Reportage photography from Afghanistan’s civil wars

Afghanistan was where my journey as a photographer truly began. Just days after my final exam, I packed a battered old Canon camera and a few rolls of Kodak Tri-X film into a backpack and set off on a long route to Afghanistan. It was 1994; the Russians had withdrawn, and the feuding mujahideen factions were locked in brutal conflict while much of the world looked the other way. The Taliban movement had just emerged, aiming to liberate Afghanistan from corrupt warlords and establish a pure Islamic society. By the end of that year, Kabul was under relentless attack, with more than 150 people killed due to rocket fire, shelling, and bombings reportedly by Taliban forces.

I didn’t really know where I was going or what I was doing. I hadn’t figured out how I would get into the country, let alone how I would get out again. What I did know was that I wanted an adventure and a chance to try my hand at being a photographer. The uncertainty was part of the allure—a test of my resilience and a step into the unknown. The images from that first trip won the Sunday Times Ian Parry Award and kickstarted my career in photojournalism.

My experiences in Afghanistan profoundly shaped my approach to photography, emphasizing the power of visual storytelling to shed light on human struggles and resilience. Witnessing the complexities of conflict firsthand, I was struck by the strength and spirit of the Afghan people amid chaos and hardship. This inspiration led me to return to Afghanistan several times over the years, each visit revealing new layers of a country in flux.

One of my most rewarding assignments came a year or so after the fall of the Taliban. I pitched a story to The Telegraph Magazine about the wedding boom in Kabul. It was a time of great optimism; businesses that had been banned under the Taliban—beauty parlours, wedding photographers, dance halls—were springing up across the city. The revival of these industries symbolized a resurgence of culture and joy after years of oppression. Documenting this renaissance allowed me to capture a different side of Afghanistan, one filled with hope and the desire for normalcy.

Through my lens, I aimed to showcase not just the devastation of war but also the enduring human spirit that perseveres in the face of adversity. Whether covering the resurgence of banned businesses or the daily lives of people rebuilding their communities, my goal was to provide a nuanced portrayal of Afghanistan beyond the headlines. These experiences reinforced my belief in the importance of photojournalism as a means to connect people across cultures and to highlight stories that might otherwise go untold.

From those early days in Afghanistan to my subsequent projects around the world, my work has consistently sought to delve into themes of resilience, identity, and the choices individuals make in challenging circumstances. Photography has been my way of exploring and understanding the complexities of human existence, one frame at a time.