Moises Saman

Moises Saman is a documentary photographer and member of Magnum Photos, currently based in Amman, Jordan. He began his career as an intern at Newsday and later became a staff photographer. The attacks of September 11, 2001, just one year into his tenure, fundamentally altered his trajectory, sending him first to Afghanistan and then to Iraq, drawing him into the global coverage of conflicts that followed. Trained within a traditional journalistic framework, Saman gradually moved toward a more reflective approach focused on the long-term human consequences of war.

Over the past two decades, his work has been deeply rooted in the Middle East, documenting many of the region’s most transformative moments. His coverage spans the aftermath of 9/11, the US invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, the Arab Spring uprisings, the rise of ISIS, and the fall of the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad. Often working in conflict zones, his photography extends beyond the frontlines to civilian life, displacement, memory, and the enduring effects of violence.

Saman’s work has received awards, including the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography (2025) and a Guggenheim Fellowship in Photography (2015). He is a regular contributor to National Geographic, The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, TIME, and Doctors Without Borders.