Muhammed Muheisen

Canon Ambassador Muhammed Muheisen is a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist and founder of the Everyday Refugees Foundation. He has been documenting the world's refugee crisis for over a decade under the theme 'a smile in the middle of the rubble'.

Muhammed has seen a great deal pass before his lens. Since 2001 he's photographed major events around the world including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Yemeni revolution, the US-led war in Iraq and the Syrian civil war. He's also documented the funerals of the former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and the late South African president Nelson Mandela, and the capture of the former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein. 

That's a philosophy Muhammed has brought with him throughout his career – and especially since 2015, when he founded the Everyday Refugees Foundation. "We help refugees and people displaced by war, poverty, natural disasters and discrimination in different parts of the world, and I am proud of that," he says.

Muhammed's work mostly focuses on the refugee crisis, and in particular places a spotlight on refugee children, who can often find themselves unaccompanied and in a strange land. "In most of my photography I find myself focusing on children, as I believe that children are the real victims of conflicts," he says. "Children all over the world share the same things in common: they seek fun, joy and happiness. Children do not get to choose where they are born or the circumstances surrounding them. These images become their voice to the outside world."

Muhammed has successfully combined his love of photography with his abiding interest in people. He is an example of someone who takes photography beyond a career until it becomes a way of life. "At a certain point in my career I completely followed my passion, which is photography," he says. "Through photography I aim to help the people I photograph."

What is your approach to composing your photographs?

"I usually invest to learn about the people and the environment then I spend time in this environment to become invisible – part of the landscape – and to gain people's trust. After achieving that I look for the moments we pass by every day, that tell stories of the people. That's the quality that I aim to achieve in my photography, which needs passion, patience and commitment."

Who are your biggest photographic influences, and why?

"Sir Don McCullin's photography has always been an inspiration for me. He told many untold stories, portraying people with pride and always followed the human side of any conflict. An example of a great human and photographer."

What is your role within Everyday Refugees Foundation?

"I founded Everyday Refugees Foundation to tell stories, to share them with the world and to help to people who were forced to leave everything behind in search of a safe home. There is no better way than photography to do that."

How did your participation within Everyday Refugees Foundation begin?

"After years of travelling the world documenting stories of the people, I realised that through my craft I could spread awareness and change stereotypes."

Your role as a photographer lets you observe situations from many different perspectives. Would you say you feel optimistic or pessimistic?

"I always feel optimistic, and you can see that in my images through the theme of my photography: 'a smile in the middle of the rubble'. In my images there is always a sign of hope, and this hope is the way I see the world. There is no better way to show this hope than through my camera."

"Photography is a very powerful tool to create an echo that makes a difference. It is my passion. I simply capture images with my eyes and heart, let the camera document that moment, and share it with the world. My advice to every passionate photographer is to use this craft towards a good cause. It is never just a picture, it is a voice, it is a testimony, and it is a message that lives forever."