By Farhad Omarzad
In this series, I used photography to capture both the beauty and struggle I have witnessed in different countries I have travelled.
The social hierarchies of humans and animals vary greatly from culture to culture. In Greece, donkeys are used as beasts of burden to carry tourist luggage, whereas in Istanbul, animals run free and can find refuge in local shops. London is similar to Western societies where animals are heavily domesticated. As for the other residents of these countries, the energy is entirely different in each city. London’s high energy brought in crowds everywhere you went. A more reserved and simple lifestyle of fishing, playing music in empty streets, and selling food from small carts could be seen in the less wealthy countries I visited.
The attitudes towards life in these very different countries each offer something unique that should be implemented into our own lives. By looking through these small windows there is an opportunity to reflect on our regard for other life, slow down and find joy in the everyday, and accept new curious cultures.
Farhad Omarzad is a published Guelph lifestyle photographer. In his personal practice, Farhad’s experience with both rural and urban environments provides him with a unique perspective on the natural and undiscovered world around us. Travelling and meeting new people has been an opportunity to expand his understanding of different cultures beyond his own. Being of Afghan heritage, he is inspired by photographers like Steve McCurry who document vanishing cultures of places the viewer has never visited.