Photographing Iraq: This Isn’t the Country You Think You Know

May 19, 2025

Sarah Teng

When I mentioned to friends and family that I was heading to Iraq, the reactions were a mix of surprise and concern. Questions like, “Is it safe?” and “Why Iraq?” were common. But as a photographer driven by curiosity and a desire to capture unique experiences, I saw Iraq as an opportunity to explore a land rich in history, culture, and resilience.

A person stands on the spiral ramp of the ancient brick Malwiya Tower of the Great Mosque of Samarra in Iraq, framed by two large arched brick walls under a partly cloudy blue sky.

A Photographer’s Ideal Destination

Our route took us from Baghdad to Babylon, Najaf, Karbala, Samarra, Mosul, and up into the mountains of the Kurdistan autonomous region. At every stop, I found myself drawn to the everyday texture of life in Iraq — the vibrant bazaars, rugged geography, and friendly locals who welcomed us with open arms. As a photographer, I know it’s not a well-known destination, but it was a dream nonetheless. Iraq is layered with history, color, and contrast, from ancient ruins and immaculate mosques to bustling city streets and hidden alleyways.

Also worth mentioning, the locals absolutely loved being photographed and weren’t bothered by cameras. People would pose, wave, invite us in for tea, or simply smile and wait patiently for the photo to be taken. Even without sharing a language, photography became our bridge.

An elderly man wearing a checkered keffiyeh and a suit jacket sits outdoors, smiling gently. Colorful hookah pipes are visible behind him, and the background is a sunlit, blurred street scene.

A man in traditional clothing sits at a market stall, smiling while holding a string of beads. Colorful beaded jewelry and fabrics hang around him, with a brick wall in the background.

The Gear I Brought Along

Photographing Iraq required a balance between versatility, flexibility, and portability. We were often out and about for the entire day, so I had to be pretty selective with the gear in my sling bag so that I wouldn’t be lugging around heavy equipment all day. Below is a breakdown of the gear that helped me document this incredible journey.

My main camera was one of the best hybrid cameras out there, in my opinion, the Sony a7RV, and it was the only camera body I brought with me for handling both photo and video. The 61-megapixel full-frame sensor was ideal for capturing immaculate details in architecture and gave me tons of flexibility to crop in on portraits if I needed to.

As for lenses, I brought the Sigma 50mm f/1.2 DG DN Art because it would be perfect for street portraits or low-light situations, offering a shallow depth of field and tack-sharp images. All of the portraits in this article were shot on this lens – it’s an amazing piece of glass! I also carried the Sigma 14mm f/1.4 DG DN Art. I brought this lens specifically for the Kurdistan region of the trip since I knew we would be in the mountains and I could utilize the f/1.4 aperture for astrophotography. It’s a beast of a lens, but pretty large and heavy, so it mostly stayed in my camera bag until the last leg of the trip. I also had two zooms with me: Sony’s 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II and Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 GM II.

Other Cameras

Fujifilm X100F: I borrowed this camera from a friend (Thanks, Faizal!) so that I’d have a smaller digital camera to default to when we went out for dinner or at night, since it has a built-in flash and could easily fit in my sling bag.
GoPro Hero 11 Black: In my opinion, this is the easiest way to film POV footage that isn’t super noticeable or intrusive. I used a chest mount and tried to wear a button-down shirt or jacket over it so it was less obvious.
Kodak PIXPRO WPZ2 Digital Camera: This was a recent gift from a friend (Thanks, Andy!), and I felt like this trip was the perfect opportunity to put it into use. It’s a teeny tiny camera that I could easily throw in my bag without noticing the weight, and it was fun to shoot low-res video (with 4x optical zoom). It’s also waterproof up to 50ft — not that I used it underwater on this trip, but the possibility was there.
Leica Minilux: This is a 35mm point-and-shoot film camera that my uncle passed down to me. It is another small camera that I like to throw in my bag and have on me because nothing matches the vibe of film other than film.
iPhone 16 Pro: One of my most-used cameras of all time, I ended up using my phone not only to shoot photos in RAW, but also to shoot video in Apple ProRes Log.

The Journey

We started our journey in Baghdad, visiting various landmarks and getting our first round of Iraqi history lessons. From wandering the streets of Old Town to photographing Al-Shaheed Monument (The Martyr’s Monument), it was a crash course in Iraq’s modern identity. But what truly stood out was our first Iftar at Al-Kadhimiyya Mosque, where we broke fast with hundreds of locals who treated us like honored guests, reminding me how powerful shared moments can be, even without shared language.

Two large, blue-tiled, dome-like structures stand on a spacious, empty plaza under a cloudy sky. The structures, known as the Al-Shaheed Monument in Baghdad, resemble split and intact domes.

Two modern, curved buildings with teal-colored tiles are shown against a pale blue sky. The structures’ sweeping, smooth surfaces create an abstract architectural composition.

A close-up view of the pointed corner of a modern, tiled building against a pale, cloudy sky, photographed from below to highlight its geometric and symmetrical lines.

From there, we traveled south to Babylon, Najaf, and Karbala. Babylon was an ancient city in Mesopotamia, recognized as one of the world’s earliest civilizations. We wandered through the old city grounds, casually coming across ancient relics with Sumerian Cuneiform on them (the first written language). Unfortunately, there are numerous historical landmarks like this in Iraq that haven’t been properly excavated and preserved due to a lack of funding.

A person in a light robe sits beneath a large brick archway, facing away, with sunlight illuminating the ancient, yellowish walls and arches in the background. The scene is serene and architectural.

A wooden walkway leads across dry, rocky terrain to a large, historic yellow building atop a hill, surrounded by sparse vegetation under a partly cloudy sky.

A person’s outstretched hand holds a small, jagged piece of stone outdoors, with a blurred, rocky background.

A person’s hand holds up a weathered clay tablet with ancient inscriptions, with a rocky, barren landscape in the background under a hazy sky.

A man stands outdoors on a rocky terrain, holding up a stone in one hand and a book in the other, looking intently at the stone. He wears a light-colored T-shirt and has dark hair and a short beard.

Najaf and Karbala are two of the holiest cities in Shia Islam, and we visited at one of the busiest times of the year, to celebrate Eid al-Fitr at the end of Ramadan. Navigating the shrines through hundreds of people was chaotic to say the least, but we got a private tour of certain areas that weren’t yet open to the public, where I was able to take these photos.

A large group of people sit in rows along a long table on a city street, sharing a communal meal at dusk, with buildings and signs lit up in the background.

A grand hall with ornate marble columns, intricate mirrored ceilings, and sparkling chandeliers, illuminated by warm lighting. Red carpets cover parts of the polished marble floor.

A grand hall with ornate marble columns, intricate mirrored ceilings, and large, elegant chandeliers hanging in a row, creating a luxurious and opulent atmosphere.

A grand, illuminated courtyard with intricate arches and tilework, flanked by two large, ornate buildings at night; glowing lights outline the rooftops and a central fountain is decorated with flowers.

One of the most unexpected highlights of the trip was Mosul, a city still rebuilding after the devastation of ISIS occupation in the 2010s. We met locals who shared their stories, visited churches that had once been occupied and destroyed, and witnessed the resilience of a community determined to move forward. It was raw, honest, and visually shocking.

A tall, historic minaret stands in the background, framed by festive string lights and flags, with a group of people gathered near an ornate stone archway in the foreground.

Aerial view of heavily damaged, collapsed buildings in a city. Rubble and debris cover the ground, with walls and roofs partially destroyed. The area looks deserted and affected by conflict or disaster.

A wide view of a cityscape with many damaged and partially collapsed buildings, suggesting destruction. The sky is mostly clear with scattered clouds, and the city stretches into the distance.

A pile of rubble, broken concrete, debris, and discarded items lies in front of a damaged building, with overgrown grass and weeds emerging through the wreckage.

The interior of a heavily damaged, partially collapsed building with ornate walls, burnt ceilings, and piles of rubble covering the floor. The word "SAFE" is spray-painted on the back wall amid the destruction.

For our last two days, we headed north into the Kurdistan autonomous region, starting in Erbil, where I wandered through the souk (street market) and found so many interesting characters to photograph. I shot all of these on the Sigma 50mm f/1.2 DG DN Art lens, which was easily one of my most-used lenses throughout the entire trip. The shallow depth of field and beautiful rendering gave a softness and intimacy to the portraits, even in the midst of the market’s constant chaos. It’s sharp, fast, and made my street photography feel personal and cinematic.

A man with a thick mustache wears a light traditional outfit and multiple long beaded necklaces. He stands outdoors, gesturing with one hand while holding more beads in the other, looking confidently at the camera.

A man with a mustache smiles warmly while reaching out with his arm. The background is softly blurred, drawing focus to his cheerful expression.

An elderly man in traditional clothing sits among colorful, patterned rugs hanging behind him, looking thoughtfully at the camera. The scene is warmly lit, highlighting the vibrant textile designs.

An older man with a gray beard stands beside a beige Toyota car on a sunny street, wearing a light plaid shirt and dark jeans, holding prayer beads. Buildings and flags are visible in the background.

An elderly man wearing traditional clothing and a patterned cap sits on a chair with his legs resting on a stool, eyes closed, beside stacked cardboard boxes against a yellow brick wall.

An elderly man with a mustache sits in front of a brick wall, wearing a light gray button-up shirt and dark pants, holding prayer beads in his hands and looking calmly at the camera.

We continued north and spent a night camping in Choman among snow-capped mountains, which was one of my favorite memories of the entire week.

I brought the Sigma 14mm f/1.4 DG DN Art lens with me specifically for this leg of the trip. The ultra-wide focal length let me fully capture the snow-capped mountains, our dreamy little tents, and the golden light spilling across the wooden decks all without distortion.

Snow-capped mountain peaks under a clear sky, with a few scattered buildings and stone walls in the foreground. Early morning or late afternoon sunlight highlights the rugged landscape.

When golden hour quickly turned into blue hour, the lens handled the quick shift in lighting beautifully, preserving sharpness and detail even as the mountains disappeared into shadows. I set up my tripod for a timelapse to shoot into the night and take advantage of the lens’s f/1.4 aperture, but only 30 minutes later had to abandon the mission as a huge storm started to roll in. This was a total contrast to everything we’d seen so far and felt like a different country altogether. It was a perfect way to close out the trip.

View from inside a tent looking out at a wooden patio with chairs and a table, surrounded by snow-capped mountains under a clear sky. String lights hang along the tent frame.

A cozy tent with string lights is set up on a wooden deck at dusk, surrounded by outdoor chairs and a table, with mountains and a few buildings visible in the background.

A warmly lit tent sits on a rocky hill at dusk, surrounded by snow-capped mountains under a clear, starry sky. The landscape is serene and remote, with soft evening light highlighting the peaks.

This Isn’t the Iraq You Think You Know

Iraq is a land of contrasts: ancient and modern, serene and bustling, resilient and welcoming. Through my photography, I aimed to capture not just images but stories that challenge perceptions and highlight the country’s rich heritage and vibrant communities.

A cluster of bright pink bougainvillea flowers grows over a white wall beside a parked white car on a sunny street, with palm trees and a utility pole in the background.

A woman in black abaya walks in a historic courtyard with arched doorways, yellow brick walls, and a tall, ornate minaret in the background under a clear sky.

A person standing outdoors holds up a banknote and a card toward the camera, with the Malwiya Tower, a spiral minaret, visible in the background under a partly cloudy sky.

Two uniformed soldiers take selfies with a smiling young woman in a city street, while another soldier in the background poses and makes a peace sign, creating a lighthearted moment.

For photographers seeking to explore beyond the conventional, Iraq offers a truly unique and rewarding experience, not only shifting how you shoot, but also how you see the world.

Full disclosure: Sigma provided lenses on loan for use during this excursion. They have since been returned.

Image credits: Photographs by Sarah Teng

Features, Spotlight, Travel

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