Talking with Ali Arman
Hello my dear friend! It’s awesome to see you here again in this new year. Thank you so much for the support and for choosing to read my article every single week. That means a lot.
Let’s kick off a new year of Inside the Photo hosting a friend I met a few years ago, Ali.
Though he doesn’t define himself a street photographer, his images always reflect real life and situations in the streets and, in general, outdoors.
While the majority of the images belonging to this genre I’ve seen are in black and white, Ali mostly uses colors to give his very personal mood and feeling to what he sees.
For the past ten years, the camera has been my excuse to go outside, slow down and actually see and feel the world again. The 21st century keeps trying to yank our attention in every direction, and photography is my little act of rebellion — a way to breathe, to notice, to feel connection with the humanity. I mostly wander the city streets and the outdoors, not because I’m a street photographer, but because that’s where the subjects and stories I care about are – the quirky, the joyous and the sad.
I hope I’ll always be a beginner — the kind who’s still fumbling with the light, still surprised by small moments, still learning how to get out of my own way. The journey is long, and honestly, that’s the best part. If I ever start caring more about the outcome than the process, someone please take the camera out of my hands.
And a huge thank you to Teo for the feature. It’s wildly humbling — and a little surreal — to know that something I made resonates with someone other than myself.
I remember, when I saw his pictures back then, I loved exactly the mood and the general atmosphere he created within the images. To me there’s always a touch of melancholy, not in the bad meaning. That kind of feeling that makes you somehow part of the story, as if you were there in THAT moment.
© Ali Arman
This was shot in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina a few months ago. I like this photo because it illustrates the big bold energy and the dynamism of the youth, against the stuffy and serious big-city backdrop. We also observe a hint of criticism from the older generation, all of which then shine a light on the push-pull struggle between the generations. The tilt is disorienting but adds to the dynamism of scenario and correctly places the young guy above the older guy, who is nothing but a passive observer, just like in life.
This is a great image. For its timing, framing and storytelling. I just love it.
And you can find many more by just heading to Ali’s socials, linked here below. I highly recommend you check them and give him a follow.
Thanks a lot, Ali, for sharing your work with us today!
Take care and talk soon!