Photographer Yaniv Edry’s latest photo book, Tel Aviv-Haifa, explores Israel’s youth culture by reflecting on his own memories of home.

The Tel Aviv-Haifa Highway is a route along the coast that connects two large cities in Israel, Haifa and Tel Aviv, for Edry, this long stretch of road is loaded with memories, having grown up in a small town in the centre point between the two cities called Givat Olga. “This place represents an inseparable part of my childhood memories, some of which are real memories,” Edry tells us below, and it is exactly these memories that the lenser explores in this photo series.

The photographs, which were taken over a twelve year period between 2004-2016, document Israeli youth between these two imposing cities. Through this series the photographer aimed to immortalise moments from his past by re-observing them in the present. The result, stunning imagery that captures the innocence and intimacy of those young people who have grown up in this small town.

Zoe Springer: You are from the centre point between the two cities of Haifa and Tel Aviv; could you tell us a little bit about where you were born and where you grew up?
Yaniv Edry: I grew up in Givat Olga, which is a small suburb near the the city of Hadera. They are both located on the Mediterranean Coast right in the middle of two major cities in Israel, Haifa and Tel Aviv. Givat Olga has a very ‘small town’ vibe about it, it’s the kind of place where everyone knows everyone, it’s very warm and embracing – just like one big family.

Zoe: How did you first get into photography?
Yaniv: As a child I would spend time looking over the family albums, at images that my father used to photograph. I would do this for hours, so naturally, at around the age of eight, I borrowed my father’s camera and began photographing and documenting my family. At some point I noticed that I had even started directing them. At around the age of eighteen I realised that this was what I wanted to do in life and started studying photograph.

Zoe: What led you to document the subjects in your work and the Haifa – Tel Aviv Highway?
Yaniv: As a fashion photographer who shoots in a documentary style, I found myself repeatedly choosing topics that focus on adolescence. After several editorial shoots for various magazines, I noticed that most of the subjects I photograph related to that adolescence period. While working, it dawned on me that I am a nostalgic type who loves to go back to periods of time that were significant in my own life while growing up and photography is actually my way of reliving and documenting those times. 

Zoe: There’s an extremely strong connection to the past within your work; could you describe your most powerful memories growing up?
Yaniv: My strongest memories of this period are of me and my friends hanging out, we would travel in large packs of around twenty children to Tel Aviv, to the big city. We were very united, very natural, very pure and very innocent, everything was new to us and we were ready to devour the world, to discover new things. We had great style, both in fashion and music.

Zoe: You said that in your photography you try and recreate past memories by documenting today’s youth; would you consider your work process more staged or free flowing?
Yaniv: The works themselves are fashion photos from a very meticulously selected idea that is built from the exact selection of the location to the casting, styling, hair and makeup. For example, it is important for me to cast models that are new faces and do not have much previous photographic experience. I want them to be as pure and innocent without masks of over self-confidence and experience… I don’t like for them to be a part of the “game”, I want them to be as natural as possible. The next step is explaining to them the situation, the story and from there they are free to be themselves, while I document everything that happens in a flowing and natural way.

Zoe: There is a really strong sense of intimacy in your imagery; how do you develop this closeness with your subjects?
Yaniv: First;y, and most importantly, it should be noted that most Israelis are very open and flowing, which in my opinion is the primary element that helps connect people. This “Israeliness” also works in my favour as it helps my connection with my subjects, despite age gaps. In addition, I am not judgmental with my subjects, I speak to them at eye level and make sure to give them reassurance about themselves so that they will feel comfortable.

Zoe: How would you describe the youth culture in Israel? Would you say it differs greatly to previous generations?
Yaniv: In my opinion, youth is youth no matter how you look at it, although it is impossible to ignore this generation and its connection to computers, which causes a little more seclusion at home and a more virtual connection. Nevertheless, the moment you disconnect them the computers, you can see that the dynamics between young people remains the same, there’s an energy that connects them.