Looking Back

A Photograph by AbdulHakeem AbdulKareem

With his cap, carefreely hung backward, a little boy looks back with a smile, as he follows a curly thread of people ascending into the distance. He appears to be sitting on a bicycle, and firmly grips the handle with one shoulder higher than the other. A slight way into the line of followers, another boy of similar build is astride a short fence of uncemented mud blocks. A blue satchel bag secured underneath an arm of a person with his back turned marks the point from which a train of people march towards an undulating skyline. 

— Onotu David Onimisi

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“The catch, for me, is the ability to smile irrespective of our past or whatever uncertainty the future holds.”

The photograph was taken in 2017, during a photo and charity advocacy walk to Gurapana Village in Plateau State situated in Nigeria’s Middle-Belt region. The image was captured using a Nikon D300 and a 50mm prime lens. The photo wasn’t pre-planned. I was lucky to capture just the right moment, when the bicycle rider looked back, blessed with a pictorial peek into the people’s daily lives. 

The photo shows that people easily look back even though there is so much ahead. However, the catch, for me, is the ability to smile irrespective of our past or whatever uncertainty the future holds. I believe in the power of a sincere and unforced smile to energize a person and offer a refreshing perspective to a hopeless situation. A smile, in any situation, is a gift that costs the giver nothing but is priceless to the receiver. It is an icebreaker and can help build bridges and create bonds between people. It is a simple gesture that, when consistently shared, enriches our collective human experience. 

Photography is impactful, as it tells the human story one image at a time. My main approach to photography is illustrative. It could focus on still life, as well as people or landscape. I believe photography transcends mere visual capture. Therefore, my photos are an attempt at storytelling, visually communicating the untold. Each frame is a narrative – a frozen sliver of time captured to evoke dialogue and spark conversations. Beyond what the frame reveals is the significance. My lens is a tool that weaves stories without words, stories that are evident in the laughter, tears, or indifference of the subject. 

— AbdulHakeem AbdulKareem

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About AbdulHakeem AbdulKareem 

AbdulKareem is a Nigerian photographer residing in the city of Ilorin, southwest Nigeria. He spent a good part of his childhood in northern Nigeria, where his love for photography was forged. An alumnus of the Nigerian Law School, AbdulKareem has been commissioned for photographs across Nigeria to raise awareness on the Child Rights Act. In 2016, he won the “Photographer of the Year Award” among the 6 law campuses. AbdulKareem is currently exploring the relationship between photography and generative A.I. see more of his work on X.

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LAST WEEK — “Dear Someone Somewhere in Angola” by Helena Uambembe

I captured this photograph in 2016, at a funeral in Pomfret using my very first digital camera. It was the first time I'd seen many of these people in a long time. I felt it important to document this moment. A lot of memories came back. The idea of community, of coming together and remembering was important for me. This moment aligned with my focused documentation on portraits and funeral rituals within the Pomfret community at the time.  

Read more.

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This is the 111th edition of this publication, edited by Onotu David Onimisi, one of our editorial fellows. The newsletter also read on web (best for viewing images), and via the Substack iOS/Android apps.

TENDER PHOTO is a newsletter on African photography. Every Wednesday we feature a photograph and a short caption about it, and include a statement from the photographer. Last year, we published commentaries or photo-essays in response to photographs previously featured on the newsletter, including CORRESPONDENCES, CONCORDANCE, KINDRED, and INDEX. The ongoing series, AFFINITIES, will run from March 1–April 26.

Our goal is to work with African photographers by creating a platform in which they lead the cataloguing and engagement with their work.

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