Eid Al Adha in East London on Ilford and Fomapan 35mm Films, June 2025

I didn’t set out to document Islamic communities and cultures as its own specific story initially, but the amount of hate filled comments, death threats, and overall negativity I encounter when sharing work featuring Muslims, or even people some might mistake for Muslims, makes me feel that there is something worth saying with these images, and as such I have allocated more time to this documentation.

I’ve previously written on this blog about the London Arba’een Procession, in 2019 and 2020, and more recently last year when I shared some images from Green Street and Little Ilford Park during preparation, prayers, and celebration of Eid, which are not my best images, but set me along the path I now find myself in this particular narrative. I am especially happy with the portrait of the two men with flower blossoms tucked behind their ears, and the one of the girl pulling on the branch – images which confront the austere and detached way Islam is often depicted.

I am acutely aware of narratives and perception of Islam in the UK, and carry that context whenever I line up a frame in these contexts. My recent local documentation during Eid Al Adha was not too far from a video I made with a wonderful Documentary Filmmaker, Tim Jamieson, during which I photographed a ritualistic mourning event similar to Arba’een, but on a much smaller scale. I made a few mistakes under the pressure of being on camera while working (not Tim’s fault!) and was eager to make up for these.

I walked to Green Street early on the evening of Eid, where tables and stalls were already being set up and selling various home-made treats. Further along were huddled women decorating henna/mehndi patterns on one another’s hands. I took a few frames as the sun was setting, but the streets really livened up after that, and I started to use flash.

I had a medium-wide lens which allowed a good inclusion of the space, the way the high-street was being used by the community, and the interactions along the edge of the pavement. Once I finished the 100 speed film I’d loaded earlier in the day I switched to Ilford Delta 3200, exposing it at 1000, using the method as I discussed in this article. (LINK ARTICLE!)

I had hoped for some jubilant celebration, but the rain seemed to keep people hurried onwards, and no loud street party style gathering ever materialised, but the general vibe was still really lovely to work in. Fairly cliche street images overall, but the story they are a part of elevates them very slightly, and I think one or two may be good situations to try and revisit for a cleaner, better composed outcome.

The following morning the rain continued, which led to many of the local “Prayer in the Park” events being cancelled, including the one I usually attend at Little Ilford Park. However, I managed to catch some of the volunteers as they were leaving who told me that the one in Plashet Park would likely be going ahead. I jogged over and found the rows forming, and was happy to be able to photograph as they settled down for their service.

Along with my rangefinder I decided to bring my Nikon F3, with a 200mm lens in order to reach into the crowd and pick out details. The images from this lens are my favourites of the event, with such a classic feel and precise crop of reality. It’s been a while since I last used a long lens for this type of application, having rediscovered the utility of wide angles for general purpose work, and it really helped me feel good about the work I was making.

After prayers concluded everyone began hugging and smiling, which was a lovely moment to photograph.

After this many approached me asking how much I was charging for photographs, which I found funny, and on hearing it was free they began to arrange themselves for me. I wasn’t able to photograph everyone who asked, which I always feel bad about but I told them to catch me the next time they see me so I can make up for it.

I always feel very peaceful and welcome in these spaces, some of the easiest situations to photograph, and a constant challenge to make something fresh to my eyes as well as the ongoing conversations they will hopefully contribute towards.

Positive or negative people do have a reaction to these images, these communities, and this body of work, so I think the story is worth continuing to tell. There is and will be a value to these photographs, and I also think there are not enough photographers making this kind of work; despite being a prodectable and well publicised event I was the only photographer on Green Street and in the Park (unless someone was very stealthy and I didn’t see them). If there’s anything you think you could bring to a similar community in your local area it is very much worth the effort.

Thank you for reading! If you like my images and projects you might want to follow me on Instagram, where I share work and updates along the process. You may also enjoy this short promo/hype video, part of the Ilford #MyFilmStory series. I buy my film mostly from Analogue Wonderland.

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