Moments captured on the spot ...

Interview/Tutorial by Editor Michel Romaggi in collaboration with the author Seyed Shahabeddin Montazeri
Published the 2nd of June 2021

'Sweepers'

This black and white scene straight out of daily life shows us men in a narrow street drowned in a cloud of dust, raised by the brooms they handle. This image offers us a moment of beautiful and touching authenticity. Shahabeddin’s work shows many more moments captured on the spot and that made me eager to know more.

'Bath'

Hello Shahabeddin, thank you for answering these questions.

First of all, can you tell us a little about yourself and the importance of photography in your life?
I am a 36-year-old urban planner who graduated from Tehran University of Arts and I am also a tourism manager. As a teenager, I experienced photography with film cameras but recently, photography has become one of the most important parts of my life. At the moment, all my leisure time goes to photography. I love to travel, to connect with people and to discover different cultures. Photography fits exactly in all of this although it is not my job and I try to keep it as relaxing time.

'Engraver'

Where was the photo 'sweepers' taken and in what circumstances? Who are these men?
The photo 'sweepers' was taken in Ghortan, a village of Isfahan which is a province in Iran. This village is more than 1500 years old and located inside a castle. It has a pristine and unique historical architecture in the desert. Every year, on a special day (Tasu’a), a religious and ritual ceremony called "Zare-khak" is held in this village. The ceremony lasts several hours and includes different parts. Some people walk barefoot through the streets while reciting poems. For this reason, a few hours before the ceremony begins, the youth sweeps all the streets of the village. I saw this ceremony a year before this photo was taken and I definitely wanted to come back to the village while the preparations and especially this part. Many people, photographers and tourists come to the village when the main ceremony begins. Being there in time and in order to take this photo, I moved in front of their broom till the right place and waited for them to be in the right position. This photo was taken in 2019. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, this ceremony didn't happen in 2020.

'Net Weaver'

What equipment did you use, what were the settings?
I used a Canon 700D half-frame camera with an 18-135 USM lens. Camera settings: Shutter speed: 1/400 second, Aperture: 5.6, focal length: 18mm, and ISO 100.

'Smoke'

You seem to particularly enjoy photographing scenes out of daily life, isn't it ? Please tell us why you like it?I travel a lot and try to connect with the people around me as well as the local community and I am very interested in hearing the stories of others. Sometimes, I talk with my subjects for a few hours, listening to their sorrows, their joys and their lives and when I got really in touch with them, only then I start shooting. In such cases, People don't feel uncomfortable in front of my camera and don't lose their natural spontaneity.

Many of them keep in touch with me long after my passage, giving me new opportunities for more images. That is probably the reason why many of my works include environmental portraits and documentary shots.

'Couple'

You often use black and white, but not always. Can you explain what makes you choose between black and white and colour?
In my opinion, the use of colour is important considering the meaning of the concept or the composition. I always ask myself this question, does colour play an important role in this image or not, if the answer is negative, I will make the photo black and white. I like BW to highlight emotions and create a dramatic space. For example, reversing to BW a subject in a crowded colourful environment, simplifies the composition, focusses on the essential, shows better light, contrasts and textures and allows a better noise management.

'Cyclist'