Portrait and documentary photographer Jeremy Fokkens takes the reader on an international journey, sharing captivating stories and photographs of the people who call Nepal and Bangladesh home.

Motivated simply by his excessive curiosity for the less travelled and remote environments, Fokkens began this project with one change of clothes, a bagful of photography equipment and a commitment to photograph eight consecutive months that started in 2011. Fokkens’s images capture intimate moments of his subjects in their daily lives, depicting human resilience and survival and finding beauty in the unknown. His photographs include portrayals of Nepal and Bangladesh workers, the resilience of children and the simplicity of portraiture. Fokkens exemplifies a strong moral conviction that building trust and spending time with his subjects is of the utmost importance when taking pictures of strangers. His work uses sharp, stimulating imagery where texture, depth, natural light and the unfamiliarity of places and spaces expose a surprising world in hopes of transforming the viewer’s perspective, if only for a second, to a place where the treatment of life might otherwise be misplaced or taken for granted.

Jeremy Fokkens is a classically trained dancer turned professional portrait and documentary photographer who taught himself photography while dancing overseas. He travels extensively to developed and developing countries alike, sharing captivating stories and inspiring viewers on a social and personal level while visually educating audiences by raising awareness about social issues, globalization and world culture. Fokkens’s recent projects have included a self-funded eight-month photography project, traveling to Nepal, Bangladesh and Sierra Leone in 2011; photographing Calgary’s notorious Cecil Hotel days before its closing; and guest speaking to inspire Calgary’s youth for the Calgary Board of Education and Calgary Public Libraries. His newest project is titled “Strangers.” His credits include Nikon Finalist Black & White Spider Awards, Finalist International Travel Photographer of the Year 2011 and 2012, TEDx Dhaka, and Invisible Photographer Asia as well as group and solo exhibitions throughout Canada and the United States. Jeremy lives in Calgary, Alberta.

Jeremy Fokkens' profile page