ED JONES via Getty Images In a photo taken on April 13, 2017 Jong Kwang-Hyok (10) poses for a portrait on a football field at a school for orphans on the outskirts of Pyongyang.

With huge displays in parades of military might, it’s easy to forget the individuals who live and work in the reclusive nation of North Korea.

Agence France-Presse photojournalist Ed Jones has been taking portraits of North Korean citizens since being assigned to the agency’s bureau there in 2016.

The photos show glimpses of the people who don’t usually get in front of the camera, though there is an approval process that Jones has to go through to get the images.

“Access to people is an important facet of my photography. But it can be something of a challenge in North Korea,” Jones wrote in a blog post for AFP. “Approaching people on the street for interviews or taking candid photos outside of designated areas is generally frowned upon.”

ED JONES via Getty Images In this photo taken on Feb. 18, 2017, Pak Song Hyang, 30, stands between sewing machines at a facility described to AFP as the "Pyongyang bag factory" in Pyongyang.

Requests to photograph citizens are usually approved. Two North Korean AFP staffers have to be with the photographer at all times.

Jones is usually pressed for time in portrait sessions, but believes it doesn’t hinder the final result.

“But despite the speed with which these portraits were taken and the reticence of most of those who agreed to pose, there was still a moment of intimacy involved ― however brief ― that felt authentic and unguarded,” Jones wrote.

See more photos by Ed Jones below:

ED JONES via Getty Images Marathon runner Pak Chol poses for a portrait after winning the Pyongyang Marathon, at Kim Il-Sung stadium in Pyongyang.

ED JONES via Getty Images Pak Han-Song, 11, poses for a portrait on a beginner's slope at the Masikryong, or Masik Pass, ski resort near Wonsan. AFP was told that Pak was a member of a youth ski camp.

ED JONES via Getty Images Students Jo Jong-Im, 19, (left) and Jo Kwang-Hyok 31, pose for a portrait following a mass dance event in central Pyongyang.

ED JONES via Getty Images Shooting instructor Kim Su-Ryon poses for a portrait at the Meari Shooting Range in Pyongyang. Kim is holding a Paektusan target pistol, gifted by late North Korean leader Kim Il-Sung. Visitors to the range can pay $10 to shoot 10 rounds.

ED JONES via Getty Images Figure skaters Nam Yong-Myong (left) and Choe Min pose for a portrait in Pyongyang. The skaters were performing at the Paektusan Prize international figure skating festival.

ED JONES via Getty Images Student Jo Chong-A, 10, poses for a portrait in a subway station of the Pyongyang metro.

ED JONES via Getty Images Sailor Kim Il-Su poses for a photo on a boat used to host wedding photo shoots on the Taedong river in Pyongyang.

ED JONES via Getty Images Hong Kum-Ju, 27, poses for a portrait at the food factory where she works, in the eastern port city of Wonsan.

ED JONES via Getty Images Toddler Mun Ji-Song poses for a photo with his parents at the entrance to the Central Zoo in Pyongyang.

ED JONES via Getty Images Kim Chol-Nam, 30, poses for a portrait at the ski hire desk where he works at the Masikryong, or Masik Pass, ski resort near Wonsan.

ED JONES via Getty Images Ri Yong-Hwa, 23, poses for a portrait in a classroom at the Kim Jong-Suk silk mill in Pyongyang. A regular fixture on the itineraries of foreign journalists and tourists, the Kim Jong-Suk textile mill is named after the grandmother of current North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un.

ED JONES via Getty Images Kim Su-Min, 11, poses for a portrait before offering flowers to the statues of late North Korean leaders Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il at Mansudae hill in Pyongyang.

ED JONES via Getty Images Jong Kwang-Hyok, 10, poses for a portrait on a football field at a school for orphans on the outskirts of Pyongyang.

ED JONES via Getty Images Chief Engineer Choe Yong-Jun poses for a portrait at the Wonsan Youth Power Station, a hydroelectric plant outside the eastern port city of Wonsan.

ED JONES via Getty Images Amateur volleyball player Kim Hyok poses for a portrait during a practice session, in Pyongyang.

ED JONES via Getty Images Student Cha So-Yon, 18, poses for a portrait in a subway station of the Pyongyang metro.

ED JONES via Getty Images Kim Hyun-U, 12, poses for a portrait as he takes part in a seasonal initiative referred to as a "do good things" campaign, in which residents are encouraged to sweep and tidy the city, in a park in Pyongyang.