Tariq Zaidi

Tariq Zaidi is a freelance photographer currently based out of London, UK. In 2014, he gave up an executive management position in an events business to pursue his passion for capturing people’s dignity, strength and soul within their environment. His photography documents social issues, inequality, traditions and endangered communities worldwide. Tariq self-assigns, funds, researches, and writes his work.

Elie Fontaine, 45-year-old taxi owner and sapeur for 35 years, in Brazzaville, 2017.

In 2016, Tariq was named as one of the “Top 10 Travel Portrait Photographers” you should know” by the International Photography Awards (IPA), focusing on social issues and inequality within various societies across the globe. In 2018, Tariq was awarded one of the Premier Awards in POY75 (Pictures of the Year International Competition) – “Photographer of the Year” Award of Excellence for his work from North Korea, Congo and Brazil. He was also awarded The Marty Forscher Fellowship Fund for outstanding achievement in Humanistic Photography, presented by PDN and Parsons School of Design, USA. In 2019, he was nominated to the Prix Pictet. In 2020, his work from Congo, El Salvador and Georgia was recognised 5 times by POY77 (Pictures of the Year International Competition) including 1st place in Portraits Series, 2nd place Spot News and 3rd Place Issue Reporting. In Sep 2020, Tariq’s work entitled “Sapeurs: Ladies and Gentlemen of the Congo” was shown at Visa Pour L’image, International Festival of Photojournalism. In Oct 2020, Tariq was awarded 1st place Photojournalism Category for his work from El Salvador by Amnesty International’s 2020 Media Awards in recognition of his commitment to human rights.

Tariq is currently working on multiple projects, including a long-term personal monograph titled “Capturing the Human Spirit”, which is a visual anthology about hope, dignity, and community in some of the poorest regions of the world. Images from the first three chapters of this work made in the slum communities of Haiti, Brazil, and Cambodia were featured at Visa Pour L’image, International Festival of Photojournalism, in September 2018.

His first book Sapeurs: Ladies and Gentlemen of the Congo, published in September 2020, was selected by Vogue as one of the “Best Fashion Books of the Year 2020”. Designed by Stuart Smith, published by Kehrer Verlag Germany and co-edition with Seigensha Art Publishing, Japan. The book was recognised by Pictures of the Year International POY78 (one of the most prestigious photojournalism competitions) as a Finalist for “Photography Book of the Year 2020”. The photo book is already on its second printing.

Maxime Pivot, 43-year-old teacher of La Sape and sapeur for 36 years, in Brazzaville, 2017.

Tariq has been the recipient of many major international photography awards (including eight POYi, nine IPA, five NPPA, three PDN, UNICEF, AMNESTY INT’L etc). His work has been shown in over 80 international exhibitions and he has worked on projects and assignments in 21 countries across four continents.

Tariq is a self-taught photographer and holds an M.Sc. (Master of Science) from University College London, UK. His work is represented by Zuma Press (USA), Caters News Agency (UK) and Getty Images (UK). He is an Eddie Adams Worksop 2015 Alumini.

Going back to his early roots as a teacher. Tariq continues his passion for education and has taught courses on photojournalism, documentary photography and advanced photography at the prestigious Central Saint Martins and London College of Communications, University of the Arts London, and other photographic institutions in the UK. He also presents his work at conferences and universities internationally.

BOOKS:

Tariq’s first book “Sapeurs: Ladies and Gentlemen of the Congo” was published in September 2020. The book was selected by Pictures of the Year International as one of the “Photography Books of the Year” and also by Vogue as one of the “Best Fashion Books of the Year”. The photo book is already in its second printing.

“Sin Salida” presents images from El Salvador – the gang violence and its impact on society from 2018 to 2020, when the country underwent great political change. The book will be published in September 2021.