Dusty Wyndow Blog

Noun Someone who is half-black, half American Indian. A pedigree of the human race. Excels at friendship, flip cup and being a magnet for women. A jerk. A jackass. Stupidity sometimes due to alcohol or drugs. – source Verb To have your face randomly and/or voluntarily painted by total anonymous strangers To join a mighty local march started by a group of people who proudly paint themselves in colors among which Black, Red or Blue. To have the fun of your life screaming your lungs out shouting the famous Zambo anthem To enjoy the fact that everybody’s happy around you To be able for a day a year at least, to have everybody stare at your pitch black face going back home and having your parents freaked out the first instant they saw you To add another unforgettable day to your life span of unbelievable facts To see the people of Mina drinking, dancing and singing to the tunes of Zambo all while having an outrageous dose of fun painting the faces of bypassers here and th...

The only fact that I spent last night with my all-time favorite Lebanese underground band, Mashrou’ Leila, is enough to get my hyped for the coming month, well how about meeting one of the most impeccably attractive voices of all and not recognizing her until the day after? Yes, I met Hindi Zahra and I couldn’t even recognize her then. However, my morning was totally different. A team of photographers had invaded the corridors of Al Safadi Cultural Center for the occasion of covering TEDxAzmi main event on November 23 rd 2013, and I was to coach them throughout the day.  They received well my hints and tips and therefore were more than ready to cover the event. We shared lenses and we exchanged batteries, I saw every one of them putting effort into getting those shots and making history until next year where the event’s assumed to get bigger and better. I never felt any prouder to have been the one to cover such an event from A to Z, with the help of my fel...

Takbeerat March, Photo by Ahmad M. Halawani I would never forget her when she followed our trail when leaving the khankeh, begging us for some diapers for her child, thinking we were some sort of an association, and not knowing that every lira was either donated by people who never knew each other, and by our own pocket money. That was more heartbreaking than anything else that whole time. I'm talking about the time we visited the "Khankeh", a place well known to old Tripolitans. It's the place where widows gather and are sorted out in a room each with her children, and sometimes more than a family need to fit inside the same room. I was explaining to my dear friend Soha, who came all the way from Beirut to Tripoli to celebrate Eid our own way, and cheer up the kids of Khankeh. I was explaining to her the history of this place, and how it was established and treated during the ottoman empire, and how it eventually ended up a worn out shelter for a bu...

I had always wondered what the Baddawi Camp for Palestinian Refugees looked like. Although it was only 10 minutes away from my residence in Tripoli, I've never been there before. We Love Tripoli ’s event Shoot as you walk was my opportunity to have been there for the first time in my life, and to my good luck, holding my camera, fully loaded and focused on taking pictures. Waylon and Reine were invited to come along and spend the morning with us in the camp, to have a better outlook on the situation Palestinian refugees are living in. Eight-thirty that morning was our time to ride the bus heading to the camp. I was, as most of the people there, concerned about the security measures and of course, whether a permit was taken in order to take photographs inside the camp. The organizers, and especially Taha Naji, have already taken this into consideration and obviously got the permit and an additional entourage throughout the camp. Our first stop was around an old dysfunctional ...

Enough of the challenge posts already. Yesterday's Shoot as you walk was simply unbelievable. I must admit I missed the big groups and the humongous number of people gathering at certain times of the year in the shoot, most of them being newbies to the activity, and simply strolling down the streets I thought I knew well. It seemed to me that I mostly didn't know my town as much as I thought. Photo Courtesy of my dear friend Karim Zock The night was beyond awesome, especially that Ramadan is coming to an end and Eid Al Fitr holiday is right at the corner. Parents and newly-weds filled the alleys of old markets looking for the greatest bargains of all, to prove to themselves that their country still allows them to buy decent low priced-clothes at least once a year for their deprived children, or for the groom to buy "the" gift for his fiancee with the amount of money he had saved ever since they got engaged. 5000LBP (3$) shoes are everywhere to the point that yo...

There were 12 of us, gathered indifferently, totally randomly. We didn't know each other before, we were clueless of who will we meet, what we'll be doing, and what would the reactions be like. 12 distinct bodies we were, but it appeared to me later that we were much less than 12, we were one. Each and everyone of them was the joy the streets witnessed that afternoon, sticking their cardboards on restaurants windows, or simply popping up in front of the passengers, thus spreading happiness, if not with a hug, then by a simple gesture. They were heroes, explaining our goal for anyone who wondered, breaking the ice to anyone who had his doubts and fears, bringing joy to silent alleys and dull restaurants. Smile never left their faces even though the whole walk was seriously tiring under that afternoon's burning sun. Too many people spotted us, too many souls rejoiced for once, too many smiles were born that day, too many lives will be changed afterwards. I recall some of ...

Seems like this is one of the few events/occasions that slipped my mind - feels a bit shameful to have left that out. The following is my own footage of the German Music Concert held at the Safadi Cultural Center in my old town Tripoli, still having the strongest hangover since the latest rumble in town calmed down. Music was so enchanting that I was tempted at SO many times to hold my camera by the hand and just listen, but the sight was obviously too good to miss. I'll leave you to the photos.