Humans of Dubai goes beyond the glitz and glamor to tell stories of people in the city

By Hyacinth Mascarenhas

When Brandon Stanton first started his now famous street photography blog, Humans of New York (HONY) in 2010, he wanted to create a “photographic census of NYC, one street portrait at a time.”

Today, the HONY blog has become a global hit with more than 10 million followers on Facebook, 2.07 followers on Instagram. In 2013, a book of the same title was published and quickly soared to the top of the New York Times nonfiction best-seller list.

He is also currently on a 50-day United Nations-sponsored tour to photograph humans of Africa, the Middle East and Asia to build awareness for the UN’s Millennium Development Goals project. Now a worldwide phenomenon, the HONY project has inspired hundreds of other photographers to grab their cameras, go out and explore the people living in their cities and share their stories with the world as well.

Inspired by the viral photo blog, French artist Isabelle Vialleneix created her own spinoff, Humans of Dubai, in June 2012 to help people see past the stereotypical glitz and glamor of Dubai and recognize the diversity, energy and creativity its citizens and residents have to offer.

“It’s the city of the unexpected,” said Vialleneix. “It thrives through its fast pace, growth and looking ahead of time…Dubai also has many sides and contrasts to it. In addition to having a glamorous reputation, Dubai also as a raw spirit, historical core, traditional strength, amazing family values and vibrant street life.”

The self-taught artist also points out that Dubai is a bubbling cauldron of diverse cultures, traditions and dynamic ambition that make this city unique to capture on camera. We had a chance to chat with the woman behind the camera:

Tell me about your photography style and what you wish to convey through your work?

Isabelle Vialleneix: I am an artist first. I’m also not much of an equipment and technical geek so I don’t edit my work much either.

My style is quite raw and immediate. I capture what is given and never set anything up or prepare anything. I leave the house and observe what the streets have to share with me. I watch, pay attention and then look for light, time, movement of things, people, faces, hands, sounds, anything really.

Each moment is and has a story. I just capture a glimpse of it.

What questions do you usually pose to the people you capture on camera?

IV: The wide range of languages here in Dubai can sometimes be obstacle to a having a real conversation with someone on the street. But there is always room to connect, ask for a photo and agree on a moment to share. I usually ask people where they are from, how long they have been in Dubai, what for, who with, etc. Sometimes it’s a quick and sometimes it goes deeper into a nice conversation.

What sets your page apart from the other “Humans of…” initiatives?

IV: I want my page to be different in two ways. In its portrayal, I prefer humans in situations, compositions, environments and actions. In terms of verbal text, I like it simple – images say enough. The ‘humans of…’ initiative is, first of all, a photographic census.

Long story captions open the door to both beautiful comments and, unfortunately, verbal insanity. I don’t want to expose anyone to that.

That’s a choice I made from the beginning; I want the page to be and remain sweet and respectful.

Tell me about your favorite shot so far.

IV: That’s a difficult request.

There’s the one of 3 men working on a wall, one of a lady praying in a beauty salon and another of a man praying during his rest time while some other people were resting on the ground. I love seeing people taking a moment to honor their faith, wherever they are.

What are you currently working on?

IV: I would love to publish a coffee table book about the Humans of Dubai. I have already made a print off and it’s shaping up, but it’s a slow process. It’s always evolving since I have more photos to chose from everyday.

I’m also working on a project called DXB3 with a writer friend, Valerie Ward. We are currently working on a photo exhibition for February 2015 and publishing a book with both text and images about the amazing cosmopolitan Dubai.