Portrait of a barber. Damascus, Syria. From my series "Syria before civil war." Of all the images I shot in Syria, this to me is the most touching. This gentleman had worked in his barber shop in the old quarter of Damascus for years, servicing his customers with a quiet dignity. His place was just opposite the guesthouse I was staying in, and so I went in for a shave and a nose around. He spoke virtually no English but we made ourselves understood, and he quietly got on with the task in hand. At the very end, having dried my face, with a twinkle in his eye, he patted my cheek and declared it to be "like a baby!" We both laughed at this surprise outpouring of English language. When we were done I quickly took this portrait. I'll never forget his kind and gentle nature and the boyish twinkle in his eye. #Syrians #Syria #syrian #Damascus #barber #barbershop #portrait #portraitphotographer #portraitphotography #people #naturallightphotography #environmentalportrait #documentaryphotographer #documentary #documentary photography #travelblogger #travelogues #travel #travelphotography #travelphotographer #jamessebright #middleast #Muslim (at Damascus, Syria)