SNAP. Picture taken. The photographer approaches the old man and offers some water as he heavily rests after prayer. “I just took a picture of you to share it with the big crowd of people on the internet”.
“Good, say hi to them and let them hear my advice: be kind to each other,” the man replies.
Although he may never get to see it, his picture makes up a puzzle of hundreds of portraits of happiness, melancholy and hope that comprise “Humans of Amman“, a collective gaze into the faces and voices of everyday Jordanians. “We are not doing this for fame or money. We’re doing it out of love for the city and its people”, says the page’s founder, photographer Ali Alhasani.
The street vendor, the university student, the grandfather, the homeless. They speak to thousands on the internet, but their message is not the word: it’s the mystic lullaby the city sings to them every night.
Inspired by photographer Brandon Stanton, who started the original “Humans of New York” project in that megapolis, Ali decided to summon other Jordanian photographers to join the global movement. “We are excited to be part of this, because we believe in the six degrees of separation concept, which applies to Jordan perfectly. Everyone knows everyone!” he says.
For more info — Humans of Amman’s Facebook page