Guest Instagrammer: Around Tehran

Over the next two weeks, “Around Tehran”, an anonymous Iranian instagrammer, will take over our Instagram account.

Maybe he was taking my photo. | 22 Oct ’15 | iPhone 6 | #aroundtehran #thr #myaroundtehran_tabiyatbridge

A photo posted by Happening Around Tehran (@aroundtehran) on

CK: Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background.

AroundTehran: Photography is a tool for me to express myself and my photographs simply reflect me and the things (and emotions) that I experience. I tend to avoid glamourising images or overwhelming captions as I tend to only reflect what I see. In other words, what I offer to my viewers is seeing things from my point of view or seeing Tehran as I experience it.

 

CK: What led you to your AroundTehran project?

AroundTehran: When I started Instagramming, I came across some unique pages with photos from certain cities like Pyongyang in North Korea, for example, or other exotic places. I was very much excited to finally see images from daily life in those less seen places. I thought to myself, there can be people around the world who might be as fascinated to see photos from Tehran and daily life in the megacity. I know for a fact that many people in the west don’t know much about Iran and seeing first hand street photos may help them having a fairer image. Moreover, my photos and effort are also dedicated to all Iranian expats who have had, or chosen, to live abroad for a reason or another.

CK: What is a typical week like for you?

AroundTehran: I have worked as a freelance trainer and translator for a few years so I am typically involved with workshops and translation projects but I make sure that I do have regular photo walks across the city!

CK: What are your favorite Iranian dishes? What are you eating or cooking on a weekly basis

AroundTehran: My favorite Iranian dish  is Khoresht Bademjoon. I cook a lot and I am proud to say that I can cook almost all Iranian foods! Well, I may not be confident with some local dishes like Baghali Ghatogh from the north or Ghaliyeh Maahi from the south, but I am fluent with most of the typical Iranian dishes! To be more specific, I can say that rice is typically a part of my cooking but I try to avoid meat as much as I can.