INTERVIEW
March 25, 2021
FARAH'S CHARIOT
Photography by Carla Henoud
Interview by Melanie Meggs
Life itself can be beautiful but for those that get a chance to experience the beauty that is Beirut's Corniche, there is something magical about it. Carla Henoud has been fortunate enough to capture this magic in her photography and has dedicated her last three years to documenting this stunning place with her lens. The result of these efforts have been exhibited in a gallery and published in a book, 'Le Chariot de Farah' in 2018, and it has been a testament to the beauty that Carla has seen in the Corniche. Her photos capture the picture-perfect scenes of the Corniche, full of life, with its picture-perfect blue skies and its people. No matter who is viewing Carla's work, the emotion that she has captured in her photographs is undeniable.
“As a reporter, I had the opportunity to interview a man called Ali who used to work on the Corniche and sell orange juices on a wooden cart, as his father and grandfather used to do. But the authorities forced him to stop and destroyed it. As I was taking pictures of this and Corniche for about 3 years and had important material and archives I could use, I decided to write my own story inspired by Ali's. Most pieces of the story and the characters are taken from my own family, and I replaced Ali with Farah, a young woman working in a man's 'field'.
'Le Chariot de Farah' starts in the 60's and ends in 2018. It describes perfectly what Beirut was and still is. Or maybe what we are fighting for, keeping it a mixed city where people from different backgrounds and religions can live together peacefully.”
IN CONVERSATION WITH CARLA HENOUD
THE PICTORIAL LIST: Carla please tell us about yourself. How did you become interested in photography?
CARLA HENOUD: I was born in Beirut, Lebanon. Lived for ten years in Paris, France, during our 'civil' war, and came back home late 90’s. I started taking pictures at 16 years old, with my Canon AE1. Then I studied advertising at the Lebanese Academy of Art (ALBA) and developed this passion since then. As a journalist, photography became also part of my work, as it tells story as well as my words do.
TPL: What is it that you enjoy about documentary photography? Explain your technique? What do you want to express through your photography? And what are some of the elements you always try to include in your photographs?
CH: I find it challenging to go to the same place and discover new things about it. That same place is like my theater; it is the same background with different characters, variant lights, various stories, etc.
The corniche by the sea, in Beirut, is my place of choice; it probably is the only spot in Lebanon that reunites people from different social classes and religions, in perfect tolerance and harmony. This is how Lebanon should be!
Apart from its symbolic aspect, the corniche is also the scenery I always like to capture at all hours and in different seasons. It includes everything I choose to have in a picture: the sea, the sky, the human element and the street. It is urban and nature photography in one.
Therefore, my personal challenge is to ‘cast’ the right human element at the right time in this existent scenery. I have been doing this for five years now before issuing the Book “Le Chariot de Farah” in October 2018.
As for the technical part, I always carry light cameras to move easily. I also use wide angles and/or 50mm. No zoom lenses! I prefer getting closer to my subject, establish a quick contact, build trust that might lead to a conversation. No photoshop ever! I remain as close and intimate as possible to what I see. The angle I choose to snap the picture will make the difference.
Being a journalist and a photographer, my purpose is to tell stories through my lens and share (new) emotions.
TPL: What is it like photographing on the streets of Beirut? How has the pandemic affected you personally and your photography?
CH: I enjoy going to the same place over and over again (the Corniche) and I always find inspiration. Always able to find and show something new, to discover new people, to meet others that I discovered during all these years and listen to their stories. And share all that. The sky, the sea, a person, are very important in my pictures. And most of all emotions.
Beirut is a living city, so many beautiful and sad things are happening there since 2019. It’s a beautiful destroyed city one can only be passionate about. I love its old buildings, windows, people, sea. I love to find and show beauty in ugliness. It gives hope…
During the pandemic, and different lockdowns (currently in a lockdown at time of interview) streets become empty and the sky, the shadows, the colours are so pure. I just miss people…
TPL: Do you have any favourite artists or photographers you would like to share with us, and the reason for their significance?
CH: Henri Cartier-Bresson, "un classique” who was able to take great pictures with his 50 mm lens and no photoshop (which I never use). I like also Bruce Gilden, Robert Frank, Vivian Maier, Joseph Koudelka, Martin Parr, Seydou Keïta (even if his pictures are mostly in a studio).
TPL: When you go out photographing, do you have a concept in mind of what you want to shoot, or do you let the images just "come to you", or is it both?
CH: When I go out, all my senses are wide open (like a cat!) and just waiting and hoping for the encounter. In the back of my mind, I am always looking for places, people, a mood and a story.
TPL: Does the equipment you use help you in achieving your vision in your photography? What camera do you use? Do you have a preferred lens/focal length?
CH: I use a Leica D-Lux, a Fujifilm W-T1 and a Sony. Some are good because, also, they are light and easy to handle. Some are too complicated for street photography where you don’t have time to adjust. I prefer wide angles or a 50mm lens.
TPL: Have you ever been involved in the creative world before photography?
CH: At school, in Paris, I made a short movie with friends (Super 8). A friend, Stephane Drouot, was playing the role of 'director'. He became famous a few years later and got a Cesar for a short movie he wrote and directed late 80’s. He unfortunately passed away…
TPL: What are some of your goals as an artist? Where do you see yourself or hope to see yourself in five years?
CH: My goals are to sharpen my eye and emotions even more, to always improve myself and always be surprised by what I do and what I see. I need, now more than ever, to always seek for beauty during these hard times the world and we Lebanese are going through.
TPL: Are there any special projects you are currently working on that you would like to let everyone know about?
CH: After my first book 'Le Chariot de Farah', a fiction with pictures of the Corniche, issued on October 2018 with an exhibition in Beirut, I am planning to do something more with it, as a series or a movie (with of course the help of professionals in this industry). And then start another personal project where I can mix writing and photography. Let’s hope we will have better days in Lebanon to be able to do so…
TPL: When I am not out photographing, I (like to)…
CH: Write. Travel.
The beauty of Beirut's Corniche is undeniable, and Carla Henoud has done an amazing job of capturing this magic with her photography. Her photos capture the beautiful scenes of the Corniche, full of life, and the emotion she has captured in her photographs is undeniable. To learn more about Carla's journey, and to experience the beauty of Beirut's Corniche for yourself, follow her journey.
