Interview: Alexandra Avakian | National Geographic

I had a driver who used to call me

I had a driver who used to call me teacher the Sun because well he used to

teacher the Sun because well he used to

teacher the Sun because well he used to get up with me at dawn every morning

get up with me at dawn every morning

get up with me at dawn every morning before dawn to photograph and he was

before dawn to photograph and he was

before dawn to photograph and he was also it was just accustomed to my

also it was just accustomed to my

also it was just accustomed to my obsession with how the light was falling

obsession with how the light was falling

obsession with how the light was falling so this is what he called me Oh Stassi

so this is what he called me Oh Stassi

so this is what he called me Oh Stassi a’tall chumps which means teacher of the

a’tall chumps which means teacher of the

a’tall chumps which means teacher of the Sun in Arabic

I’ve been taking pictures since I was a

I’ve been taking pictures since I was a little girl about really six and a half

little girl about really six and a half

little girl about really six and a half seven years old and then got a little

seven years old and then got a little

seven years old and then got a little more serious about it when I was not on

more serious about it when I was not on

more serious about it when I was not on your so hope my father really taught me

your so hope my father really taught me

your so hope my father really taught me a lot he was a movie director and a

a lot he was a movie director and a

a lot he was a movie director and a movie editor he would do things like

movie editor he would do things like

movie editor he would do things like when he was making a movie he would let

when he was making a movie he would let

when he was making a movie he would let me sit on his lap while he was editing

me sit on his lap while he was editing

me sit on his lap while he was editing it and let me make cuts and he’d tell me

it and let me make cuts and he’d tell me

it and let me make cuts and he’d tell me why this film was being cut in that

why this film was being cut in that

why this film was being cut in that place in order to tell a story in this

place in order to tell a story in this

place in order to tell a story in this way or that way and he also used to

way or that way and he also used to

way or that way and he also used to dissect wife magazine with me this

dissect wife magazine with me this

dissect wife magazine with me this pictures run large for this reason and

pictures run large for this reason and

pictures run large for this reason and this small for this reason here’s the

this small for this reason here’s the

this small for this reason here’s the establishing shot so he really

establishing shot so he really

establishing shot so he really influenced me very deeply very young

I’m primarily a journalist but in order

I’m primarily a journalist but in order to tell the stories I need to tell in

to tell the stories I need to tell in

to tell the stories I need to tell in order to touch people I need to be able

order to touch people I need to be able

order to touch people I need to be able to express myself and it expressed the

to express myself and it expressed the

to express myself and it expressed the stories I’m seeing in an artistic form

stories I’m seeing in an artistic form

stories I’m seeing in an artistic form and that’s nothing that you know

and that’s nothing that you know

and that’s nothing that you know necessarily thought out is specifically

necessarily thought out is specifically

necessarily thought out is specifically in that way it’s just something that I

in that way it’s just something that I

in that way it’s just something that I know how to do its just using the camera

know how to do its just using the camera

know how to do its just using the camera but it’s a very fluid thing for me it’s

but it’s a very fluid thing for me it’s

but it’s a very fluid thing for me it’s a very natural form of expression it’s

a very natural form of expression it’s

a very natural form of expression it’s not abstract to me people can jump right

not abstract to me people can jump right

not abstract to me people can jump right through that lens at me and I I can my

through that lens at me and I I can my

through that lens at me and I I can my heart goes out through that lens to them

heart goes out through that lens to them

heart goes out through that lens to them and hopefully that ends up on film and

and hopefully that ends up on film and

and hopefully that ends up on film and and that becomes something that somebody

and that becomes something that somebody

and that becomes something that somebody at their breakfast table opens and

at their breakfast table opens and

at their breakfast table opens and magazine and sees data and learn

magazine and sees data and learn

magazine and sees data and learn something about another part of the

something about another part of the

something about another part of the world and other people something that I

world and other people something that I

world and other people something that I really try to capture is everything

really try to capture is everything

really try to capture is everything that’s happening in life it’s not only

that’s happening in life it’s not only

that’s happening in life it’s not only the center of the photograph but it’s

the center of the photograph but it’s

the center of the photograph but it’s what’s coming in on the side and in some

what’s coming in on the side and in some

what’s coming in on the side and in some ways it’s very much like music you know

ways it’s very much like music you know

ways it’s very much like music you know it’s like there are different layers and

it’s like there are different layers and

it’s like there are different layers and paths that kind of tell a story with in

paths that kind of tell a story with in

paths that kind of tell a story with in one piece of music and I try to embed

one piece of music and I try to embed

one piece of music and I try to embed that in a photograph in a way so pure

that in a photograph in a way so pure

that in a photograph in a way so pure pleasure for me to make pictures I love

pleasure for me to make pictures I love

pleasure for me to make pictures I love making photographs and and getting to

making photographs and and getting to

making photographs and and getting to know people around the world just even

know people around the world just even

know people around the world just even shopping for your groceries it’s a

shopping for your groceries it’s a

shopping for your groceries it’s a wonderful thing because that’s your life

wonderful thing because that’s your life

wonderful thing because that’s your life you’re living in Moscow or you’re living

you’re living in Moscow or you’re living

you’re living in Moscow or you’re living in Gaza and your those shopkeepers are

in Gaza and your those shopkeepers are

in Gaza and your those shopkeepers are your shopkeepers and then those people

your shopkeepers and then those people

your shopkeepers and then those people on the front lines become your neighbors

on the front lines become your neighbors

on the front lines become your neighbors that’s a whole different way of relating

that’s a whole different way of relating

that’s a whole different way of relating to people than just dropping in on us

to people than just dropping in on us

to people than just dropping in on us Dori and seeing them for two weeks which

Dori and seeing them for two weeks which

Dori and seeing them for two weeks which you can also end up with profound

you can also end up with profound

you can also end up with profound pictures that way obviously because

pictures that way obviously because

pictures that way obviously because you’re trained to do it and that’s what

you’re trained to do it and that’s what

you’re trained to do it and that’s what you do and but it adds another personal

you do and but it adds another personal

you do and but it adds another personal level to it when you live there

if you work in conflict situations year

if you work in conflict situations year after year after year obviously you have

after year after year obviously you have

after year after year obviously you have to have the Constitution for it and it

to have the Constitution for it and it

to have the Constitution for it and it has to feel somewhat comfortable to you

has to feel somewhat comfortable to you

has to feel somewhat comfortable to you to be in those situations that doesn’t

to be in those situations that doesn’t

to be in those situations that doesn’t mean that I didn’t get scared of course

mean that I didn’t get scared of course

mean that I didn’t get scared of course I did I mean there were times when I got

I did I mean there were times when I got

I did I mean there were times when I got scared when I shouldn’t have been and

scared when I shouldn’t have been and

scared when I shouldn’t have been and sometimes I wasn’t afraid when I should

sometimes I wasn’t afraid when I should

sometimes I wasn’t afraid when I should have been and other times you know you

have been and other times you know you

have been and other times you know you know I just didn’t feel afraid most of

know I just didn’t feel afraid most of

know I just didn’t feel afraid most of the time I didn’t and usually you’re so

the time I didn’t and usually you’re so

the time I didn’t and usually you’re so busy trying to make a really good

busy trying to make a really good

busy trying to make a really good picture out of chaos and watching your

picture out of chaos and watching your

picture out of chaos and watching your back watching your partner’s back that

back watching your partner’s back that

back watching your partner’s back that it’s just it is it does become

it’s just it is it does become

it’s just it is it does become instinctive I don’t think about failure

instinctive I don’t think about failure

instinctive I don’t think about failure I don’t imagine failure I don’t that

I don’t imagine failure I don’t that

I don’t imagine failure I don’t that does work comes into the picture for me

does work comes into the picture for me

does work comes into the picture for me I take an assignment or give myself an

I take an assignment or give myself an

I take an assignment or give myself an assignment and I do it and I just if I

assignment and I do it and I just if I

assignment and I do it and I just if I encounter resistance I’m just very

encounter resistance I’m just very

encounter resistance I’m just very persistent

persistent

persistent I try to mix up my aesthetics you know I

I try to mix up my aesthetics you know I

I try to mix up my aesthetics you know I tried to react to what I’m seeing

tried to react to what I’m seeing

tried to react to what I’m seeing whether the situation calls for portrait

whether the situation calls for portrait

whether the situation calls for portrait or it calls for just being a fly on the

or it calls for just being a fly on the

or it calls for just being a fly on the wall letting things unfold I love to use

wall letting things unfold I love to use

wall letting things unfold I love to use a wide angle lens and i love the

a wide angle lens and i love the

a wide angle lens and i love the complexity of life just as it unfolds I

complexity of life just as it unfolds I

complexity of life just as it unfolds I don’t you know I’m not that crazy about

don’t you know I’m not that crazy about

don’t you know I’m not that crazy about studio photography and things like that

studio photography and things like that

studio photography and things like that I like reality you know it’s one of the

I like reality you know it’s one of the

I like reality you know it’s one of the great joys of photography it’s floating

great joys of photography it’s floating

great joys of photography it’s floating so you this day is just to street you

so you this day is just to street you

so you this day is just to street you and whatever comes toward me and I come

and whatever comes toward me and I come

and whatever comes toward me and I come toward it and what happens in that

toward it and what happens in that

toward it and what happens in that moment ends up being the picture and

moment ends up being the picture and

moment ends up being the picture and that’s a wonderful thing it’s not

that’s a wonderful thing it’s not

that’s a wonderful thing it’s not planned at all I had a very very very

planned at all I had a very very very

planned at all I had a very very very deep commitment to telling stories about

deep commitment to telling stories about

deep commitment to telling stories about people who were struggling for freedom

people who were struggling for freedom

people who were struggling for freedom basically I felt committed to to follow

basically I felt committed to to follow

basically I felt committed to to follow those stories and to capture them and I

those stories and to capture them and I

those stories and to capture them and I think there’s a personal satisfaction in

think there’s a personal satisfaction in

think there’s a personal satisfaction in being able to make a visually

being able to make a visually

being able to make a visually comprehensible document something that

comprehensible document something that

comprehensible document something that speaks to people in that kind of chaos

there’s another memoir me I think

there’s another memoir me I think because there are all those places that

because there are all those places that

because there are all those places that aren’t in the Muslim world the Muslim

aren’t in the Muslim world the Muslim

aren’t in the Muslim world the Muslim world that’s a path within my work but

world that’s a path within my work but

world that’s a path within my work but there are all those other places too and

there are all those other places too and

there are all those other places too and experiences to which I want to write

experiences to which I want to write

experiences to which I want to write about and share with people