Rafael Ben-Ari was born in Israel in 1971. His stated mission is to “photograph the mysteries of life through the land, up to the sky and into the depths of the oceans in a driven passion to find the equation between reality and imagination”. Rafael studied photography in the New York Institute of Photography and he has won several awards, including twice the Excellent Artist in Photography from the Israeli government and had his photo published in Doubletruck Magazine "World's Best News Pictures 2007". He is currently freelancing for Israeli and overseas newspapers and magazines and is distributed through Newscom, Xinhua and Zumapress. Please refer to his web site to read his full and captivating biography which includes childhood experiments with all sorts of visual contraptions, a miraculous escape from a lethal brain tumor, a trip to Mt. Kenya, a term as Aerial Photo Analyst in the Israeli Air Force Intelligence and a world trip from which he picked up strenuous meditation practices! Together with his partner to life, Rafael also runs an independent photography service called Chameleons Eye. Rafael Ben Ari is also offer one-on-one private workshops and lessons in Israel with the aim to help any photographer capture great images in a relaxed atmosphere.His Photography tours in Israel are custom designed courses exclusively for photographers on all levels who are serious about their craft and wish to improve their photography skills while experiencing a unique photo adventure in Israel. Check out www.israelphototours.com
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USA: New York Broken Skyline
By Rafael Ben-Ari
Posted in all, features, north america, slides on 20 August 2010
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The skyline of New York city is one of the world’s most recognizable, showcasing marvels of architecture, historical landmarks and some of the tallest buildings anywhere on the planet. Aside from the quintessential Empire State and Chrysler Buildings, New York’s skyline relies on many equally recognizable structures such as the triangular-shaped [...]

China: Animal Abuse In The Zoo
By Rafael Ben-Ari
Posted in all, features, asia-pacific, slides on 30 May 2010
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Many wild animals in zoos in China spend their entire lives in enclosures so small they can barely move. Spectators take full advantage of the zoos understaffing and routinely throw food and drinks at the animals, shouting at them to get their attention. The lack of animal rights has long been a focus of critics [...]

USA: New York City Taxicabs
By Rafael Ben-Ari
Posted in all, features, north america, slides on 20 November 2009
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The taxicabs of New York City, with their distinctive yellow paint, are a widely recognized icon of the city. There are more than 13,000 taxis operating in the city, not including over 40,000 other for-hire vehicles.Taxicabs are operated by private companies and licensed by the Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC), a New York City government [...]

China: The New Old Face Of Beijing
By Rafael Ben-Ari
Posted in all, features, asia-pacific on 7 June 2009
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By Rafael Ben-Ari, March 2009.
A year after the Olympic Games of 2008, I went to Beijing to explore what had changed and what was left from the glory days of hosting the games - and how it had affected the humble residents of this giant city.
In the past the Chinese were commonly portrayed to the [...]

Israel: Portraits of Terror
By Rafael Ben-Ari
Posted in all, features, greater middle east, slides on 27 May 2009
Stats: 862 views and 2 Comments

Since the Israeli disengagement from Gaza 4 years ago, I have worked and lived in the area of the town of Sderot located in the southern part of Israel, less than a mile from Gaza. The town has become my “Photography Focused Subject”. I have photographed hundreds of Kassam rocket attacks that have struck, hurt [...]

Israel: Black Hebrew’s Village of Peace
By Rafael Ben-Ari
Posted in all, features, greater middle east on 30 January 2009
Stats: 1,250 views and 1 Comment

Since 30 disciples followed him to Israel in 1969, the community has established and grown from only 109 original leaders. Weary of ghetto life in the United States, they followed the charismatic leader to Dimona in the Negev, the desert region of southern Israel, establishing a community and forging a new identity. All photos by [...]