Tsawwar... Tanya Traboulsi
I was spending an entire day by the sea with my photographer friend Tamara Abdul Hadi. One of our stops was for lunch and coffee at the Palace Cafe in Manara. While chatting and looking at the sea, we noticed a group of boys enjoying the water and sun just a few meters away. That's when I took this photo. It was the last photo on the film roll and I really didn’t want to waste it. I was waiting for the boy to jump – it took him a little while.
Taking photos by the sea – especially in Beirut and all around Lebanon's coastline – is something I really enjoy doing. There's a certain kind of happiness and friendliness in people that live near the sea. Being from Batroun myself – a small coastal town in the north of Lebanon – I spent a large portion of my childhood swimming all year round, and so the sea and its surroundings are very much a part of who I am.
I regularly have encounters with people when I’m out taking pictures: we often engage in long talks about life and other things, and I am often asked to share meals and coffee with them.
From my own experience, people by the coast are generally more willing and less shy to pose for the camera than people in the mountains. There’s something about the sea that has an undeniable impact on every day life for those who live near the shore.
I will forever associate this photo with friendship, sunshine, food and happiness.