For more than 5 years, Khuzestan has been engulfed by dust storms. This phenomenon is an environmental crisis and poses numerous health concerns for the citizens of Khuzestan.

"One of my greatest motivations is to create images that ignite a sense of fascination and appreciation in the viewer but more so to encourage involvement and responsibility in their preservation."

"Winning the Student Focusprize is a beautiful feeling. The moment I received the award, I could see the reward of a lot of work so it was a wonderful and unforgettable moment."

"Without travel I am anxious. My horizon is something I want to explore rather than a line in the distance that remains still."

"The way I approach my photography has been relatively unchanged for the past decade, I hope the execution has become more refined but the way I look at the world and react to it is much as it was then."

"It gave me a deep respect for their job, to go out with their herd of sheep, day after day, with average temperatures of -20 degrees celsius, fighting against wind, ice and snow."

The project spawned itself during my first visit there, when I discovered that there are many unexpected layers to the country over and above the standard narrative.

"The idea to ask each of the sitters to write their own testimony is borne out of a desire to work collaboratively with the young people and give them a voice to talk directly to the audience without the filter of a journalist's questions."

"My obsessions overflow into my physical surroundings as if I have run out of space in mind to tend to them. The outer reflects the inner, and it is these reflections that assist me on my journey."

Tom Oldham is a London-based portrait photographer, focusingmostly on portraits of musicians, sports stars and other "talented folk". He works in locations across the UK and worldwide.