Corporate Photography in Afghanistan

I returned on Sunday from a week in Kabul, Afghanistan.  This is the fifth visit to a “war-zone” to photograph the work of a Private Security Company on the ground.  Kabul is tricky though.  Movements around the country are very restricted; and in the last month there have been two big explosions (added to all the smaller ones!) that have taken many lives in the capital itself.

The company I was commissioned by is an incredibly professional organisation, with great team members and a very clear ethos of security and safety – which is always nice to be part of when you are in a country going through such difficult times.  Certain parts of Kabul are more secure than others, but in general terms, it’s all a little risky.  So, getting the images that were a bit easier, in places like Libya and Iraq, of the company working outside the gates and in the community was going to be tricky.  We did travel about a bit, but with a clear brief not to be seen photographing by the very many different national and international security staff all over Kabul, well, it made things tricky.

So we concentrated on getting the images where we could of the teams training and practising drills and skills.

The temperature range is quite impressive too at this time of year.  No rain or even very many clouds, but in the middle of the day up to 25 degrees, and at night dipping below freezing.