“We just want to be together and not be afraid.” (Erbil, Iraq)
Brandon, online sensation and portrait photographer behind Humans of New York, has teamed up with the UN to go on a world wide tour to capture humanising portraits in his own unique way. First stop Iraq, and more proof that his unique ability to characterise an individual’s life story in a caption and photo is possibly the only thing on the internet without even one grain of cynicism in it. Having amassed over 9 million facebook fans his latest collaboration is a testament to both the power of a simple portrait and the desire for people to find the human underneath the headline.
“My parents were captured when I was sixteen. They both died in prison.”
“What do you remember about the day they were taken?”
“I’m sorry. I don’t think I can do this. Can we stop?”
(Shaqlawa, Iraq)
Not everyone has the ability to capture a person and make them universally relatable, but the work posted on his website so far is truly incredible. Poignant but not exploitative Brandon and the UN happen to be in some of the world’s most volatile countries. Starting in Iraq they’ve moved onto Jordan, no hints yet on where next but what ever country it is they’ll show a fantastic new side to it, and capture it all in real time.
