Identity: Layla

“My name is Layla, and I am from Tel Azer, in Shingal. I studied accounting at university and played soccer in my free time, but my dream is to be a journalist. I am the photographer for The Lotus Flower. I took the Storytelling Sisters photography course in the summer of 2019 and have been photographing since, as well as writing poetry that tell the stories of the photos. I feel like this is a big part of my identity, and I am able to express myself through photos and words.

I took this picture of my father sometime last year, and he has recently passed away. I’m grieving a lot, he was a really important part of me, so this picture is one of my most prized possessions.”