While browsing through her Facebook feed a month ago, Reem Al Hilou noticed a friend "like" a picture posted by Brandon Stanton, the photoblogger behind the Humans of New York (HONY) project.
It was the portrait of a man blind in one eye, who told the photographer that he once ran into a girl and dropped her ice cream, which made her angry. But when she found out he was partially blind, she apologised and was treated to free ice cream from the shop manager, who had overheard the conversation.
“It is the perfect portrayal of humanity,” says the 27-year-old Al Hilou about a picture that was liked by 750,853 people on the HONY Facebook page.
It was the first time the Dubai-based Emirati lawyer had seen the project. It was created in 2010 by Stanton, who set out to build a portfolio of the faces of the residents of New York. He has now taken the initiative worldwide, visiting other countries and amassing more than 9.4 million followers.
That image had such an effect on Hilou that two days later she bought a Nikon D3200 camera and set up Humans of Dubai(@humans_of_dubai) on Instagram.
The imitators
Stanton’s page has inspired similar projects in several countries and Dubai has more than one.
The Dubai-based French artist Isabelle Viallaneix started the Facebook page Humans of Dubai in 2012. She captures moments of peoples' lives in the city with a Nikon D7000 and her iPhone, and has posted more than 300 images.
“I loved the idea of introducing New Yorkers to the rest of the world,” says Viallaneix about the Humans of New York page that inspired her.
“I don’t interview people, I just take images that speak for themselves,” adds the artist, who has more than 4,400 followers on her page.
Her pictures are more about capturing the spontaneity of the moment, rather than framing that perfect shot in an attempt to document a moment of her subject’s life. She also welcomes other photographers to share their work on her page.
“I love street photography and the pulse and vibrancy of the city, which I capture. I don’t only want to photograph people but the city as well, to mix it up for my audience.”
A treasure box of tales
Al Hilou says she has always had an issue with the people who view Dubai as a city without a soul.
“Dubai is often criticised for lacking in human spirit, but many new residents fail to see that it is full of stories,” she says. “I’ve always struggled with people walking up to me and saying there is no charm or identity to this place. My Instagram account is a photo essay of the city and the people who contribute to it.”
The page has 516 followers and Al Hilou spends most of her weekends photographing residents in Satwa, Deira and Jumeirah to keep her feed active during the week.
“I carry my camera on most of my outings with the intent of photographing people who are interesting,” she says. “Because I have a full-time job, I can’t shoot every day, so I collate the pictures during the weekends and post them daily.”
She says she sometimes faces rejection when she walks up to people with her camera.
“It has been a bit challenging, to be honest,” says Al Hilou. “There is a sense of protectiveness and a strong urge for privacy, which is understandable,” she says. “A lot of them are concerned with the consequences of putting it up on social media. I love exploring other people’s views and thoughts, so starting up a conversation is the easy bit. The challenge is convincing them this is to create a database that highlights the city.”
She also wants to bring back the lost art of conversation.
“We live in a fast-paced city where people no longer have the time to stop and ask a stranger how they are doing,” she says. “I want to bring back human interaction.”
Representing Emiratis
Al Hilou says she would particularly like to convince the Emirati community, especially the elders, to participate in her endeavour.
“Elderly Emirati men and women have a lot of wisdom to impart and tales from long before the UAE was formed. But they also tend to be more reserved when it comes to posing for photos.
“I take pictures of anybody who wants to be part of the project. “I hope people will eventually see the meaning behind this and be more willing to participate.”
aahmed@thenational.ae
