Sitting in the sand staring out at the Persian Gulf, a cool breeze is blowing, the sound of the waves begin to provide a sense of calmness and photographer Sepehr Movaghati is trying to capture the moment in front of him.
From Oct. 6 to 10, Movaghati will debut his photography exhibit “People of the Sea” that was taken in the South of Iran with his DSLR Olympus E-420 camera.
“I was looking for the feeling you get when you stand in front of the sea, and how there can be many different emotions,” Movaghati said. “You can be scared or relaxed. It’s unique for each person.”
The exhibit is held on the second floor of McWherter Library, and has music to go along with the photos. Movaghati’s friend and master violinist, Petros Christidis, composed the music. Christidis worked on the music when he was close to the Mediterranean Sea in Greece, and improvised most of it.
“You hear all different kinds of sounds when you are standing in front of the sea,” Movaghati said. “The idea is to have all of these feelings shown through music.”
Movaghati and Christidis came up with the idea together to add music to the pictures while at Café Eclectic on Highland Street. Their main focus was to capture the emotion and sound that comes with being at the sea.
“I love all of these pictures,” Movaghati said. “Except for one. I really love the pictures that have color, show diversity, and I like the time that you can spend looking at some of these photos.”
Sylverna Ford, dean of libraries, is excited about the exhibits opening. She understands the emotions that come between the man and the sea.
“These photos show connectivity,” Ford said. “The oceans connect everything, and these photos really are very nice. The pictures are very simple, but there is a lot of depth in such a simple picture.”
Ford’s personal favorite picture is “Memorize the Life Slices,” it’s a man overlooking the sea. The music that goes along with it gives the viewer an idea of a different culture and way of life.
“We consider the library as a part of the academic community," Ford said. “Photos are communication. People connect with this information.”
The Office of Multicultural Affairs and The Persian Student Association are sponsoring the exhibit. The Persian Student Association is a non-profit organization on campus, created by Iranian students with the purpose of publicizing Iranian culture. Movaghati is the president of the association.
Movaghati’s photos can be found by typing in the artworks name on YouTube. His pictures from the Gulf will appear along with Christidis’ composed music. Christidis’ music hopes to capture the sound of the sea and try to make one feel they are at the Persian Gulf.
