LAist - photography
notable LAist coverage: East LA Classic
A decades-long high school football rivalry was returning to the field for the first time after the COVID-19 shutdowns. I covered practice, band rehearsal, and the game itself to create a comprehensive portrait of the emotional stakes for both teams. Alongside my regular camera gear, I used a small pocket camera with flash to capture the energy and unexpected textures of the sidelines. See the planned coverage here. I was so moved by the event (even though I am not typically a football fan) that I pitched my own recap of the game to my editor.
notable LAist coverage: Afghan refugees in Los Angeles
After the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan in 2021, one couple’s escape brought them to Southern California. The assignment only resulted in these few published images, but it meant a great deal to me. I speak Persian and the couple spoke Dari (a form of Persian spoken in Afghanistan). They told me it had been months since they’d spoken to someone in their native language. I was grateful to meet them.
notable LAist coverage: Behind-the-scenes of a political rally
I am fascinated by the discrepancy between what the general public sees of political events versus the reality. After photographing a few for LAist, I asked if I could create an off-kilter and somewhat tongue-in-cheek essay about a political rally for California Governor Gavin Newsom. This is the result.
Mother Jones Magazine - videography
Please find the Instagram series here: 1, 2, 3, 4
I went to the U.S.-Mexico border to follow an advocacy group that organizes hikes into the Southern California desert, distributing water along various routes for migrants making the crossing.
I created a four-part Instagram documentary about the day.
I went to the U.S.-Mexico border to follow an advocacy group that organizes hikes into the Southern California desert, distributing water along various routes for migrants making the crossing.
I created a four-part Instagram documentary about the day.
I worked with reporter Jamilah King to film this profile of men incarcerated at San Quentin who created one of America’s most popular podcasts.
I filmed, edited, co-wrote, and created the on-screen graphics.
I filmed, edited, co-wrote, and created the on-screen graphics.
I used an action-cam to put the viewer in the water for this innovative protest-meets-art-performance at the Mexico-U.S. border.
Please find the Instagram post here.
This is an experiment in multimedia documentary storytelling on Instagram. I combined video, text, animation, and photography into an intimate portrait of a Dreamer.
This is an experiment in multimedia documentary storytelling on Instagram. I combined video, text, animation, and photography into an intimate portrait of a Dreamer.
Seattle Art Museum - photography
Seattle Art Museum - video
I worked with the public engagement team to create these in-gallery videos for the Seattle Art Museum’s comprehensive redefinition of what constitutes “American art.”
documentary photography - UN Iraq IDP Information Center
In the years following Saddam Hussein’s removal from power, relative stability in northern Iraq allowed for a surge of economic investment. Erbil, the capital city of Iraqi Kurdistan, was referred to as “the next Dubai.” But in 2014, ISIS advanced into Mosul—an hour’s drive to the west—and development screeched to a halt.
I was in Erbil in 2016 to produce and edit a fundraising film for the United Nations about the Iraq IDP Information Center. The center operated out of a humble office inside a converted shipping container, where a staff of 11 connected displaced people across the country to vital resources. Along with working on the film, I photographed the call center workers and the surrounding areas for the center’s internal communications.
LAist - illustration & graphics
notable coverage: live-sketched major events
I proposed live-sketching a pivotal Dodgers game. It was so well-received that I was asked to do it again for Super Bowl and Academy Awards coverage.
personal photography: Democrats in California
From early in the primaries and a Super Tuesday days before pandemic lockdown, to election day and its celebrations — I made my way into a state convention and multiple rallies to document what I saw of the 2020 campaign.
personal photography: “Rebuilding Babel”
My family emigrated from Iran when I was three, young enough to easily assimilate into American culture. But even though the bulk of my cultural connections are American, I know there is Iranian culture inside me — culture that is easy to ignore while walking through an American life.
In this ongoing personal project, friends engage with artifacts of my familial culture. These objects, which are mostly meaningless to them, render the portraits inaccurate representations of who my friends are. Instead, these are images of the relationship between my American and Iranian selves.
