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Abeer Nammari: Street blogger captures Jordan through pictures
By Roaa Abu Nada, Jordan News
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AMMAN
— Abeer Nammari is an up-and-coming street blogger in Jordan. Her blog captures
a blend of both the crowded and calm streets of Jordan and presents them in a
compelling manner. Her street blog was launched in 2020 and has been steadily
growing since then.اضافة اعلان
Even though street blogging is a newly introduced phenomenon to Jordan, Nammari is passionate that this is something that is here to stay.
A photo of Abeer Nammari, the Jordanian street blogger. (Photo: Handout for Abeer Nammari)
Jordan is known for its diverse landscape, but it is also an oasis of culture, history, people, and streets. As a result, sharing diverse experiences through content creation, photography and storytelling have been on the rise, internationally and locally.
"After more than twenty years of working in business administration and moving through different corporate sectors, I wanted to do things differently. I had a calling to answer and a deeply rooted passion to follow," Nammari told Jordan News.
Images captured by Abeer Nammari that portray the streets of Jordan as seen by the photographer. (Photos: Handout for Abeer Nammari)
After Nammari returned from New York in 2017, she wanted to reflect on her experience with street photography — that she acquired while abroad — into Jordan and then later spread it into the Arab world.
Due to the lack of female street photographers, Nammari felt as though street photography lacked representation of women and their unique views and dynamics when it comes to their relationship with the streets, which is why she tried to shift the focus of her work to include them and reflect the streets through a feminine lens.
Her photography blog also aims to expand on the social and cultural aspects of the streets and how they intersect. Through street blogging, she wanted to challenge social constructs and alter society's perception of the culturally unacceptable.
Images captured by Abeer Nammari that portray the streets of Jordan as seen by the photographer. (Photos: Handout for Abeer Nammari)
"Street photography made me realize more than ever that people at the core are so similar despite any superficial differences. My project reflects on those differences and how they weave our society into one bigger picture," said Nammari.
The best photographs are usually those which hold multi-layered meanings or ones that allow for individual interpretation, according to Nammari, which is why she feels that traditional cameras, rather than mobile cameras, should be used to capture street scenes.
When asked about what it meant to "experience Jordan" and how the street blog changed her perception of Jordanian streets, she said: "To change people's outlook on the streets, I had to change mine. I started to relate more to the streets, to reinforce positive behaviors and notions of our heritage and rise above the negativity."
Adding that: "Our streets are pulsating of life as they are the new music theaters, street food is the new cuisine and graffiti is the new art. The people of Amman are multi-cultural, multi-denominational, and extremely hospitable. They welcome visitors and take pride in showing them around their fascinating and vibrant city.'
Her street blogging is mainly focused on Downtown, Jabal Amman and Jabal Luweibdeh. The vibrant atmosphere and local charm that this triangle of places brings has not faded over time since it continues to bring people from all walks of life together.
Images captured by Abeer Nammari that portray the streets of Jordan as seen by the photographer. (Photos: Handout for Abeer Nammari)
According to Nammari, the old and the modern Amman blend into one in these areas. In the long term, she plans to expand her search of the antique and move to other districts and governates of Jordan.
In response to how the pandemic's extended curfews and affected her street blogging activities, she seemed to be the opposite of discouraged. "It offered a precious opportunity to sort out thousands of photos and see where the blog is heading. Also, I was fortunate enough to work on my first photobook, which will come out in the spring," she said.
The photobook is published by Jabal Amman Publishers, a renowned publishing house that won several awards, including the "Excellence in Publishing in the Global Track" award.
The hardcover photobook will include photos of downtown and will offer a photo-journalistic view into the daily world of Jordanians. All captured through her lens.
She remarks that photobooks in Jordan are not that common. Photobooks by women are nearly inexistent, which is why she wants to harness a positive outcome that others can build on.
Abeer advises anyone who intends to be a street blogger to start navigating their complicated roads and simply put themselves out there. "You won't know what you like documenting until you set out on your own and give yourself a room for discovery."
Recently, Abeer launched her new collection of classics, the Black and White, which brought back nostalgia for the old days.
"The black and white stills are timeless. However, they are more challenging as you must be restrained and organic in style while capturing them. All people have at least one favorite white and black photo. Such photos are relatable and induce warmth for their beholders," she concluded.
Read more Trending news
Even though street blogging is a newly introduced phenomenon to Jordan, Nammari is passionate that this is something that is here to stay.
A photo of Abeer Nammari, the Jordanian street blogger. (Photo: Handout for Abeer Nammari)
Jordan is known for its diverse landscape, but it is also an oasis of culture, history, people, and streets. As a result, sharing diverse experiences through content creation, photography and storytelling have been on the rise, internationally and locally.
"After more than twenty years of working in business administration and moving through different corporate sectors, I wanted to do things differently. I had a calling to answer and a deeply rooted passion to follow," Nammari told Jordan News.
Images captured by Abeer Nammari that portray the streets of Jordan as seen by the photographer. (Photos: Handout for Abeer Nammari)
After Nammari returned from New York in 2017, she wanted to reflect on her experience with street photography — that she acquired while abroad — into Jordan and then later spread it into the Arab world.
Due to the lack of female street photographers, Nammari felt as though street photography lacked representation of women and their unique views and dynamics when it comes to their relationship with the streets, which is why she tried to shift the focus of her work to include them and reflect the streets through a feminine lens.
Her photography blog also aims to expand on the social and cultural aspects of the streets and how they intersect. Through street blogging, she wanted to challenge social constructs and alter society's perception of the culturally unacceptable.
Images captured by Abeer Nammari that portray the streets of Jordan as seen by the photographer. (Photos: Handout for Abeer Nammari)
"Street photography made me realize more than ever that people at the core are so similar despite any superficial differences. My project reflects on those differences and how they weave our society into one bigger picture," said Nammari.
The best photographs are usually those which hold multi-layered meanings or ones that allow for individual interpretation, according to Nammari, which is why she feels that traditional cameras, rather than mobile cameras, should be used to capture street scenes.
When asked about what it meant to "experience Jordan" and how the street blog changed her perception of Jordanian streets, she said: "To change people's outlook on the streets, I had to change mine. I started to relate more to the streets, to reinforce positive behaviors and notions of our heritage and rise above the negativity."
Adding that: "Our streets are pulsating of life as they are the new music theaters, street food is the new cuisine and graffiti is the new art. The people of Amman are multi-cultural, multi-denominational, and extremely hospitable. They welcome visitors and take pride in showing them around their fascinating and vibrant city.'
Her street blogging is mainly focused on Downtown, Jabal Amman and Jabal Luweibdeh. The vibrant atmosphere and local charm that this triangle of places brings has not faded over time since it continues to bring people from all walks of life together.
Images captured by Abeer Nammari that portray the streets of Jordan as seen by the photographer. (Photos: Handout for Abeer Nammari)
According to Nammari, the old and the modern Amman blend into one in these areas. In the long term, she plans to expand her search of the antique and move to other districts and governates of Jordan.
In response to how the pandemic's extended curfews and affected her street blogging activities, she seemed to be the opposite of discouraged. "It offered a precious opportunity to sort out thousands of photos and see where the blog is heading. Also, I was fortunate enough to work on my first photobook, which will come out in the spring," she said.
The photobook is published by Jabal Amman Publishers, a renowned publishing house that won several awards, including the "Excellence in Publishing in the Global Track" award.
The hardcover photobook will include photos of downtown and will offer a photo-journalistic view into the daily world of Jordanians. All captured through her lens.
She remarks that photobooks in Jordan are not that common. Photobooks by women are nearly inexistent, which is why she wants to harness a positive outcome that others can build on.
Abeer advises anyone who intends to be a street blogger to start navigating their complicated roads and simply put themselves out there. "You won't know what you like documenting until you set out on your own and give yourself a room for discovery."
Recently, Abeer launched her new collection of classics, the Black and White, which brought back nostalgia for the old days.
"The black and white stills are timeless. However, they are more challenging as you must be restrained and organic in style while capturing them. All people have at least one favorite white and black photo. Such photos are relatable and induce warmth for their beholders," she concluded.
Read more Trending news
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