Story Category: Later Visits

My first visit back to Iran was in 1983 when I took Sara and our second daughter Leili to visit their extensive Iranian family.

My last visits were in 2006 and 2008, and my photographs have become much more touristy, more street photography. I was interested in how much colour there was on the streets: workmen wearing hi-viz clothing; different coloured taxis, including a company of women drivers; colourful manteaux for women. The parks were coiffed and well-used. The Read more…

For some the economy is doing very well. Consumption is booming and advertising is everywhere. But there are also visible signs of poverty with children begging on the streets. Looking good remains important and men are having nose jobs.

The built environment still speaks loudly in Iran. Images of Khomeini and Khamanei, the first and second Supreme Leaders, are everywhere. Walls remain important canvases of the city, with a unique form of trompe l’oeil murals of calming, abstract designs and powerful religious imagery The Islamic Republic is heavily focussed on public propaganda, with flags, Read more…

Tehran has more than 12 million inhabitants and now stretches 20 kilometres north to south. A subway was opened in 1999 and carries 3 million people a day. The revolution has been good for some, advertising is everywhere and a culture of consumption is evident. But there are now children begging on the streets. The Read more…

Isfahan is a beautiful historic city, showing the splendour of Safavid culture

There are no images for 2019. I haven’t been back to Iran since 2008 and I’m advised that it would be best for me not to travel there. Too many dual nationals have run into difficulties, including Nazanin Radcliffe who remains imprisoned. Many of the issues for which the revolution was fought have not been Read more…