With the United States and Iran once again squaring up to each other in the Persian Gulf and the actions of firebrand president Ahmadinejad never far from the news, An Eye for Iran provides a welcome opportunity to view images that show the human side of a nation we are being led to distrust. Here and there someone spies the lens as the shutter opens, but the drift of Iranian society we see in these fascinating photographs is caught in the postures of the everyday: human faces in the streets, relaxing in the parks, the glimpse of designer clothes under a chador, pride in a motorcycle, a young couple enjoying a game of chessâ¦<br /><br />Throughout, Hakimi shows how well he understands the techniques of traditional photojournalism: he remains both present but still invisible to the people in the scenes his lens has captured. The result is a captivating book that will appeal to all those wishing to gain an insight into life in this unique and fascinating country.<br /><br />
About the Author
Photographer KAZEM HAKIMI was born in Shiraz in Iran, but moved to the UK in 1974. Having trained initially as a civil engineer, he then studied photography in London. This book An Eye for Iran is based on a visit he made in 2004 to the cities of Isfahan, Shiraz and Mashad. Within, he has caught the immediacy of movements from an Iranian way of life that may soon be lost.