Wire Photographer Spotlight: Daily Life by Muhammed Muheisen
Wire Photographer Spotlight: Daily Life by Muhammed Muheisen
6 minute read
Oct. 1, 2012. An Afghan refugee girl stands next to her family's sheep in a field next to a slum area on the outskirts of Islamabad.Muhammed Muheisen—AP
Out of more than 3000 images that appeared last year in LightBox’s weekly Pictures of the Week galleries, Muhammed Muheisen’s photographs have appeared more consistently and more often than those of any other photographer. Yet more often than not, his images are not directly related to the news of the week. Instead, they’re poignant images of daily life — visual reminders of how humanity awakens and lives out each day.
The 31-year-old Jordanian national is both prolific and tireless. Based in Pakistan, he began working for the Associated Press before his 21st birthday. Now, as a wire photographer in charge of the AP’s coverage of the region, Muheisen’s priorities are to provide photo reportage of designated news events and to ensure appropriate planning and coverage — often involving elaborate coordination of staffers and stringers across a country of more than 180 million people.
Whether at home or abroad, he is out with his camera each morning to catch the early light before his day officially starts. Between assignments and each evening after his job is done, he continues to photograph — where no news is breaking — in search of daily life images that reflect the subtle beauty and of everyday existence.
It can be frustrating process — any wire photographer can tell story after story about their days spent waiting for a scheduled event to begin. But Muheisen doesn’t complain, nor will he, for the satisfaction he gets from each photograph spurs him to continue.
“I spend hours and hours looking for a moment to capture,” he tells TIME. “The picture might not occur on that day, but you keep on the next day and the next. When the picture finally comes, it feels like your day is made — I am fully satisfied with my day. Nothing competes with the happiness of that moment. I can’t wait to show it to the world through the AP wire.”
Muheisen enjoys the full support of the AP to work on his daily life and street photography — not only where he is based but also while on assignment in other countries. Although these images offer another side of life beyond the news, they are informed by Muheisen’s empathy and his personal experience covering conflict.
“I move around from one place to another looking for scenes that we pass by everyday — a quiet scene or a dynamic scene showing the life of people living in conflict or lives not shattered by war,” he explains. “Some of those scenes bring joy, others sadness and issues to be aware of. Even in the middle of the conflict you can see that life goes on.” Muheisen points to his upbringing as a source for his talent. “I was born in a conflicted country [but]there was always a space for joy — I never stopped looking for that through the years spent covering stories in war zones. A smile always appears; a moment that brings joy to your heart and an unexpected image rises up and gives the story other colors. Having the patience and the love of daily life photography open your eyes and allows you to see things differently and deeply, and doing your best to share those moments by shooting the picture and show it to the world.”
Muheisen’s desire to document his surroundings are indicative of his tenacity and passion for storytelling and his passion for photography.
Santiago Lyon, the Director of Photography at the AP, explained Muheisen’s intrinsic knack for finding meaningful photographs. “If you subscribe to the notion that a photographer’s work is often a direct reflection of their own attitude towards their subject, and if a photographer is able to empathize with their subject successfully, that’s what’s going to be reflected back in their photographs. Muhammed does just that — he disarms people with his sincerity. That is something people pick up on — that he’s genuine, sincere, and transparent. He’s honest and he’s not threatening, so he’s able to document people’s daily lives. Because he’s able to put people at ease he’s able to achieve that elusive condition common to superheroes and photographers: the condition of invisibility. Nobody is paying attention to him because he has become part of the landscape.”
This attribute of invisibility is especially important in a region where photographers are often treated with disdain. In Pakistan, cameras draw unnecessary and unwanted attention to the photographers wielding them, making it difficult to avoid impacting the scene by their presence. Muheisen cannot avoid his influence in the scene. But when one examines his photographs — particularly those of children — it’s evident his subjects do not mind his warm presence.
Says Lyon, “A lot of the world as we see it [reflects our relationships to] designated news events. Daily life work documents the shared human condition around the world, as well as the differences in the way people live — an immensely valuable educational tool. It allows people to compare their own way of life with other people’s lives. That’s an tremendously important function of the photojournalist: to be a window onto other peoples lives.”
Muheisen’s work not only provides a window, but does so in a consistently and distinctive manner.
“Capturing the daily life of people became a part of me. The deeper you go, the more you see, the more you understand the life of those people and how to approach them without invading their privacy. It’s all about trust between strangers — the subjects and the photographer. It’s a trust that is built on a gesture or a positive energy,” Muheisen says. “The news is right in front of you. If you just turn around, you will witness a totally different scene.”
Muhammed Muheisen is currently based in Islamabad as The Associated Press chief photographer for Pakistan. He joined the AP in 2001, covering the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and major events in the Middle East, Gaza and Israel. In 2003, he started traveling on international assignments and was part of the team awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News in 2005 for their work in Iraq. He recently attended the prestigious World Press Photo 2012 Joop Swart Masterclass in Amsterdam.
March 22, 2013. An Afghan refugee girl carries her laundry on her head after washing it in a polluted stream on World Water Day in a poor neighborhood on the outskirts of Islamabad.Muhammed Muheisen—APMarch 21, 2013. An Afghan refugee boy, center, watches chickens feeding in a neighborhood on the outskirts of Islamabad.Muhammed Muheisen—APMarch 4, 2013. Pakistani women cook for their family using a fire inside their makeshift home, in a slum in Islamabad.Muhammed Muheisen—APFeb. 26, 2013. A dog looks at Pakistani Kushti wrestlers, right, reflected on a mirror, attend their daily training session in Lahore, Pakistan.Muhammed Muheisen—APFeb. 20, 2013. Khurram Mehtab, 25, checks a film strip before playing it for spectators at a cinema in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.Muhammed Muheisen—APFeb. 11, 2013. A Pakistani boy, left, shouts at children, not seen, while he and his sister stand outside their home on a wooden bridge over sewage and rubbish, in a Christian neighborhood in Islamabad.Muhammed Muheisen—APFeb. 8, 2013. A Pakistani child, whose family was displaced by 2010 floods from a village in Pakistan's Sindh province, sits on a wooden cart outside her family's makeshift home, in a slum on the outskirts of Islamabad.Muhammed Muheisen—APFeb. 8, 2013. Pakistani children, who were displaced with their families by 2010 floods from a village in Pakistan's Sindh province, enjoy jumping on a trampoline, in a slum on the outskirts of Islamabad.Muhammed Muheisen—APFeb. 4, 2013. An Afghan refugee girl holds on to her headscarf against the wind while making her way along a muddy alley of a slum during a rainy day, on the outskirts of Islamabad.Muhammed Muheisen—APJan. 28, 2013. Pakistani children, who were displaced with their families from Pakistan's tribal areas due to fighting between militants and the army, watch a girl skipping a rope, while playing in an alley of a poor neighborhood on the outskirts of Islamabad.Muhammed Muheisen—APJan. 9, 2013. Pakistani Anwar Ali, 13, center, and his brother Hamad, 8, sit around a fire to warm themselves from the cold, while waiting for customers to pose for a picture next to a snow statue they built on a roadside, in Murree, near Islamabad.Muhammed Muheisen—APJan. 4, 2013. A Pakistani woman stands outside her makeshift home in a slum during a foggy and cold morning in Islamabad.Muhammed Muheisen—APJan. 3, 2013. Pakistani schoolgirls, who were displaced with their families from Pakistan's tribal areas due to fighting between militants and the army, chant prayers during a class to pay tribute for five female teachers and two aid workers who were killed by gunmen on Tuesday, at a school in a slum on the outskirts of Islamabad.Muhammed Muheisen—APDec. 25, 2012. Pakistani Anusha Khalid, 4, dressed as a bride, poses for a picture at an outdoor Mass on Christmas Day, in a Christian neighborhood in Islamabad.Muhammed Muheisen—APDec. 24, 2012. A Pakistani man, right, stands inside his grocery store which id decorated with festive lights, for the Christmas holiday in a Christian neighborhood in Islamabad.Muhammed Muheisen—APDec. 24, 2012. Pakistani children enjoy jumping on a trampoline, at a Christian neighborhood for Christmas holiday in Islamabad.Muhammed Muheisen—APDec. 20, 2012. A Syrian refugee, crosses illegally to Turkey on the border fence, in Cilvegozu, Turkey.Muhammed Muheisen—APDec. 10, 2012. A Syrian girl, whose family fled their home in Idlib, looks out of a tent, at a camp for displaced Syrians, in the village of Atmeh, Syria.Muhammed Muheisen—APDec. 10, 2012. Syrian boys, whose family fled their home in Idlib, walk to their tent, at a camp for displaced Syrians, in the village of Atmeh, Syria.Muhammed Muheisen—APDec. 10, 2012. Syrian children who fled their homes gather around a vehicle to get pillows and blankets distributed at a camp for displaced Syrians, in the village of Atmeh, Syria. Muhammed Muheisen—APNov. 30, 2012. Afghan refugee boys wrap themselves with blankets to avoid the evening cold while sitting in a wooden cart as they look at a group of girls playing hopscotch, not pictured, in a field on the outskirts of Islamabad.Muhammed Muheisen—APNov. 28, 2012. A Pakistani child sits on a bed wrapped with a blanket to avoid the cold, while her mother works in a brick factory on the outskirts of Islamabad.Muhammed Muheisen—APNov. 23, 2012. A group of men sitting on a roadside next to a slum are reflected on a rickshaw mirror, top left, while Afghan refugee girls, right, play, on the outskirts of Islamabad.Muhammed Muheisen—APOct. 31, 2012. Pakistani vendor Harris Khan, 26, smokes a cigarette while waiting for customers on a roadside in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.Muhammed Muheisen—APOct. 31, 2012. Afghan refugee child, Raza Nabi, 2, stands near other children playing near their homes, in a slum area on the outskirts of Islamabad.Muhammed Muheisen—APOct. 27, 2012. Afghan refugee girl Parveen Bashir, 6, plays with her sister Shaheen, 1, dressed in new clothes, while celebrating the first day of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, or "Feast of Sacrifice", on the outskirts of Islamabad.Muhammed Muheisen—APOct. 15, 2012. Pakistani Faqir Zada, 31, stands next to his camels displayed for sale in preparation for the upcoming Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, or "Feast of Sacrifice", on a roadside on the outskirts of Islamabad.Muhammed Muheisen—APOct. 12, 2012. Afghan refugee Naseema Zurab, 7, stands in a slum on the outskirts of Islamabad.Muhammed Muheisen—APOct. 8, 2012. A Pakistani girl, who was displaced from her village in Pakistan's Sindh province by flooding in 2010, lies in a bed at her family's makeshift home in a slum on the outskirts of Islamabad.Muhammed Muheisen—APOct. 8, 2012. A Pakistani child, her face covered with flies, whose family was displaced from their village in Pakistan's Sindh province by flooding in 2010, waits for her sister to dress her, at their makeshift home, in a slum on the outskirts of Islamabad.Muhammed Muheisen—APOct. 1, 2012. An Afghan refugee girl stands next to her family's sheep in a field next to a slum area on the outskirts of Islamabad.Muhammed Muheisen—APSept. 26, 2012. Pakistani students of a madrassa, or Islamic school, attend a test in reciting verses of the holy Quran, in a Mosque in Islamabad.Muhammed Muheisen—APSept. 24, 2012. A Pakistani Muslim man, offers the daily Asr prayer, the afternoon prayer, next to his goats feeding in a field on the outskirts of Islamabad.Muhammed Muheisen—APSept. 11, 2012. Relatives and mourners of Abdullah Alrayzar, 23, left, and Mohammed Abdul Samee, 35, pray during a funeral for four men, who were killed in a government airstrike in Marea, on the outskirts of Aleppo, Syria.Muhammed Muheisen—APSept. 12, 2012. Syrian girls, who fled their home in Aleppo, due to government shelling, lay on the ground as they take refuge at Bab Al-Salameh crossing border, hoping to cross to one of the refugee camps in Turkey, near the Syrian town of Azaz.Muhammed Muheisen—APSept. 6, 2012. Syrian child, Taybah Al-Hajji, 1, whose family fled their home in Aleppo 15 days ago due to Syrian government shelling, sits next to her one month old brother Abdulghani, sleeping in a child safety seat covered with a mosquito net, as they take refuge with their family at the Bab Al-Salameh border crossing, in hopes of entering one of the refugee camps in Turkey, near the Syrian town of Azaz.Muhammed Muheisen—APAug. 16, 2012. An Afghan refugee girl plays with her sister on a wooden cart parked in an alley of a slum on the outskirts of Islamabad.Muhammed Muheisen—APAug. 16, 2012. A Pakistani man and his daughter, sleep on a bed under the shadow of a tree, on a street median, on the outskirts of Islamabad.Muhammed Muheisen—APJuly 20, 2012. Afghan refugee Pasmeena Basheer, 6, holds on to her headscarf against the wind while standing in the doorway of a home in a slum area on the outskirts of Islamabad.Muhammed Muheisen—APJuly 19, 2012. An Afghan refugee girl takes a break from searching for useful items in a pile of garbage next to a slum area on the outskirts of Islamabad.Muhammed Muheisen—APJuly 15, 2012. Family members gather around the coffins carrying the bodies of Pakistani Omar Dawlat, 7, right, and his sisters Nadia, 1, center, and Hameedah, 2, who were killed in a stray mortar bomb, during their funeral procession in Peshawar, Pakistan. Muhammed Muheisen—APJuly 3, 2012. Following their daily work, Pakistani laborers cool off under water splashed from a broken pipe, as temperatures reach 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit), on a roadside on the outskirts of Islamabad.Muhammed Muheisen—APJune 29, 2012. An Afghan refugee girl, center, stands in a slum on the outskirts of Islamabad.Muhammed Muheisen—APJune 15, 2012. Pakistani child Laibah Ishaq, 6 months, lies in a bed next to her family's makeshift tent, in a slum in Islamabad, Pakistan. Slums which are built on illegal lands have neither running water or sewage disposal.Muhammed Muheisen—APJune 13, 2012. A Pakistani girl sits on a merry-go-round, hoping to have a free ride, at an entertainment park in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Muhammed Muheisen—APJune 4, 2012. A Pakistani child, whose family fled their village due to fighting between security forces and militants in Pakistan's tribal area of Bajur, sleeps on a bed covered with a mosquito net, outside his home in a slum on the outskirts of Islamabad.Muhammed Muheisen—APMay 28, 2012. A Pakistani youth and a child, bottom center, bathe at a water well while other men and women wait to collect water on the outskirts of Islamabad.Muhammed Muheisen—APMay 11, 2012. Pakistani children who fled their villages with their families due to fighting between security forces and militants in Pakistan's tribal area of Bajur, enjoy a ride on a merry-go-round at a makeshift entertainment park set up in a slum area on the outskirts of Islamabad.Muhammed Muheisen—APMay 10, 2012. Pakistani boys swim in a water reservoir to cool off as the temperature rises, on the outskirts of Gujranwala, in Punjab province, Pakistan.Muhammed Muheisen—APApril 24, 2012. Pakistani Nori Basheer, 25, who was displaced by 2010 floods from a village near Multan, plays with her son Baber, while sitting outside her makeshift tent in a slum on the outskirts of Islamabad.Muhammed Muheisen—APApril 17, 2012. Pakistani boys, who make a living by collecting recyclable materials and selling them to a recycling factory, shower in a pool of water created by a broken water pipe following their daily work, on a roadside on the outskirts of Islamabad.Muhammed Muheisen—APApril 14, 2012. A Pakistani girl enters her home in a slum in Islamabad.Muhammed Muheisen—AP
