Leila took the above photo of her friend from back home, who she met up with while living in Canada as an international student.
LR: "We met after not seeing each other for four years in Canada.  We were at the same school together in undergrad in Iran.  We took the camera and had fun with it. It was nice to see old friends from home in Canada!"

Photography: an Opportunity to Adapt, Change, Grow and Be Bold!

Posted on behalf of International Student Support as part of the International Perspectives Archive series.

Leila Reyhani is a former computer networks Master’s student from Iran who served as a Peer Supporter in International Student Support for the 2011-2012 school year.  She began taking pictures in 2007 with an analog camera and switched to digital in 2008.  Since then, she’s done several photography courses and enjoys taking photographs with her friends.

Leila Reyhani photo 1

During her first year at Ryerson, Leila took photos for McClung’s magazine. “I didn’t have any idea that when I came to Canada that I would have the opportunity to feature my work in a magazine,” said Reyhani.

Reyhani’s journey in Canada has helped her grow as a person, despite initial challenges. Her moods, including loneliness, homesickness and the excitement of experiencing something new are often reflected in her photography.

The following includes five photos she’s taken and how she feels about them.

This quote from Che Guevara came to mind when I took this picture: "What do we leave behind when we cross each frontier? Each moment seems split in two; melancholy for what was left behind and the excitement of entering a new land."
This quote from Che Guevara came to mind when I took this picture: “What do we leave behind when we cross each frontier? Each moment seems split in two; melancholy for what was left behind and the excitement of entering a new land.”

 

Leila took the above photo of her friend from back home, who she met up with while living in Canada as an international student. LR: "We met after not seeing each other for four years in Canada.  We were at the same school together in undergrad in Iran.  We took the camera and had fun with it. It was nice to see old friends from home in Canada!"
Leila took the above photo of her friend from back home, who she met up with while living in Canada as an international student.

LR: “We met after not seeing each other for four years in Canada.  We were at the same school together in undergrad in Iran.  We took the camera and had fun with it. It was nice to see old friends from home in Canada!”

LR: "This was an assignment for McClung’s magazine. This girl wrote an article and I had to take fun portraits of her. The article was about hair. McClung’s encouraged me to believe in myself." Leila joined McClung’s as a way to escape homesickness and get involved on campus to make a life for herself at Ryerson.
LR: “This was an assignment for McClung’s magazine. This girl wrote an article and I had to take fun portraits of her. The article was about hair. McClung’s encouraged me to believe in myself.”

Leila joined McClung’s as a way to escape homesickness and get involved on campus to make a life for herself at Ryerson.

 

LR: "I saw a similar image in a photography book and tried to do the same. It turned out completely different though and I am happy with it."
LR: “I saw a similar image in a photography book and tried to do the same. It turned out completely different though and I am happy with it.”
LR: "This was taken the first week that I moved to Toronto.  My sister brought me to Toronto Island and I was so excited to take such a photo on the boat!  It was a really nice day."
LR: “This was taken the first week that I moved to Toronto.  My sister brought me to Toronto Island and I was so excited to take such a photo on the boat!  It was a really nice day.”