Reportage photographer Kevin McElvaney discovered his passion for photography during his studies and travels. He wanted document the places he visited and the people he encountered. That passion initially steered him toward freelance jobs photographing live music gigs and sports photography, but his nature drew him back to documentary and reportage. Inspired by a desire to help people tell their own stories during the refugee crisis, Kevin travelled to Greece in 2015 to give people disposable cameras, which they could capture their experiences with. But the story didn’t end there.
![Fascinating before and after images of refugee crisis epicentre](/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/beach-rescue-KevinMcelvaney.jpg)
A boat landing on Dec 11, 07:25am. International volunteers have been on site to help refugees, who suffer from hypothermia and other side effects after their 6hour long dinghy-ride to Lesbos
Kevin’s drive to tell human stories and explore the lives we lead and spaces we inhabit led to a fascinating series of before and after images, the first set, captured in 2015 during the height of the refugee crisis in Europe and the second, from when he returned this summer. We spoke with Kevin to learn more about his kit, technique and motivations for capturing the images in this project.
How long have you been taking pictures for and what camera/lenses did you use for these photos?
What initially inspired you to head out to Greece to photograph the refugee crisis?
![Fascinating before and after images of refugee crisis epicentre](/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/beach-KevinMcelvaney.jpg)
In 2015, NGOs and international volunteers rescued refugees, who arrived just minutes before from there 6-hour long ride to the shores of Lesbos near the Mitilini Airport. Today, at the exact same spot, you see families swimming and relaxing on the beach again.
What was going through your mind in the moments pictured during your 2015 trip?
![Fascinating before and after images of refugee crisis epicentre](/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/shop-front-KevinMcelvaney.jpg)
Compare December 2015 vs. June 2017: This is a shoe shop at Fevzi Paşa Boulevard, #Izmir in Turkey. In 2015 I wondered to myself about shops like these, which preferred selling life jackets instead of shoes or clothes. But since 2016 the smuggling business is shrinking, especially the dangerous route on dinghies from Turkey to Greece. As a result of this, the life jackets have (almost) disappeared from such shops.
Why did you decide to revisit the locations?
How did you manage to recreate the frames so accurately? What was the hardest part about doing this?
What thoughts were provoked by seeing how drastically the place has changed?
You can see the rest of Kevin’s images from this project and his latest work over on his Instagram account. Click on any of the images above to visit his page.