Archive · 30 Aug 2026
Seamus Murphy’s Poetic Realism Finds Joy Amid Resilience
Seamus Murphy is a photographer who documents people’s lives.
He has worked in places including Syria, Kolkata, Kabul and Gaza.
He says people in Syria wanted the world to hear their stories.
However, being photographed can be complicated when people do not choose how others see them.
Murphy tries not to interrupt people during ordinary moments.
He believes his job is to show what is happening rather than choose which stories matter most.
He makes decisions about his camera, angle and lens.
His photographs aim to share people’s everyday experiences with the wider world.
Seamus Murphy discusses photographing joy and resilience from Kolkata to Kabul.
People in Syria told Murphy they wanted the world to know what was happening in their country.
Murphy says documentary photographers must consider the agency of the people they photograph.
He avoids interrupting people and focuses on moments from their everyday lives.
Murphy says his choices involve the camera, angle and lens, rather than deciding which stories deserve attention.
- Who
- Photographer Seamus Murphy and the people he photographs.
- What
- Murphy explains his approach to documentary photography and respecting subjects’ agency.
- When
- Murphy refers to trips to Syria from 2007 onward.
- Where
- The discussion references Kolkata, Kabul, Syria and Gaza.
- Why
- To represent what is happening and share people’s stories while minimizing interference in their daily lives.
- Photographer
- Seamus Murphy
- Documented locations
- Kolkata, Kabul, Syria and Gaza
- Syria trips
- From 2007 onward
- Subjects’ wishes
- People in Syria told Murphy they wanted the world to know what was happening in their country.
- Photographic approach
- Murphy says he tries not to interrupt people as they go about their daily lives.
- Creative choices
- He chooses the camera, angle and lens used to make images.