The rugged faces of the Syrian men present a photographer’s dream. I was always on the lookout for an interesting face. I don’t have a story to match each face as generally these would be men with whom I’d have a brief, chance encounter.

My favourite portrait would have to be this man who I encountered on the border of Turkey and Syria. I was in the Syrian hills shooting some photos of the valley in Reyhandli, Turkey. This man walked past me with a white horse in tow and watched me for a while.

I gestured with my camera if I could take one of him and he obliged without a word and without a smile and then quietly continued walking down the road with his white horse.

My portraits always followed a long process of small talk. The key is to first develop a rapport and trust with your subject. The Syrians were just as interested in me as I was in them so if I saw an interesting looking person, I’d stop the car and get out and chit chat for a while … or a long while in some cases as they always appreciated some company.

When the time came to leave, I would do as Arabs normally do and make a speech – in my limited Arabic – about what an honour it was to have passed these moments with my new friend … and may I take a photo so that I could forever remember this wonderful occasion. They always obliged.