Extraordinary Portraits

Twenty six years ago Araf was working in the family business near Glasgow when his mother suffered a cardiac arrest. Watching the paramedics at work awakened something in him and he decided to pursue a career in the Scottish Ambulance Service, becoming both the first Muslim and the first South Asian paramedic north of the border.

When he is not saving lives on the road, Araf works with local mosques and gurdwaras, equipping them with first-aid knowledge and providing a bridge between communities.

Attempting to capture this remarkable man is photographic artist Brock Elbank. Brock began his career in high-end fashion, but his love of celebrating people who may go unrecognised in society has led him down a very different path. His photographic projects focus on idiosyncratic and unique features, such as scars, birthmarks and skin conditions such as vitiligo.

Brock is fascinated by capturing the private stories behind the public persona, but will he find a way to tell Araf's story in a single photograph?