After an Iranian drone strike, a photographer captures this quiet human moment

SHARJAH, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Altaf Qadri is an award-winning Kashmiri photojournalist based in Dubai, with over 16 years of experience working for The Associated Press. A World Press Photo winner and a National Geographic All Roads Fellow, Qadri has covered significant global events and conflicts, focusing on social issues and human rights.

Here’s what he had to say about this extraordinary photo.

Why this photo?

This was the second day of the Iran war and of Iran’s retaliation by targeting Gulf countries, especially the United Arab Emirates, long seen as a safe haven in a troubled Middle East. Several locations across the UAE had been targeted by Iranian drones since the start of the conflict, though most were intercepted in the sky. The previous day, a drone hit the world’s busiest airport, Dubai International, and two five-star hotels. Those attacks were among the most significant developments of the war, and as a photojournalist it was my job to visually show what was going on, even though police and security rarely allow journalists to photograph scenes like this. You still have to try your luck.

How I made this photo

My AP video colleague and I were initially trying to cover the shutdown of Dubai International Airport, which had been hit by a drone the previous evening. We were searching for a vantage point that would show the terminals and parked planes when we noticed thick smoke billowing from the far side of the airport. After finishing at the airport, we decided to follow the smoke. It led us into Sharjah, the neighboring emirate, where we eventually found the source in an industrial area of large warehouses. A warehouse storing auto parts was burning, sending up a huge column of fire and smoke. Police and members of the fire brigade were pushing people back and would not allow anyone close, let alone photographing near the scene, so I decided to work from a distance. While I was shooting, I noticed this gentleman, a briefcase in one hand and a mobile phone in the other, standing and watching the smoke for about a minute. Then he turned toward me and walked away with a weary expression. That was the moment I took this photograph. I used a Sony A1 camera with a 24–70mm lens.

Why this photo works

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To me, this is an unconventional way of showing the repercussions of a conflict, anchored in a quiet, human moment. I could only imagine what was going through his mind as he watched the smoke. The scene felt surreal. In that instant, he came to represent the resilient expats and working class people in the Gulf who, regardless of what happens around them, have to keep going.

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