Iranian photographer Sasan T Farsani explains the story behind his online photo journal Tehran24.com, which celebrates its tenth anniversary this year

“ DURING THE MID 1990s when digital photography was still in its infancy, one cold and snowy winter day in Tehran I decided to take several photographs and email them to friends and family who lived outside the country. I knew those pictures would bring back some good memories for them. What I didn’t expect was the extent to which they were then circulated over the internet: friends emailed them to friends of friends, and so on. I received numerous emails from people I didn’t even know, encouraging me to continue posting photos of Tehran online.

“With the help of my brother Siavash, who is based in the US, I started Tehran24.com in 1998. He takes care of the site’s technical aspects, the administration and programming, and I handle the design, photography and online gallery updates. By profession, I produce short films, music videos and documentaries.

“Today the website has a database of over 9,000 images as seen through my camera lens, and we feature the occasional guest photographer’s gallery. Taking photos has become a way of life. Due to lack of parking spots in certain

areas of the city, I’ve sometimes taken photos from behind the wheel – so I’ve had numerous traffic tickets for ‘driving under the influence of photographic subjects’. For the website, I’ve captured familiar sights, the daily lives of people in the city – the happy and not-so-happy moments.

“The aim of the website is to portray Tehran and Iran without taking sides, and to show the true face of the people and the country. In our comments section, people from Tehran have posted some of their most personal thoughts and memories. But believe it or not, some people out there still think Iran is made out of sand and that people live inside tents with their camels parked outside. I hope Tehran24.com helps to clear some of those barriers of misunderstanding.”

Market scene Shoppers and traders mingle at Tehran’s labyrinthine Chahar Soogh bazaar, 2007.
	Skyline and snow A view of the city against the backdrop of Mount Alborz, 2002. The mountain is snow-capped for nine months of the year and is a major skiing destination among Middle Easterns and increasingly for world travellers, too.
Street life Female relatives with two young children cross Eghbaal Street, on their way to visit the bazaar, 2007.
	Before sunset The sun sinks behind the Borj-e Milad (Milad Tower), 2007. The tallest tower in Iran, the Milad combines office space with a five-star hotel and convention centre.
Breadth-taking The Milad Tower, one of the world’s tallest buildings (shown on the previous page) was the vantage point for Farsani when he took this photo of Tehran in 2006.
	A youthful bloom A group of children attempts to charm passing motorists, including Farsani, into purchasing flowers, 2002. Farsani often takes photographs from his car due to the scarcity of parking spaces in Tehran.