Award winning photographer | Ilan Wittenberg Photographer

Faces of Humanity

Faces of Humanity is a documentary collection with little or no changes to the actual scene. I asked people to look straight into my camera, so these are not candid photos. The strength of this series is in giving viewers a rare opportunity to connect with people in their natural environment. This diverse group of people serves as a timely reminder that, despite our many cultural differences, we can unite as a community through the power of photography.

This is a celebration of our shared values: hard work, the importance of family, and caring for each other as humans. I hope that through these photos viewers learn more about people with different backgrounds from around the world: Ruanda, Morocco, Tanzania, Cairo, Jerusalem and New Zealand. The show offers opportunities for people to contemplate, absorb, and increase their awareness of the complexities of human experience. Each photograph reveals an individual with a story that has shaped their life.

We connect with others by making eye contact – reading their expressions, feeling their emotions and getting a glimpse of their souls. I want viewers to form meaningful connections with these people: to see them as human beings, not simply subjects in front of a camera. I purposely created portraits that allow viewers to make direct eye contact with each person, so visitors can form emotional connections with these individuals.

In sharing this portfolio, I encourage viewers to show empathy: to accept others and to recognise the value of cultural diversity. We would all experience an enhanced sense of community if we took the time to appreciate interactions which allow us to discover the world beyond our familiar boundaries. We are all wonderfully unique, yet, at the same time, we are deeply similar.

I am presenting these photographs in timeless monochrome, to ensure consistency and flow of the series amidst the chaos and clutter of the busy environment. The portraits are crisp and sharp, to allow the details to inspire the imagination and to evoke emotions. My aim is to create an authentic portfolio of diverse individuals in a foreign land. My goal is to tell their stories using a clear narrative style and enduring quality.

Tires – Morocco

Clyde Scott – Auckland

Frank – Auckland

The barber – Auckland

Shish Kebab – Cairo

Knife sharpener – Morocco

Man with a Hat – Jaffa

Shells – Taranaki

The Library – Auckland

Boy and his Eel – Taranaki

The Fish Merchant – Akko

The Counter – Akko

Blue Collar – Jaffa

Dead Chickens – Morocco

The Garment Merchant – Jerusalem

The Paper – Jerusalem

Souvenirs Galore – Jerusalem

The Fist – Jerusalem

MAGGI – Morocco

Bric-à-brac Rwanda

Tutsi Girl – Rwanda

Men with canes – Rwanda

Woodwork – Rwanda

The Barber – Morocco

Arthur was sitting and waiting for customers in the same barber shop that his father established 60 years ago in Melbourne. It took three visits to the store and $100 to convince Arthur to have his portrait taken. I then had my haircut… AIPP Silver with Distinction Award.

Boys and Cart – Jerusalem

John and Rebecca – Auckland

Queen Deemi – Auckland

Just Bagels – Jerusalem

Essential Oils – Jerusalem

Wayne and Jennie – Auckland

Sitting on a Cart – Cairo

Man with a Beany – Jerusalem

Backgammon – Jerusalem

Man with a Ring – Alexandria

KAKAO – Jerusalem

SINGER – Jerusalem

Father and Son – Jerusalem

Three Brothers

Hubble-bubble – Alexandria

Bananas – Cairo

Two Men – Cairo

Sitting by the Cross – Alexandria

Scales – Jerusalem

The Department Store – Jerusalem

Money Changer – Jerusalem

Boy with a cart – Jerusalem

Souvenir Shop – Jerusalem

Mono Rhino – Jaffa

ITANGA – Rwanda

Dying the Wool – Morocco

Magazine Shop – Jerusalem

Delinquents – Auckland

Just Beads

Man with a leather Jacket – Auckland

The Donkey – Morocco

Brass and Copper – Morocco

Shoe Shining – Rwanda

The Fly – Egypt

All the presidents – Egypt

Man and his Dog – Auckland

Standing Proud – Morocco

Cowhide – Tanzania

The Hut – Tanzania

Timid – Tanzania

Standing in the Rain – Tanzania

Joy – Tanzania

Maasai Women – Tanzania

Sewing Machine – Cairo

Sitting by the hut – Tanzania

Sitting Down – Tanzania

The Look – Cairo

Shoe Laces – Cairo

The Maasai – Tanzania

Man with an Apron – Morocco

(c) Ilan Wittenberg

Jesse Wynyard

Jesse Wynyard is the creator at Light Warrior Heroes. He is transformational speaker, hip-hop artist and master coach at Jesse Wynyard, uniting everyday heroes and empowering them to become champions. “I help ambitious, purpose driven individuals win in their personal and professional life on their own personal path to greatness.”

(c) Ilan Wittenberg

Syd Breeze

Hi my name is Syd Breeze, I had a bad incident happen to me when I just turned 21. I left work at 7:30pm, where I was wielding fire extinguishers. I was half-way home driving through Hobsonville, tired and exhausted from work. I had recently just finished working on my car, a mini cooper, so I was quite excited to drive it. But then as I turned the ‘S bend’ a drunk driver couldn’t take the corner and came over to my side of the road. We had a head on crash, we were both doing around 60mph, the police told me that’s like hitting a brick wall at 120mph. I was a typical young driver and was not wearing my seatbelt. I remember hitting the breaks and everything slowed down, and my mind went crystal clear. I could see the drunk driver coming towards me, and thinking to myself ‘this is going to really hurt’. My mind went blank and dark, I got knocked out. When I woke up, I was looking over my unconscious body with the ambulance officers working on me. Then I realized I had lifted out of my body. There was no pain, no fear, I felt weirdly calm. Before I knew it, everything went dark again and I opened my eyes and they were pulling me out of the car and moving me to the ambulance. The first thing said to me when I woke up was ‘you’re very lucky to be alive’. I received just under 200 stitches from smashing my head into the window screen and scalping the top of my head, and then about another 20 stitches in my arms and legs. Luckily, I received no broken bones. One thing I learnt from this accident is how fast life can end, so enjoy it each day as it comes. I’ve maintained this attitude right up to 63 years old.

(c) Ilan Wittenberg

Mom

The Look

(c) Ilan Wittenberg

Raanan

(c) Ilan Wittenberg

Tamsin Album

(c) Ilan Wittenberg

Lucy for Eyes to the Soul

Lucy Verde Roze

“I had to laugh at myself ironically when Ilan asked if anything bad had ever happened to me, if I’d like to share my story on his beautiful Windows to the Soul portrait series.

Sharing my story is a huge privilege, so of course my answer was “yes, thank you so much.”

The question of bad things happening is a matter of perspective.

There are dozens of points of trauma throughout my life, hence my reaction to laugh, with so many aspects I could choose to focus on.

I could look at my childhood – my mother’s suicide and surrounding events, our exodus from Zimbabwe’s dictatorship, then culture shock and struggles of integration into a Western society.

I could talk about being raped, losing myself to drugs and alcohol, or PTSD from front-line activism. Just the conditioning of this world and feeling so alien led me to depression, bulimia and suicidal thoughts.

But the most challenging is that my life has been riddled with narcissists doing their best to get their claws into me.

For two years, one young lady did all she could to twist and steal absolutely everything from me.

She tried to keep me separated from unconditional love with my partner, to take for herself the ways I look, my ideas, my activism, the words I use, even my mannerisms. She tried to completely suppress my life’s purpose, Paradise Rizing Studios, and our incredible movement of artists.

It felt like she was trying to kill me but if I had died, she would have lost one of her favourite toys to play with.

The funny thing is, her attempts have led to massive soul evolution for myself, time and space for love with my love to heal, deepen, strengthen and mature, and a phenomenal global artist movement growing up to bring us together.

So how could I hate her? How could I hold anger towards her when my future has been created out of this darkness?

My heart has been blasted so wide open I am deeply grateful to her for her incessant attempts to break my soul.

It has actually manifested my ultimate dream reality and surrounded us in the most profound unconditional love imaginable.

I truly wish her nothing but peace.”

(c) Ilan Wittenberg

Portrait Open

Awesome to win a Silver with Distinction for ‘The Three Brothers‘ in the Portrait Open category of the 2022 NZIPP Iris Awards. They are standing together at the end of their working shift. From left to right are Andrew BUHIGIRO (the oldest), Paul RUDAKUBANA and Peter SINDIKUBWABO. They are employees of the Muhabura hotel, tidying the garden and sometimes helping in customer care. The hotel is located in the calm of the Musanze town, at the northern province of Rwanda. ❤

‘The Three Brothers’ – Silver with Distinction, NZIPP Iris Awards

‘The Underpass’ – Bronze, NZIPP Iris Awards

‘On the Tree’ – Bronze, NZIPP Iris Awards

(c) Ilan Wittenberg

Finalist

Honoured and delighted to be a Finalist in the Travel category of the NZIPP 2022 Iris Awards. The winner will be announced on Monday gala dinner.

Fire

Warkworth

(c) Ilan Wittenberg

Ashmitha in White

(c) Ilan Wittenberg

Maggie on the rocks

(c) Ilan Wittenberg

Sian in Black

(c) Ilan Witteberg

Chris

It feels like so long since you went away. We said we would do this together. Why did you have to leave?

I don’t feel strong enough to do this alone. I hide from it. I mask it. I wear a costume to be someone else. Someone happy. Like if no one can see the sadness then maybe I won’t feel it. But it stays. Someone said you must have been needed somewhere else. But who could need you more than we do.

She wants to know why you had to leave. I don’t know what to say. She wants to know when you’re coming home. I don’t have the words. She wants me to brush her hair the way you do. She wants me to do plaits but I don’t know how. She cuddles your teddy bear every night. We both do. She draws pictures of you. Pictures of our little family. We put them on the fridge and it breaks my heart. Why did you have to leave?

———

It feels like so long since you went away. It’s been almost twenty years. I was angry then. It was never your fault. If you hadn’t left I wouldn’t have this strength. I wouldn’t be this man that I am. I am the lucky one. I don’t hide anymore. I’m not afraid of being hurt anymore. I’m not afraid to love wholeheartedly.

She’s no longer our little girl. She grew up so fast. I wish you could see her. She’s the most beautiful woman. A loving big sister. She reminds me of you. She has your smile. Your laugh. She’s not much older than you were when you left. You would be so proud of her.

I still remember the day you left. I sat in the chair beside your bed and stroked your head. I told you I loved you but you had already gone. I’m sorry you had to go. I’m so happy our paths crossed. Our time seems so short but I will always be grateful for you. I love you.

Chris

Natalia Album

Protected: Nathalie Album

(c) Ilan Wittenberg

Covid-19

(c) Ilan Wittenberg

No Vacany

Awesome to win a Gold Award for No Vacancy at the 2022 North Shore National Salon of Photography 🥇Heading to Auckland, I left Wellington really early at the end of the New Zealand Art Show back in June. It was dark and wet, with very little traffic when I passed through the sleepy town of Levin at about 06:57 AM. Thinking about my life, the eight hour, 650km journey ahead, and the $120 speeding ticket I got driving there, I noticed something red at the corner of my eye. I kept driving for another 30 seconds and then said to myself something to the effect “F**k it, I can’t just drive past this opportunity”.

I stopped the car, did a U turn, and returned to the scene. Searched for my tripod at the back of my cramped rental vehicle, and set up my camera on bracketing mode. I took five shots of every scene, each with a different exposure, from 4 to 0.4 seconds long. I was trying different angles to see which perspective is most effective. I then risked my life and set up my tripod on the median line to take some vertical snaps from a closer distance when two trucks came flying. capturing a total of 72 photos I was content that I have enough material to work on. Three minutes after leaving Levin heavy rain came pouring down from the sky. The final image is a composite of six photos, each taken with a different exposure to maximize balance, harmony and visual impact.

Here are some of the judges’ comments:
“OH MY GOODNESS! What a unique original image… They’ve done it in such an awesome way. The clarity is fantastic. The thing that is most clear about this image is that at 6:57 AM there was No Vacancy at that motel. It’s beautiful, it’s so graphic, it’s strong and it’s bold.”
“There is something very cinematic about it. It reminds me of a Kevin Tarantino movie. Something really sinister is going to happen in this place…”
“I love the sterility of it, I love the simplicity of it. Such a powerful and strong image. And then, to have that power pole, to come out, and be just in that perfect spot… this photographer is so incredibly lucky, or very talented… Great image, well seen, well captured, well presented.”

Gold Award for ‘No Vacancy‘ at the 2022 North Shore National Salon of Photography – Scapes category

Tag Archive for: Award winning photographer