Local photographers provide snapshot of life in Gaza
Palestinian photographers reach world-class status for depicting the daily lives of Gazans and the beauty of Gaza’s nature, unlike the often-seen images of destruction.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Award-winning photojournalist Mohammed al-Baba once again is receiving international accolades, being named one of The Guardian's top 10 photographers for 2015. The Guardian recognized Baba, a cameraman for Agence France-Presse, for his work documenting the daily lives of citizens following Israel's war on Gaza in 2014. He has received 14 international awards over the last 15 years.
Baba told Al-Monitor, “It is important for photographers to capture human aspects. Once the news is covered, photographers ought to dive into the aftermath of the event. The humane message that I conveyed through the pictures I took was about the way citizens in the Gaza Strip carry on with their daily lives and mix life with death even after their houses are destroyed.
"For example, I took pictures of people working near destroyed houses. I took pictures of children smiling in refugee camps in Gaza and a fisherman fishing despite the problems surrounding him. All these pictures show the [many] aspects of life.”
He added, "These pictures included shots of various Palestinian athletes practicing street sports in Gaza. They also included shots of graffiti by the famous British artist Banksy."
