Steep lives in the Hindu Kush, Afghanistan

[Andrea Taurisano]

Hi folk

I've been doing some geological surveys here in Afghanistan the last couple of weeks, which gave me the opportunity to get some photos of the communities up in the Hindu Kush. If you feel like taking a look... More will follow. Cheers

http://ilcimento.wordpress.com/2012/...h-afghanistan/

[rxmd]

Thanks, nice shots among them. Badakhshan is a beautiful place, natural disasters notwithstanding.

Overall I'd have edited that down to maybe ten pictures given the overall similarity, though. Basically there are four types of shots: mountain scenery, village architecture, old men, young people working with you. Not much of the people's "lives" is visible; there are no women, for example; or no religion; and next to no context to most of the people shots that would make it clear what they are about. Maybe it would have been asking too much of you (given the kind of assignments and schedules that one tends to have as a foreign expert in Afghanistan, you don't get to hang around village communities a lot).

[Andrea Taurisano]

Originally Posted by rxmd

Thanks, nice shots among them. Badakhshan is a beautiful place, natural disasters notwithstanding.

Overall I'd have edited that down to maybe ten pictures given the overall similarity, though. Basically there are four types of shots: mountain scenery, village architecture, old men, young people working with you. Not much of the people's "lives" is visible; there are no women, for example; or no religion; and next to no context to most of the people shots that would make it clear what they are about. Maybe it would have been asking too much of you (given the kind of assignments and schedules that one tends to have as a foreign expert in Afghanistan, you don't get to hang around village communities a lot).

Thanks. And you're right, schedules have been fairly pressing here. We did have time for a tea with the village people a couple of times, but otherwise no chance to just get into their houses and talk. As you maybe know, male photographers may not photograph women in Afghanistan, it's probably the only thing that can upset them (their men too) and get you into trouble.. I did take portraits of two of them, with permission of course, but they wouldn't like the world to see their faces.. cultural barriers to be respected.

But otherwise, yes, fewer shots could tell the same story. Yet I'm asked from many sides to share as much as possible, so I pretended that blog page was like a large light table on which I spread color slides (I miss that feeling, you know..). Viewers will pick the slides that most capture their eye ;-)

[nebraska]

Andrea,

Thank you for posting these humane pictures of real people. Living, as I do, in the USA (although from Europe), it is good to see these pictures of real Afghans since we are continuously bombarded by the "mayhem" of suicide bombers and NATO military responses in the news media. We need more of these kinds of pictures.

[Andrea Taurisano]

Originally Posted by nebraska

Andrea,

Thank you for posting these humane pictures of real people. Living, as I do, in the USA (although from Europe), it is good to see these pictures of real Afghans since we are continuously bombarded by the "mayhem" of suicide bombers and NATO military responses in the news media. We need more of these kinds of pictures.

I've got a number of (IMO) beautiful pix and especially close portraits of Afghan people in their villages, which I'm going to post in a few days, as soon as am back in Europe.

I've been in fact in more mountain villages than most people who served will ever see, simply because the organisation I was with works with the locals and takes care of their expats' safety in exactly the opposite was to the military and some NGOs, that is restricting for them the access to many areas, driving around with massive bullet-proof vehicles and jackets, all sort of protections, flagging all the time their presence and so on. Instead, I was one of two europeans amon tens of Afghans, I drove Afghan cars with Afghan drivers, no logos, no weapons, no protections other than "being one of them". I believe that will show from the portraits I'm going to post, so stay tuned..

[paulfish4570]

beautiful light, and a handsome people. i saw one fellow with a slung AK ...

[jsrockit]

Very interesting, thanks for posting.

[Andrea Taurisano]

Originally Posted by paulfish4570

beautiful light, and a handsome people. i saw one fellow with a slung AK ...

Yeah, that guy and a few more of his club (read "improvised policemen who can neither read nor write, not to mention their knowledge of the law"..) accompanied me up a steep mountain where I assessed the landslide hazard for the village. The local governor (...) obliged us to have these guys with us because "he could not garantee our safety otherwise". Those guys climbing around me with a finger constantly a millimeter from the trigger were probably the greatest danger I was in during my stay here..

[robklurfield]

Andrea, very nice work.

[muser53]

Andrea,Thank you for sharing your wonderful images of what must have been a beautiful experience.

Paul