Hello, I'm Yasmin
I've spent the past decade documenting moments where culture, landscape, and human experience intersect. Born to parents from different continents and raised across three countries, I developed an early fascination with how place shapes identity. My camera became both passport and translator, allowing me to connect with communities and stories that might otherwise remain hidden.
With a background in cultural anthropology and visual storytelling, I approach travel as both art and ethnography—seeking to capture not just beautiful landscapes, but the quiet, often overlooked moments that reveal a destination's true character. My work has appeared in publications including National Geographic Traveller, Condé Nast Traveler, and BBC Travel.
When not on assignment, I split my time between a small apartment in London's East End and a sunlit studio in Marrakech's ancient medina. These dual bases reflect the balance I seek between urban energy and contemplative space, between familiar comforts and the transformative power of otherness.
My Approach
Travel, at its most meaningful, transcends sightseeing to become a practice of presence. I believe that truly experiencing a place means slowing down enough to observe its rhythms, engage with its people, and occasionally get wonderfully lost down unmarked paths. This philosophy shapes both my personal journeys and professional work.
As a photographer, I prioritize authenticity over perfection. While technical skill matters, the most compelling images emerge from genuine connection—those fleeting moments when barriers dissolve and mutual curiosity creates openness. I rarely stage photographs, preferring to document life as it unfolds naturally through patient observation.
My writing similarly emphasizes the sensory and human elements of travel. Rather than comprehensive guides, I create narratives that explore how places transform us and how local wisdom offers perspective on universal questions. Every destination has taught me something essential about living more intentionally—lessons I weave throughout my stories.
Professional Journey
First Steps
After completing my studies in cultural anthropology, I embarked on a year-long journey through Southeast Asia with little more than a backpack and entry-level camera. What began as personal documentation evolved into my first published work—a photo essay on traditional fishing communities facing modernization in Vietnam, published in several travel magazines.
Finding My Voice
After freelancing for various publications, I received my first major assignment from National Geographic Traveller—documenting the disappearing crafts traditions across North Africa. This six-month project fundamentally shaped my approach to travel photography, emphasizing the human stories behind cultural practices and the importance of ethical representation.
Expanding Horizons
Published my first photography book, "Silent Traditions," featuring portraits and stories of artisans preserving heritage crafts worldwide. The accompanying exhibition toured galleries in London, New York, and Tokyo. This period marked a transition from primarily editorial work to more personal long-form projects.
Adaptation & Growth
When global travel paused, I launched this website and began developing workshops on visual storytelling. This unexpected season of stillness provided opportunity to reflect on my journey, organize my archive of images, and deepen my writing practice. It also prompted my exploration of "slow travel" as both personal philosophy and professional approach.
Current Focus
Today, I balance commissioned work for select publications with self-directed projects exploring the intersection of traditional knowledge and contemporary life. My current long-term project documents climate adaptation through indigenous wisdom across four continents. I also lead small-group photography workshops in locations where responsible tourism supports local communities.
Equipment & Technical Approach
Many aspiring photographers ask about my gear, often expecting a complex answer. The truth is simpler: while I appreciate quality equipment, I believe the most important camera is the one you have with you. Some of my most meaningful images were captured with basic tools in unexpected moments.
That said, my current professional kit includes:
- Sony Alpha a7III (primary camera)
- Fujifilm X100V (everyday carry for street photography)
- 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master (versatile workhorse lens)
- 16-35mm f/4 (for landscapes and architecture)
- 85mm f/1.8 (for portraits and low light situations)
- Film cameras: Hasselblad 500C/M and Olympus OM-1 (for personal projects)
I prefer natural light whenever possible, and typically travel with minimal additional equipment—just a lightweight travel tripod, variable ND filter, and polarizer. My post-processing approach emphasizes authenticity, using Lightroom to enhance rather than fundamentally alter images. I believe photographs should evoke the emotional truth of a moment rather than an idealized version of reality.
Values & Ethics
Respectful Engagement
I believe photography creates relationship between subject and photographer. I always seek permission before photographing individuals, explain how images will be used, and share final photographs when possible. This ethical approach sometimes means missing a shot, but preserves the dignity and agency of those I photograph.
Environmental Responsibility
Travel's environmental impact requires conscientious choices. I carbon offset flights, prioritize ground transportation when feasible, support accommodations with sustainable practices, and follow Leave No Trace principles in natural settings. My gear purchases emphasize quality and longevity over constant upgrades.
Authentic Representation
I strive to portray destinations and cultures with nuance, avoiding exoticization or oversimplification. This means researching thoroughly before trips, consulting local perspectives, acknowledging my position as an outsider, and being transparent about the limitations of my understanding.
Community Support
Wherever I travel, I seek ways to ensure local communities benefit from tourism. This includes staying in locally-owned accommodations, hiring local guides, shopping at independent businesses, and allocating 5% of my photography income to organizations supporting education and cultural preservation in communities I've documented.
Beyond Travel
When not exploring distant lands, you'll likely find me:
- Experimenting with traditional darkroom printing techniques in my tiny bathroom-turned-photography lab
- Attempting (with varying success) to recreate dishes from my travels in my London kitchen
- Volunteering with refugee support organizations, teaching photography as a tool for self-expression
- Adding to my collection of global textiles, ceramics, and folk art that have gradually taken over my living space
- Losing track of time in independent bookshops and small museums
- Planning my next journey, usually with far too many books and maps spread across the floor
I believe the curiosity that drives us to explore unfamiliar territories should extend to our everyday lives. The mindfulness we bring to travel—that heightened attention to detail, openness to unexpected encounters, willingness to be changed by what we witness—can transform even the most familiar streets of home into landscapes of discovery.