Photography Guest Of The Week Rafael Ben-Ari - Israel

Hundreds of Kassam rocket attacks have taken aim on Sderot Israel, killing civilians, damaging homes, schools, shopping malls and play grounds.

Photo © Rafael Ben-Ari All Rights Reserved

Israel: Portraits of Terror

"In the recent conflict between Israel and Hamas, known as “Operation Cast Lead”, I have documented the story of those who suffered from the rocket terror attack in this infamous town from the point of view of photographing portraits of Sderot children, elderly citizens and women that where injured by Kassam rockets attacks. In this photography feature, I show the war through their facial expressions."

Those remarks by Rafael Ben-Ari accompany his photo essay Israel: Portraits of Terror, now appearing on Gaia Photos, that documents the town of Sderot located less than a mile from Gaza in the southern part of Israel.

Gaia Photos is a new international photography source comprised of 41 photojournalists from around the world whose mission is to promote quality and diversity in documentary photography.

Since the Israeli disengagement from Gaza 4 years ago, Ben-Ari has lived and worked in the area and the town has become his “Photography Focused Subject” says Rafael.

Rafael Ben-Ari was born in Israel in 1971. His mission is to “photograph the mysteries of life through the land, up to the sky and into the depths of the oceans in a driven passion to find the equation between reality and imagination”.

Rafael studied photography at the New York Institute of Photography and he's received several awards, including twice the Excellent Artist in Photography from the Israeli government. His photo published in Doubletruck Magazine in 2007 was among the "World's Best News Pictures 2007".

Please refer to his web site to read his full and captivating biography which includes childhood experiments with all sorts of visual contraptions, a miraculous escape from a lethal brain tumor, a trip to Mt. Kenya, a term as Aerial Photo Analyst in the Israeli Air Force Intelligence and a world trip from which he picked up strenuous meditation practices!

He is currently freelancing for Israeli and overseas newspapers and magazines and is distributed through Newscom, Xinhua and Zumapress.

Together with his life partner he operates Chameleons Eye, an independent photography service in Israel.

Please Visit Us and view Rafael Ben-Ari's other photo stories on Gaia Photos

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