An Interview with
Israeli Photojournalist
Gili Yaari
————————————
Purim Celebrations in Jerusalem
Ultra-Orthodox Jews celebrate the Purim holiday in the ultra-Orthodox Mea Shearim neighborhood in Jerusalem on March, 2014. The festival of Purim commemorates the rescue of Jews from a genocide in ancient Persia.
————————————
Gili Yaari is an Israel-based photojournalist specializing in documentary and news photography. In his work, Gili focuses on social and humanitarian issues as well as on contemporary Israeli issues.
Gili’s works were published in New York Times, Time, Wall Street Journal, Le Monde, Corierra Della Serra, The Guardian and Financial Times among other international and Israeli magazines and daily papers.
Since 2007 Yaari is a contributing photographer for the Jerusalem based press photo agency Flash90. Since 2013 he is a contributing photographer to NurPhoto.
Yaari has participated in several group exhibitions in Israel and worldwide. His work was awarded in various international photography competitions like ‘Sony World Photography Awards’, ‘Prix de la Photography Paris’ (PX3), ‘International Photography Awards’ (IPA) and Moscow International Photography Awards (MIFA) among others.
Hello Gili, Thank you for the interview, Please Introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about yourself
“I was born in Israel in 1971. I am an Israeli-based photojournalist specializing in documentary and news photography. In his work, Gili focuses on social and humanitarian issues as well as on the major daily issues taking place in Israel..
Since 2007 I am a contributing photographer for the Jerusalem based press photo agency Flash90. Since 2013 I am a contributing photographer to NurPhoto.
My works were published in major international and Israeli magazines and daily papers. I have participated in several group exhibitions worldwide and in Israel. My work was awarded in various international photography competitions like ‘Sony World Photography Awards’, ‘Prix de la Photography Paris’ (PX3), ‘International Photography Awards’ (IPA) and Moscow International Photography Awards (MIFA) among others.”
Did you go to school to study photography?
“I am an autodidact in photography. In 2005 I took a documentary photography Masterclass with Israeli photojournalists Ziv Koren and Roni Sofer for which I started shooting professionally.”
How would you describe your personal style?
I am photographing people. I am a documentary, in my images I strive to show the raw truth.
Read the full article on Israeli Lens Issue#9 Cultural Photography
