Photo of the Week: Salem Bajnaid

In this edition of ‘Photo of the Week’, Salem Bajnaid shares an image taken during Ramadan in Al-Balad, Jeddah’s historic old town, capturing an elderly couple preparing to break their fast on the street. The photograph reflects Bajnaid’s work as a cultural strategist, creative director and photographer, documenting the stories, traditions and everyday moments that connect people to their surroundings.

“I had my Ricoh camera with me. Recognising it immediately as a decisive moment, I took the shot,” says Bajnaid.

While helping prepare an iftar feast on a nearby rooftop, Bajnaid noticed the couple moving through the streets as people hurried to reach their destinations before the call to prayer. “Through it all, an elderly couple caught my eye, moving with a quiet, unhurried grace. I kept glancing down to watch them,” he says.

The couple laid out their sufra on the pavement, setting out dates, coffee and food as they waited for the adhan to echo through the old alleys. Before sitting down, the husband removed his shoes, “treating the pavement with the same adab and respect you would show entering someone’s home.”