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."
AL-MONITOR All-Access gives you unlimited access to all our journalism, the full Daily Briefing, exclusive interviews, premium newsletters, and live events — for less than $2/week.