Fairfield, Australia -- Nicholas Al-Jeloo may regard himself as an amateur photographer but he understands the power of an image.

The Bonnyrigg Heights resident has opened his collection of photographs as part of the Panorama: Are We There Yet? exhibition at the Marsden Gallery at Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre.

The photographs were taken in 2009, during Al-Jeloo's travels through Syria, Iran and Iraq - the birthplace of his Assyrian parents. Raw, unmodified and strikingly simple, they capture everything from the mundane to the extraordinary - from an elderly couple standing proudly outside their modest home, to the powerful sight of a bullet-ridden cross atop an abandoned church.

Most importantly, they captured moments in time that might be lost forever, Al-Jeloo said.

"The Assyrian people are leaving the Middle East in droves because they have no political power, and when you go there you feel there is a danger that they will not be there in 20 years or 50 years," he said.

"I wanted to document their weddings, parties, religious ceremonies and basically their traditions.

"It's something that Assyrians here, in the west and in Australia, have no idea about, because those that live here are in their own little Diasporic bubble."

While the Middle East has been the scene of turbulent times recently -- Al-Jeloo managed to avoid the uprisings in Syria and Iran during his recent travels -- he said it was a wonderful source of both photographic inspiration and human kindness.

"The people are very simple and very welcoming -- they would give you their last piece of bread," Al-Jeloo said.

Panorama: Are We There Yet? is on display at Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre until March 13. Entry is free. Details: 9824 1121.