Handprints dot the wall in Essaouira, Morocco.
Photographer: Bruno Barbey
Date: 1985
The colors just work: the subject’s orange hand and henna-dyed fingernails match the orange wall in the background. The composition is thoughtful, too: the subject — centered, anonymous, facing their own shadow — is surrounded by open five-fingered hands, the khamsa (or hamsa), which is thought to symbolize strength and protection from evil spirits. The subject’s own hand is upright, a khamsa of their own.
This photograph was the cover image of the July 1988 issue of National Geographic Magazine.
Bruno Barbey was a highly accomplished Moroccan-French photographer. Recognized for his work documenting conflict zones in many parts of the Middle East and Asia, he chose not to define himself as a conflict photographer but as a photographer invested in culture and social change. His non-war-related work is just as impressive. Specifically, his photography from Morocco is colorful, bold, and striking.