This is the 167th edition of Tender Photo, a digital platform of African photography.
A shadow in the nook where the two men have settled misses the one in blue by a slight margin. They are seated on white plastic chairs. One man’s left eye is tightly latched, in contrast to a slanted mouth, perhaps he has been caught mid sentence. The other man, wrapped in a pale pink cloth, listens intently. The pair are so engrossed in conversation that the makeshift table holding a plate of food is easy to miss. Mirroring each other, each rests a hand on the right knee, spoons suspended in air, a subtle indication that they aren’t yet finished with their meal. Just behind them, a grey box sprouts with cables, powering worlds outside this conclave.
— Haja Fanta
“I approach image making as a dialogue between myself and the people I document.”
This photograph was taken in December 2024 while documenting the final day of the Sahara Festival in Douz. I spent the day walking around the festival, chatting to people and documenting the various elements of the event.
These two men, appearing to take a break from the busy market section of the festival, sat across one another with a box of goods between them. They looked as though suspended in their own world, the warm light of the afternoon sun setting shadows that provided them with brief respite from the chaos around us. You can see in the background a motorbike; many travel from nearby towns on motorbikes to attend the festival and the roads are filled with the sound of their engines and the smoke. This image stood out to me in the symbols it contains that represent the various elements of the festival and its attendees.
My photography is primarily preoccupied with exploring and attempting to improve the realities experienced by my communities through creative expression and self-documentation. My photographic practice is research based, and I aim to create a visual dialogue with my subjects where they can exercise agency in the image produced of them and the way it is used. I approach image making as a dialogue between myself and the people I document.
— Sana Badri
About Sana Badri
Sana Badri is a British-Tunisian artist. Her motivation to create images is primarily to build and maintain meaningful connections with her subjects, and foster a visual dialogue that speaks to those inside those communities. She has been exhibited at the V&A, published by the V&A, elephant magazine, oomk zine and Huck Online amongst others.
You can find more of Sana Badri’s work via her website and Instagram .
RELATED — “Support System” by Nengi Nelson
This photo was taken post-lockdown for my project "support system." I was exploring friendships that had existed for a while and how they had supported each other over the years towards their personal growth and during the lockdown as well. I was happy to have friends who were willing to share that story with me.
LAST WEEK — “Hope” by Viviane Rakotoarivony
I took the photo in a rural area in southern Madagascar. I was talking with another young mother when I saw her. There was something striking about the way she stood, looking out toward the horizon. It felt like a moment I couldn’t miss. I raised my camera and captured it instinctively—no setup, no pose. Just a raw, honest moment that said everything without words.
TENDER PHOTO is a digital platform of African photography, founded by Emmanuel Iduma. This edition is edited by Haja Fanta, one of our editorial fellows. Our newsletter aims to engage with life on the African continent through photography. We publish narratives about the people, places, and events pictured in photographs, contributing to nuanced and layered perceptions. The newsletter also read on web (best for viewing images), and via the Substack iOS/Android apps.
Every Wednesday we feature a photograph, a short caption about it, and a statement from the photographer. In the past, we have published commentaries or photo-essays in response to photographs previously featured on the newsletter, including CORRESPONDENCES, CONCORDANCE, KINDRED, INDEX, and AFFINITIES.
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