In this podcast we talk to Iranian photographer Farhad Berahman about his journey into documentary photography from a chance beginning as a photographer’s assistant.  He discusses the challenges of being a documentary photographer in Iran, particularly relevant to his powerful project The Crab of Sanctions, in which he documents the impacts of sanctions on the people of Iran. In The Crab of Sanctions, Farhad chose to focus on the medical impacts - the lack of medicines and treatment available for civilians as a consequence of the sanctions. The project draws particular attention to the vulnerable children and adults suffering from cancer and other life threatening diseases, who now have limited access to the treatments they need to survive; the sanctions not only limit medicines but also imported advanced medical technologies, vital for diagnosis. Farahad shot this story in black and white, inspired by a love of early Magnum photographers. We also discuss his interest in the rise and future of citizen journalism and its impact on story telling and the role of the professional photographer.