When American photographer Leah Schmidt arrived in Saudi Arabia over four years ago, little did she know she'd end up launching a photo series chronicling her trips across the kingdom.
Her breathtaking Instagram series offers a rare glimpse into the kingdom's vast cities, traditions, and people.
Speaking to StepFeed, Schmidt, who recently moved out of the kingdom, explained that she started taking photos of cities across Saudi a few months after her arrival.
When asked why she decided to launch the series on Instagram, she said:
"At the time, most photos of Saudi Arabia were either of the Riyadh skyline or something to do with Mecca and didn't show much of the kingdom's diversity. I shared my series on Instagram because I wanted to show Saudi to people outside of the country."
On her most moving experience
We asked Schmidt to share what she considers the most moving moment she experienced during her time in the kingdom and she said there were many:
"I've had so many experiences, but I would say some of the best would be seeing the roses in Taif, exploring the unique southern culture in Assir, learning about the last local rice farmers in Al Ahsa and traveling through the almost otherworldly landscapes of Tabuk."
One thing that also struck the talented photographer was the kindness she was always met with.
"The kindness and hospitality shown no matter where I went made each experience special."
"Saudi Arabia is much more dynamic, diverse and colorful than it might seem at first"
When asked how her perception of Saudi Arabia changed after she started her photo series, Schmidt said:
"My perspective changed greatly over the four years I was there. As street photography became larger in Saudi Arabia and I had the chance to meet more Saudi photographers I was able to see and learn so much from them."
"Each experience helped open up a country that can seem very closed off to foreigners. I found that with a little (sometimes a lot) of work, Saudi Arabia is much more dynamic, diverse and colorful than it might seem at first," she added.
Assir... "another world within Saudi Arabia"
Wadi Disa... the kingdom like you've never seen before
Jeddah's Al Makiyyah House
What you'll only get to see in Souq Al Qaissariya
Al Balad in Jeddah
Sunsets in the kingdom
For more photos from the series check out Schmidt's Instagram page.