An Eye for Iran

by Kazem Hakimi

Overview

Through his use of conventional black-and-white film and a belief that a good photograph is the result of constantly watching to predict the perfect moment, Kazem Hakimi's work harks straight back to the photojournalism of Cartier-Bresson and those early Magnum photographers who were able to capture moments that superficially contained nothing, but which when printed onto photographic paper became iconic images. With the United States and Iran once again squaring up to each other in the Persian Gulf and the actions of firebrand president Ahmadinejad never far from the news, "An Eye for Iran" provides a welcome opportunity to view images that show the human side of a nation we are being led to distrust.Here and there someone spies the lens as the shutter opens, but the drift of Iranian society is caught in the postures of the everyday: human faces in the streets, relaxing in the parks, the glimpse of designer clothes under a chador, pride in a motorcycle, a young couple enjoying a game of chess...Throughout, Hakimi shows how well he understands the techniques of traditional photojournalism: he remains both present but still invisible to the people in the scenes his lens has captured. The result is a captivating book that will appeal to all those wishing to gain an insight into life in this unique and fascinating country.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781859644317
Publisher:	Garnet Publishing (UK) Ltd
Publication date:	10/01/2008
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	136
File size:	7 MB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Photographer Kazem Hakimi was born in Shiraz in Iran, but moved to the UK in 1974. Having trained initially as a civil engineer, he then studied photography in London. An Eye for Iran is based on a visit he made in 2004 to the cities of Isfahan, Shiraz and Mashad. The writer of the introduction, James Attlee, is the author of "Isolarion, A Different Oxford Journey".

Editorial Reviews

Iranian-born and London-based photographer Hakimi presents this collection of 60 photographs taken - using conventional black and white film - during his 2004 travels to the Iranian cities of Isfahan, Shiraz, and Mashad. Rooted in the objectivity of the photojournalist's method, the photographs depict what one summary calls "the drift of Iranian society" from a ground-level perspective that, as Richard Atlee acknowledges in his foreword, seeks to supplant the discussion in the West of a dangerous Iran with a more human narrative.

An Eye for Iran is a perceptive picture book created by photographer Kazem Hakimi, born in Shiraz but living in the UK since 1974. In 2004 he visited Isfahan, Shiraz and Mashad and photographed the people of his native country. He has a keen eye for the unusual, like the woman enclosed in a burqa standing by her motorcycle. Such contrast! His black-and-white candids stirred many exciting memories of my recent trip to Iran. Enjoy Hakimi’s wonderful images and you will find yourself on an Iran Air flight to the land of the ancient Persian Empire.

From the Publisher