From TikTok to Minefields: Capturing the Unexpected Reality of Iraq's Women Deminers

As I set up my makeshift studio in the Mines Advisory Group training base in Kurdistan, Iraq, I expected to photograph somber, conservative Yazidi women whose culture was shrouded in mystery and bizarre rumors. Instead, I found myself directing a TikTok-inspired pose from a Yazidi woman in full traditional dress, complete with ornate headwear and golden adornments - and Adidas sneakers peeking out from underneath.