Isa Ibarhim GPU Master 2021

LEATHER MAKER
GPU Grand Master Title
Isa Ibrahim©

Leather Maker
While roaming in the old city of Fez in Morocco and you start smelling the strong odor, you should know that you are close to the largest tannery of
leather in the region, its one of the most ancient crafts in the city, the methods and the materials used in tanning are still exactly as it was same since six
centuries ago, there are nearly 1,200 workers from all kinds of age segments, from teenagers to old men who have inherited their profession from their
ancestors via generations of family members, every worker have his own professional craft in the production using several materials for each step. It
takes huge and hard effort to go thorough each step of the complex process of leather production, Now the work environment has changed to keep pace
with the rights of work and workers.
Being a professional photojournalist, I’m always close to people’s life by documenting and representing their struggles to the world, I found myself
attracted to this project and it immediately grabbed my attention.
I started researching about that place and all the tiny details of its main and sub production processes, its a craft like no other in that area and well
deserved to be projected.
It took me two years to complete the project, with a couple of trips choosing carefully the right tools and equipment that will serve my purpose.
During the coverage I encountered a lot of issues concerning dealing with the workers and the environment. Here, the professional photographer gets
distinguished from the tourist, as I got really close to the workers and made them open up to me by sharing their greetings and feelings during the
struggles of their life, this helped me a lot to understand their lives and inspired me on how to present their feelings at each moment of the of the
process, my shots were taken after and while they get familiar with my presence around them and act naturally without any hesitation to adapt, learn and
practice lots of patience, there was no acting nor setup involved in these shots as I aimed to make a storyline of a real life depiction of their struggles.

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GLOBAL PHOTOGRAPHIC UNION
GRAND MASTER TITLE
Leather maker
Isa Ibrahim
BAHRAIN
GPU©2021

GPU 2021