Safi Mohamed: Algerian documentary photographer exploring everyday life, vulnerability, and human connection

Safi Mohamed is a photographer from Aflou, Algeria, and holds a degree in history. He has worked as a fare collector on city buses since 2016, an experience that later shaped his artistic vision and his approach to observing everyday life.

He began his photography career in 2022, focusing on street life and spontaneous moments before moving towards documentary photography. His work has been featured in national, Arab, and international exhibitions.

Mohamed has also won two national awards, in 2024 and 2025, and received the Droob Crossroads grant for the 2025–2026 period and the Afaq grant for Arab documentary photographers for 2026–2027.

How did you get started in photography?

As a child, I loved to draw, and I always wanted to own a camera. One of my friends worked as a photographer, and his work inspired and encouraged me to give it a try. When the first opportunity arose, I bought my first camera, and that is when my journey in photography began.

How would you describe yourself?

I am a documentary photographer. I believe that photographs are a means of understanding people and the world around them.

I am drawn to everyday life and to people whom many overlook, and I strive to tell their stories with honesty and respect, without exaggeration or artifice. My vision was shaped by my experience working on public transportation buses, where I learned to observe the small details and human connections that arise in everyday life.

I strive to build long-term projects and look for images that are authentic and essential to the world I am portraying, rather than seeking eye-catching or showy images.

What are the main themes that inspire your photography?

I am inspired by humanitarian issues and situations of vulnerability because they reveal so much about human beings and their relationship with the world around them.

I use my photographs to invite viewers to reflect and reconsider, and to create a space for understanding and engaging with reality through the image.

What moment in your career are you most proud of?

My documentary project exploring my experience working as a bus conductor on urban transit buses. The project began as a personal experience and evolved through my participation in the Crossroads programme and later with support from the AFAC programme.

I cherish this journey because it gave me the opportunity to transform an experience I lived through for years into an artistic project that continues to evolve, allowing me to understand it and share it with others.

What is the biggest challenge you've faced as a photographer?

Transforming my personal experience into a cohesive artistic project while searching for my own voice as a photographer.

Throughout this journey, I learned that building a photography project requires time, research, experimentation, and openness to criticism.

Participating in art programmes and working consistently helped me develop my vision and get closer to the way I want to tell my stories through images.

What type of photography do you specialise in?

My career began with street photography because I was interested in documenting everyday moments and human interactions in public spaces. Over time, my focus shifted towards documentary photography, which allowed me to work on long-term projects and explore the human issues that concern me more deeply.

With this shift, my style has become more focused on constructing visual narratives based on authenticity and a close connection to reality.

What is your unique technical or visual approach?

My visual approach centres on attention to image composition and the search for authentic moments. I strive to create visually balanced images while preserving the spontaneity and authenticity of the scene.

How's the photography and art space in Algeria?

I believe the art scene is experiencing gradual growth, with increasing interest in visual arts and independent projects.

However, the field continues to face challenges, including limited opportunities for support and funding and a shortage of spaces dedicated to exhibition and development.

What is one professional standard you never compromise on?

I never compromise on honesty in photography and its ethics, or on respect for the people I photograph. I believe the value of documentary photography lies in conveying reality as it is, without exploitation or fabrication.