Alone Among Others

A Photograph by Leul Mekonnen, in Collaboration with Through The Lens Collective.

There are two scenes in one. A trio of discussants, draped in white; a bespectacled man, with his clasped hands resting against his folded legs. He seems as undisturbed in his gaze as they are unperturbed by his attention, or lack thereof. Standing with their backs to him, he seems slighter than his oversized coat suggests, as though he knows how to make himself unsuspecting. Besides, the photograph might picture them in the aftermath of a hello, after which they returned to their parallel worlds.

— Emmanuel Iduma

---

“Visual storytelling has a great power to inform and educate people.”

This photo was taken in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The guy sitting in the photo often sits there alone and I took two photos including this one within a months time span.

I believe visual storytelling has a great power to inform and educate people.

In my view, photography is a powerful medium for expressing creativity. I use it as a tool to convey my emotions, ideas, and thoughts, and consider it to be a true art form that allows me to create unique and visually appealing images.

For me, photography is also a means of exploring the world around me. Through my camera lens, I can discover new places, people, and things, and experiment with different techniques and styles to produce captivating and interesting images.

Whether I am capturing the beauty of nature, the vibrancy of a cityscape, or the essence of a person's character, photography allows me to express my creativity while also providing a window into the world around me.

— Leul Mekonnen

---

Post-Card Africa

Tender Photo has collaborated with Through The Lens Collective to present photographs from Post-Card Africa, a project designed to create new and insightful responses to the history of African representation through photography. Images such as Leul Mekonnen’s “Along Among Others,” taken in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, evoke a new local archive, by approaching creative agency and shared opportunity for local representation as an important framework for actively engaging the continent’s very complex history and representation. Read more about the project here.

---

About Leul Mekonnen

Born on Dec, 28, 1996 in Asella, Leul Mekonnen is a visual artist and a Photographer. He is a graduate of Fine Art in Teferi Mekonnen School and Graduate Cinimatographer from Tom Photography & Vidiography Training Center. He is currently based In Addis Ababa. See more of his photos and other artwork on Instagram.

---

Last Week — “Living by the Castle,” by Nipah Dennis

This photograph easily communicates what I am trying to achieve with the project idea I am developing: the relationship between the castle and the people that live by it. In the photograph, two boys are taking the weight off a fishing net and they look up at the moment they noticed I was photographing them. Behind them is a sea defence wall and the white Castle.

Read more.

---

SUPPORT TENDER PHOTO

This is the 72nd edition of this publication, which also read on web (best for viewing images), and via the Substack iOS/Android apps.

Every Wednesday I feature one photograph and the photographer who took it: you’d read a short caption from me, and a statement from the photographer. Every Saturday I publish a lengthier engagement with photography. Between June 3–July 29, I’m writing a series of micro-essays in response to sequences of photographs previously featured on the newsletter. My hope is to engage with early to mid-career African photographers, and to create a platform in which photographers lead the cataloguing and criticism of their work.

Photographers can now submit their work for consideration.

Thank you for reading. If this newsletter was shared with you, consider subscribing, or forward to a friend. Please whitelist the newsletter to ensure you never miss it.