality today. The man is looking through a mirror at himself and at his wedding picture of him and his wife when they were younger.  He has a face of sorrow, regret, and a feeling of failure as he is now alone looking at himself and remembering the good times by looking at a small photo.There is nothing else showing through the mirror and therefore he has no other memories that would give him a smile on his face. The only memory gives him a feeling of distress and failure because he is alone and has ended up with nothing in his hands.

The figure in this photo is the man, and more specifically, his troublesome and sad eyes.  The eyes are as if they are looking at you but they are actually looking at the picture on the wall with a feeling of grief.  One could see the picture on the wall and the direction of the eyes and feel deceived because it is unclear whether the man is looking at the viewer or the picture. 

This picture also has some symbolism connecting the past with the present by showing the man today as an older less fortunate man and the same man when he was younger with his wife on his wedding day.  It symbolizes the connection between the past and the present and how we can escape neither the past nor the present no matter how hard one may be.  

Proximity is evident through the use of two eras in one photo.  The man today is related to the man in the wedding picture however they are not related in how they feel at the moment.  The man in the picture was not alone but the man today is alone and has a very depressed look.  The man in the picture is in a tuxedo and dressed nicely with a woman next to him who is also dressed nicely, but the man today is dressed in rags and not in a good shape.

The colors used in this picture depict the deep gloominess this man is in at the moment.  One could see that in the man of today, however, in the man of yesterday, the one in the wedding picture, one could see a brighter white than the rest of the picture. In the Middle Eastern culture, the darker colors, especially black and gray are used for sad and depressing moments. 

The framing used in the original photo and the wedding photo are different. The wedding photo has a real frame with some style to it to match the occasion. That shows that probably, at the time, the couples were well off and were happy and comfortable with each other and with their lives. This is of the past. However, the present photo of the man looking at himself through the mirror shows the opposite lifestyle. The mirror looks like it is a makeshift mirror and not of the kind that would show the whole picture very clearly. It is important to realize that difference between the present man and the one from the past. The mirror is a (frame) and a window into the past and the frame to the photo in the present.

Footballers

Photographer: Prateek Dubey This photo caught my attention because it contains two figures. The first one is for the viewers, the boys in the photo is the figure. But, the second figure is not for the viewers, but for the boys (in the photo).Their figure is the ball. This photo has a lot of magnificent views and beautiful moments. The happiness among the boys, the fun, and determination to continue to playing till the end. All these elements have been reflected in the photo. There is an enthusiasm mixed with the smiles is pushing everyone to catch the ball, in spite of the muddy area.  Sometimes I see a serious moment with irresponsible moments among the youth.   There is a clear similarity among the boys; their movements, their hand and leg shapes, their facial expressions, their wet clothes, their hair, and their muscles. Everything in the picture is moving and has a continuity, except the ball, it is  the only one that is static and quiet, it is looking and waiting for them to come and get it. It seems the boys are not the only ones who are playing in this photo, even the birds (hawks) in the sky are playing in the air. It is very obvious that the sky was raining and had stopped, so, it is the time for hawks to look for something to prey on. I like the  two minarets in the back of the photo.  They look the same. Also, the color of the building looks wet and muddy. This photo brought me back to my childhood years in Iraq when I used to playing outside with my friends. We usually were playing till the sun was setting and the moon was starting to shine. One could only look at these beautiful scenes and revive old memories and relive the best moments of one’s life. It can be difficult to return those beautiful moments, but its gorgeous memory is still living in our imagination.

The Holy Quran

It is evident through these photos that they were taken as a non-violent reaction after a priest from a Christian church in Florida announced that he planned to burn the Holy Qur'an. There are several differences between these two photos: The first difference is the location of these two photos. The first photo is in Malaysia and the second in Afghanistan. The second difference is the different angels that these two photos were taken from.
On the other hand, both photos are presenting an image of the same content or idea and each react to the announcement in their own special ways.
The first photo a child is raising a banner that states that only a coward burns the Holy Qur'an. Through these statements and banners, we see an action through the use of the word "coward." Although the banner is covering the mouth of the young girl, as we all know, a photo speaks for its self. There is no need for the little girl to say anything. The banner and situation have already spoken and spoken very loudly.
One could see the continuity in this photo where the ladies are lined up in a straight line, one behind the other. Their clothing is also very similar which includes the head covering, Hijab, and the Islamic clothing worn by the women in the picture. Through the concept of colors, one could see that the colors of the umbrella, the Hijab of the young girl and the font color on the banner are all orange. The banners are all black.

The second photo has a much deeper meaning. A specific reaction is not clear in this photo, however, their shock and facial expression is a reaction. It is as if the young girls want to show the priest and to the rest of the world that the Qur'an is in their hearts and minds. Their way of reacting to this incident is very peaceful and calm but very moving and effective.
There is a similarity in the colors of this photo and it is like as if a rainbow is made between the colors of the clothes, the Hijabs, the rug they are sitting on, and even the wall that is behind them. The wall seems as though it was build from mud and has some nice designs which correlate with the design of the rug. The print that is used in the Holy Qur'an the girls are holding seems that it was written in ancient times rather than recently. This print goes very well with the setting of the room they are sitting in.
Through the traditions and culture of the Middle Eastern and Islamic world, one usually sees the men are the ones who take care of the political and personal defense roles in society. The women are usually taking the roles that do not require much effort or they do the house chores. In both pictures, the ladies are using their non-violent and peaceful means to show how much they care and want to defend their religion and worship.

The Future Starts Here

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their
dreams.” - Eleanor Roosevel

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of
comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and
controversy.” - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Hope

Light At The End Of The Tunnel
“In all things it is better to hope than to despair.” - Johann
Wolfgang von Goethe

The New Iraqi National Anthem

Iraq after 2003 War

Modern Iraq 1979 - 2003 Pictures from my country

The cradle of civilization

Dates of Iraq

Dates of Iraq

A boy with his sheep

North of Iraq

North of Iraq

The Beauty of Iraq's Countryside