Portraits of a culture

I love taking pictures. I especially love taking pictures of people, but thus far I have refrained from posting or blogging any of the portraits I have taken. I have a few reasons for this. The main reason being privacy, and my fear of having those portraits misused. Saudi Arabia is a very conservative culture, and most people aren't terribly receptive to having their pictures taken to begin with. Especially in Riyadh! So when I find someone gracious enough to allow me to take their photo, the last thing I want to do is to put that photo out there where there is a chance of abuse.

Today, however, I break my self imposed ban on posting portraits on my blog. With full permission. I was in the older section of Riyadh taking pictures of sandals, textiles, rugs,,,,, anything in which I could find some pattern that to catch my eye, when I came across two young men in a shop. They were kind and patient enough to stand while I made adjustments on my camera and took a few pictures, and then they were curious as to where they might see the photos later. When asked if it might be alright for me to post their portraits on my blog, they said that would be no problem. So there you go....

I really appreciate the people who trust me to take their pictures. I show respect, and I do my best to get an interesting and flattering shot that the person will be happy to see. So thanks, guys. I hope you are pleased.