Topic: Lebanese elections 2018

[calbisu]

Folllowing Brian´s essay on Mines here it is mine. It´s kinda of a follow up because my pictures are also a result of myself being deployed, on this occasion to follow Lebanese Elections 2018.

I have been in Lebanon for one month and a half. I interviewed different stakeholders related to the Elections, mainly politicians. But there are also Electoral staff, journalists and so on.

I shot 4 rolls of Kodak Trix 400 with the Contax G1 and the 45mm, which is not much for that period of time. Some days I would not shoot a single frame. The province where I was deployed was not very ¨photogenic¨, I dare to say. And at the beginning I did not feel like taking out the camera and shooting at my interlocutors. But little by little I pushed myself and started shooting around. Most of the pictures were shot indoors, and I constantly regretted not having a wide lens. I guess if I would have had a wide lens it would have been the opposite.

There is little street photography. I spent very few days in Beirut, and went shooting couple of times. I did not cover many political rallies. Actually only one. Once I followed a group of female politicians campaigning door to door, and that was interesting and nice to watch.

 

[calbisu]

Some street photography

[calbisu]

More street..

[calbisu]

And the female candidates

[johnha]

Thanks for sharing these, I didn't know exactly what to expect from the title - as someone of a certain age I remember near constant news reports of conflict & war in Lebanon & Beirut. It's good t see balloon sellers and so many relaxed & happy people.

[Bryan]

Great shots Calbisu, I especially like the guy blowing smoke.  Even though the province you were in wasn’t very photogenic, as someone half way around the world I think I would have found it interesting just to see the differences and similarities to what I’m used to.  Like Johnah said, you’re photos portray a much happier feeling than what I think Lebanon is like.  Probably because all I ever here about it is bad news dating back to the civil war. 

[calbisu]

Great shots Calbisu, I especially like the guy blowing smoke.  Even though the province you were in wasn’t very photogenic, as someone half way around the world I think I would have found it interesting just to see the differences and similarities to what I’m used to.  Like Johnah said, you’re photos portray a much happier feeling than what I think Lebanon is like.  Probably because all I ever here about it is bad news dating back to the civil war.

Thank you Jonha and Bryan. Yes, Lebanon civil war was a terrible thing, and its shadow lingered over the elections, setting a red line nobody wanted to cross. Preventing clashes between political parties or candidates was everybody´s priority. Lebanon is very complex and rich. Its a pluri-confessional state, where different religions co-exist and are recognized. One religion gets the head of state seat, other the prime minister, other the speaker of the parliament and so on. In every province there are seats for the different religions, in the lists you can vote to different candidates according to their religions, sunni, shiaa, maronite, orthodox, alawite.. So is not only the bipolarity between the Christians and Muslims, but also between Shiaas and Sunnis, pro Syrians and Pro Saudies.... I do not claim myself to be a middle east expert, at all!, but I have been in other middle east countries and what nicely surprised me, is how different religions co-exist (at least apparently), I was simply amazed to see how very different dressing etiquette, applied to women, was possible. Some with niqab, some with t-shirts... to me the contrast was quite a thing, it was so un-monolithic. And not to forget the Refugees, Palestinians and Syrians, which amount to almost 1.5 million, in a country with around 5 million Lebaneses. That would simply unthinkable in our countries. And somehow the manage to cope with it.

Lebanon´s people are open hearted and prone to laugh with you, despite the calamitous war they went through. But this is a constant in different arab countries I have been in. In no time they will invite you to their homes and you better accept : )

Carlos.

Below, first one, attending a small gathering, door to door campaigning, second one, myself. I took a picture of a Gentleman who I did not realize was the owner of a photo shop...

[Aksel]

Sound like interesting work!
Some very strong images there, especially like the girl in the back seat of the car and the woman passing the old Merc. Also the gent (252) looking a bit out of place, and holding prayer beads?  Over all a nice essay. Thanks for sharing!

Any Chateau Musar with you home?

[calbisu]

Sound like interesting work!
Some very strong images there, especially like the girl in the back seat of the car and the woman passing the old Merc. Also the gent (252) looking a bit out of place, and holding prayer beads?  Over all a nice essay. Thanks for sharing!

Any Chateau Musar with you home?

Thanks Aksel ; )   the Mercedes are everywhere, old Mercedes, like the one in the picture, are used as Taxis. Yes, the Gentleman is holding prayer beads, he was working with a freelance Journalist, kind of an assistant to him. He was very nice.