I learned about the Roma, a people group that legend has it, emigrated from northern India to Romania. Most call Romania their home, traveling throughout Europe during the warm months to seek migrant work. They are deeply private and personal, and their trust is not easily won… rightly so.

When I take photos, I always like to respect a yes and a no. On this day, the answer was an unequivocal yes. That day, a dear grandmother had lived in her home for 20 years… built into a garbage dump just outside of Arad, Romania. Her gentle eyes carried grief on that day, and she asked me through a Roma translator to tell her story.

This is the common response to the plight of the Roma people. Often treated as though unwanted and misunderstood, they are a family oriented beautiful culture with so much to share. They are not consumeristic but rather focus on who they know.

Their story has been one of sacrifice, hardship and a fight to maintain a culture that is quickly slipping away in the wake of modern society.

I am honored by their trust.

For many years, I have felt the strange draw of the Middle East.

Trips to Palestine, Turkey and Israel have made themselves readily available… but a longing to go deeper into the middle of the Middle East called me on. In September 2022, I made my first trip into Iraq…and it has been followed by a quick succession of trips.

I have fallen in love with the people here.

Often alone, armed only with a camera and a very beat up tripod, I have made many immediate friends and no known enemies.

My seven awkwardly spoken words of whatever local dialect is regional in a place filled with more languages than grains of dust have taken me quite far…

But as you can see, the faces of people willing to represent their country speak for themselves.

You can never be prepared fully for what’s to come in the Middle East. What I’ve learned is to be fully ready for anything, and to know it will take 3-5 times longer than you expected.

My expectation was also to struggle with taking photographs at all…since making images is considered culturally haram (unlawful) and there are often security issues surrounding photography.

But to my delight, 90% of people I asked for a photo said yes…
and some people ran to me with great enthusiasm and begged me to take their photo.

Iraq is magical land, filled with kind people who will give you everything when they have nothing. You will be fed with love, with kindness, and with copious amounts of dolma (sort of a meat/vegetable/rice hot pocket, for my American friends.)

There is a love for this land that has captured my heart and imagination. I hope that it captures yours, too.