Youssef
A Photograph by Mohamed Hozyen
He is wearing up to four layers of clothing. His manner is familiar, both in its gentleness and its anonymity. He is more aged than youthful, a fact no where clearer than in the turning-away of his eyes—indicating a contentment with what can never be known about him. The texture of the picture is grainy, like the tapestry of a mosaic, much as those overhanging particles of cloud. And notice how he sits with his back to the sea, with the ease of a person for whom the sight of water is as familiar as the sound of a name.
— Emmanuel Iduma
“My approach is always to find interesting stories about people.”
The photograph was taken in Alexandria.
I was walking on the cornice of Alexandria with a friend, holding my point-and-shoot film camera in my hand.
When I saw Youssef I thought he was an attractive person. I stopped and stepped back and started talking with him, listening to his story. Every Sunday he goes to the seaside of the cornice and has a very long walk enjoying this side of the city as he is an old man now and has nothing to do and he loves to walk so much.
The location where he sat had big clouds in the background like it's gonna come and eat him.
My approach is always to find interesting stories about people who nobody knows about and raise their voice, and to witness the circumstances around me at different points in time.
Photography can always have an impact. There are ways that can happen, including to raise the voice of a people or city or country, region, or area by telling a story about what kind of struggles they are facing, or how the climate would change here.
— Mohamed Hozyen
About Mohamed Hozyen
Mohamed Hozyen (b. 1984, Cairo, Egypt) began working as a photographer in 2016, with a focus on documenting daily life and social issues in Egypt. In 2020, he received a diploma in photojournalism from the Danish School of Media and Journalism. He has received grants and awards from the VII Academy, Prince Claus Fund, Magnum Foundation, Wiki Loves Africa, Canon Europe, among others. More of his work can be found on his website and on Instagram.
LAST WEEK
— “Jamestown Water Polo” by Mo “Baba” Mahama
Some kids saw me with a camera and posed for me with me even asking. I later noticed a group of 3 or 4 boys playing with the ball in the sea and started taking a few pictures of them. During a short stop in play, the boy from the right and I made eye contact. He held that stare as I continued shooting.
“A Port and a Portal,” by Olaniyi Omiwale, in KINDRED
If that Sunday was like any growing up, what I wanted from the Word was to let me in and to also take me on excursions into hitherto unknown parts of the world. The photo album, as the picture of myself and my uncle reminds me, is far from the saintly perfection of the Scriptures—cut and pasted from a clutter of events, they are not even whole, not to talk of holy—but they are perfect for what they are: a repository of photographs that are both time machine and theatre, both port and portal.
SUPPORT TENDER PHOTO
This is the 89th 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 Friday, I publish a series of commentaries in response to photographs previously featured on the newsletter. The ongoing series is KINDRED. 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.
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