Offbeat Travelling

Fascinating travel adventures in 'difficult' countries

Home Year in Review

2015 in Review: My Top 7 Most Intense Portraits

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With 2015 coming to an end, it’s time for me to make up the balance of another year of travel. That’s why in the next few days I will be posting a couple of short photo series.

This second article showcases my most intense portraits. I found these 7 photos worth some renewed attention:

Sloviansk, east Ukraine

A Ukrainian soldier sits inside a heated barrack, which is set up next to a blown-up bridge on the outskirts of Sloviansk in east Ukraine.
A Ukrainian soldier sits inside a heated barrack, which is set up next to a blown-up bridge on the outskirts of Sloviansk in east Ukraine. With the front line about 85 kilometres away and (infiltrated) saboteurs still around, the situation in east Ukraine remained tense throughout the whole year. This picture was shot January 3rd.

Tabanovce, north Macedonia

A child, wrapped up warmly by volunteers, cries for his mother at 3AM after arriving in Tabanovce, north Macedonia..
A child, wrapped up warmly by volunteers, cries for his mother at 3AM after arriving at a train station in Tabanovce, north Macedonia. From this point, refugees and migrants need to walk 600 meters through a field, passing a border post, after which they will soon hit a checkpoint set up by Serbian authorities. Volunteers operate at the station to show the way to the thousands that arrive here each day.

Preševo, south Serbia

A woman and her two children wait outside the registration camp in Preševo, south Serbia. The husband was inside for hours to obtain the necessary documents to travel onwards to north Europe.
A woman and her two children wait outside the registration camp in Preševo, south Serbia. The husband was inside for hours to obtain the necessary documents to travel onwards to north Europe.

Elbasan Arena, Albania

On 8 October Albania played against Serbia in a historic match in the Elbasan Arena, which ended 0-2/
On 8 October Albania lost 0-2 against Serbia in a historic match in the Elbasan Arena during which it could have qualified directly for the EURO2016 cup. More than 12.800 fans saw their dream getting destroyed when Serbia scored the first goal in the 90th minute, and the second shortly after.

Port Piraeus, Greece

Refugees carrying plastic bags are those who were forced by smugglers in Turkey to dump their belongings in the Aegean sea.
An Afghan man sets foot to the centre of Athens after arriving by a ferry from Lesbos. Refugees carrying plastic bags are those who were forced by smugglers in Turkey to dump their belongings in the Aegean sea.

Victoria Square – Athens, Greece

Imagine being a 95-years old refugee coming all the way from Afghanistan. This woman was smuggled through mountains, crossed an ocean in a dingy and escaped from getting shot dead by Iranian border guards.
Imagine being a 95-year old refugee coming all the way from Afghanistan. This woman was smuggled through mountains, crossed an ocean in a dingy and escaped from getting shot dead by Iranian border guards. Together with her daughter and two grandchildren she was on her way to Scandinavia.

Amman, Jordan

Blind and deaf at the same time. This man roams the streets of Amman selling pencils.
There probably isn’t much worse things than being blind and deaf at the same time. This man roams the streets of Amman every day selling pencils. As he tries to find his way around, the man bumps into moving cars quite regularly.

In the next article I will share with you some of my personal favourites. If you want to receive a notification when that article is posted, than please sign up using the form below.

Note: be aware that these pictures are taken by myself, thus they are protected by copyright. Share this article if you like, but contact me first if you want to use the pictures yourself.