**I am Benyamin – Documentary & Instant Portrait Photographer**  

 

I was born in 1985 and live in Ahvaz, Iran. I have participated in over 20 group exhibitions and one solo exhibition. I have also conducted several photography workshops and have teaching experience in the field.  

 

For more than two decades, photography has been more than just a profession or an art form for me—it has been a way to understand the world, explore identity, and tell stories that are often overlooked. My photographs emerge from real life—streets, faces, the passage of time, and the traces people leave in their surroundings.  

 

**A Journey Through Time & Forgotten Techniques**  

 

Since 2023, I have built my own camera box and have been using this technique to create images. In this method, photographs are captured and developed directly on photographic paper, without negatives or digital processing. For me, this is more than just a technique; it is a way to connect with people, to pause time, and to preserve moments that will never happen again.  

 

In the past, this method was primarily used for ID portraits, and due to religious restrictions, women were often denied the right to be photographed. Now, after many years, I have revived this process, creating a space where both women and men sit in front of my camera by choice, reclaiming their identity and presence in a society where visual representation remains significant.  

 

**What Draws Me to Photography**  

 

Photography, for me, is not just about capturing images; it is about capturing time itself. My work revolves around themes of time, memory, and transformation. From palm trees that are slowly disappearing from my city’s streets to faces that hold untold stories in their expressions, each image represents a living moment—one that may never happen again.  

 

Some of my projects take years to complete, as I patiently observe changes and follow moments through time. But in my portraits, a single brief instant carries everything—a look, an emotion, a silent story.  

 

In a world that is constantly changing, I believe in this:  

**”A photograph is not just an image; it is a fragment of time, a story waiting to be told, and a piece of history that demands to be remembered.”