The photograph is two-dimensional, but you might be forgiven to think it is not. The distribution of the women in the foreground is almost circumambient; they are seen from the side, back, and front. One pyramid, also seen from the side, seems hexagonal in form, as though by a slight glance to the right you can take in the sight of the entire edifice. There is a trail of cars and people on either flank of the background, with the towering, ancient statue in the centre. Thus the perspectives—of the admiring crowd and the unfazed stones—are as discordant as an untrained mass choir. Each person is left to decide what it means to see and be seen.
— Emmanuel Iduma
The photo was taken at the Giza Pyramids complex in Egypt where tourists take selfies with the great pyramids in the background. When I noticed all the people consumed by their phones trying to take a photo of themselves, I tried to fill all the spaces in the frame so I can portray what it feels like in that moment.
I chose this photo because I try to make my photography style more layered. It's a great challenge I am still learning to master, to create a foreground, mid-ground and a background. It's a fun exercise, but very difficult to place all the elements in a split-second decision.
I am always interested in people, and how my photos will be viewed 100 years from now. So I try to include people's behaviour and fashion trends in my photos. The background is always present, as I try to draw a complete picture of that moment in time.
— Aly Hazzaa
Aly Hazzaa is a street and documentary photographer from Cairo, Egypt. He has explored the streets with his camera since 2003, capturing the beauty and diversity of life in his city. In 2011, he left his engineering career and became a full-time photojournalist for Al Shorouk, an Arabic-language newspaper in Egypt, covering various events from portraits to protests and conflicts, but continutes to work as a street photographer. Find out more about his work on his website, Instagram, and via this Fujifilm story.
