On Testing Your Luck - fata morgana II

A quote from my former photobook professor, Thomas Gust, stayed with me throughout my journeys in Egypt’s New Administrative Capital (NAC): “A photographer’s success always depends on their courage.”

I thought of this line every time I debated whether to risk entering a site through the front door. Often, I did. I’ve been detained with a friend, chased off construction sites by security with a metal rod, and repeatedly asked to delete photos - thankfully, I always carried a backup memory card. More often, I had to dodge suspicious looks and make a quick getaway.

But just as often, I circled back, returning another day with a different approach. I don’t recommend anyone take similar risks just for a few photos. But I want to share the stories of how I gained access - not to inspire recklessness, but to emphasize throwing yourself out there into the world, even though you might not know the outcome, to use opportunities as well as to reflect on the perceptions that others have of you. Here are three key moments:

The Innovation Fair One afternoon, I spotted a group of students taking a break near the St. Regis Almasa Hotel. After ordering food, I struck up a conversation and learned they were attending an innovation fair. They invited me to join, claiming I was one of their classmates.

Once inside, I mingled as though I were an event photographer, taking photos for attendees. This led to a request for a portrait of Youssif, a student and actor, who posed enthusiastically. The result: a (hopefully) iconic image in my project, where Youssif symbolizes more than just himself.

The Iconic Tower The NAC’s Central Business District is heavily secured. Drawing inspiration from graffiti artists’ boldness, I drove straight to the main gate, feigned confidence, and struck up a friendly chat with the head of security. I claimed to be an architecture student and expressed my fascination with the Iconic Tower.

After bonding over tea and a discussion about German cars, he invited me to return on a quiet day. When I finally got access, I had only five minutes at the top of the tower. In that short time, I captured three important images for my project.

The Gated Community On my third trip I worked with a close friend from Cairo as a translator. At the entrance to a gated residential area, he told the guards I was a German investor scouting properties. A discreet tip smoothed the way for us to explore independently.

Inside, I knocked on the door of one of the few occupied houses. A young man my age answered. While he declined my request to photograph him and his family at home, he unexpectedly invited me to visit a tower his father was constructing in the NAC. There he agreed to pose for portraits.

Moments like these - random and unplanned - are what I love. Because photography requires a great bit of luck and sometimes all we can do really is to try and create situations in which chance encounters become possible.

Louis Roth is part of Issue 17 by Guest Editor Torbjørn Rødland.

Check out his Artist Feature fata morgana.