Israel/Jordan
From the moment you hit the streets in Israel or Jordan, you inevitably stumble over the region’s cultural, religious, and political fault lines. The initial dialogue goes something like this:
Person: (man on the street, cab driver, shopkeeper, etc.): “Where are you from?”
You: “The U.S.”
Person: “Why are you here?”
You: “I’m a tourist—I’ve always wanted to visit.”
Person: “No. Why are you here?”
It can feel more like an interrogation than a conversation. Which makes sense. In an active conflict zone shaped by centuries of carnage and conquest, people are naturally wary. It’s important to know with whom you’re talking. And it makes street photography a much more delicate proposition. So rather than land in a specific ideological camp and make editorial statements, my goal was to photograph common ground where I could find it–everyday moments that people shared, regardless of religion or nationality.
