Behind the Photo: Alexandra Avakian, Iran | National Geographic

this picture was taken in Iran on the
island of Kish this is a movie set and
this is a dress she’s preparing for her
role in her husband’s film do you know I
photographed on this movie set all day
so I photographed every single little
thing that happened but with this
picture you know I just felt like ah yes
you know she’s actually doing this thing
in front of me and I thought she’s
beautiful and I love the red behind her
and you know but you’re not you’re
you’re thinking this stuff but at the
same time you’re not thinking you’re
just making pictures it’s very intuitive
she was in her own private world
preparing for her role at the same time
I think very conscious of the camera and
both of us feeling in the moment I felt
her moment and and and she knew I was
there and that’s a kind of collaboration
that does happen sometimes with a
subject this photograph was on the cover
of the National Geographic magazine and
it’s also on the cover of my new book
windows of the soul my journeys in the
Muslim world