Port-au-Prince by night, through the lens of photographer Josu Azor

Josu Azor, 28, is a photographer working in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. His latest project a series called Noctambules has the artist walking the streets at night, meeting people and photographing his encounters.

Josu Azor takes over the @cbcarts Instagram feed starting November 23

CBC Arts Posted: Nov 23, 2015 8:45 AM EST | Last Updated: November 23, 2015

Josu Azor, 28,is aphotographer working in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. His latest project a series called "Noctambules" has the artistwalking the streets at night, meeting peopleand photographing his encounters. He has alreadypresented part of this project in both Guadalupe,French Guyana and at home in Haiti.

Josu Azor (Courtesy of Productions Emergent )

Photographing at night

Port-au-Prince does not have streetlights illuminating the city, solight sources are always a consideration for Josu, who ventures out between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. "I need to be guided by light wherever I go, be it candlelight or electricity," he says.

"Everything happens on the street. I don't use flash. I use very minimal equipment, so that way I can build the trust of the people I'm shooting. I don't want them to feel intimidated by me. The process is based on spontaneous encounters and when I talk to people, I try to be quick because people are not always comfortable with photography.

"It's important to me really that the city is sleeping when I go. That is why I call it Noctambules."

Becoming a photographer

Josu was initially uncertain about his career path, and whether he had the talent to pursue it. "I had some friends who believed I had talent, but because they were my friends I thought it was just them. But then I met a professional photographer and he encouraged me to continue."

"I like the fact that when you're taking pictures of a subject you can be in it and also out of it at the same time. I really like that situation to have a larger view of what you are photographing but also to have a connection with the subject."

As he grows as a photographer, the lessons in humanity have been profound: "You are always learning about your people yourself. That is a very interesting part of the mtier."

Living in Port-au-Prince

"There is a Haitian saying 'la calle c'est la calle' home is home." But home is not always easy.

"Many Haitians want to leave for a better life and I understand some of them but that is not my situation. I travel a lot. I am always happy to leave but always happy to come back too."

Follow Josuon Instagram: @jazor2. And meet him Friday Nov. 20 8:30/9NT on Interrupt This Program: Port-au-Prince