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| 1. |  | Afghan box camera project photographer 2011, May Mia Muhammad, former box camera photographer in Kabul Gelatin silver print Afghan Box Camera Project Courtesy of the Afghan Box Camera Project - www.afghanboxcamera.com Until recently Mia Muhammad worked outside of the Red Cross Orthopedic Centre in Kabul taking photographs for patients' identity cards. |
| 2. |  | Afghan box camera project photographer 2011, May Qalam Nabi, box camera photographer in Kabul Gelatin silver print Afghan Box Camera Project Courtesy of the Afghan Box Camera Project - www.afghanboxcamera.com Qalam Nabi, one of the last two working box camera photographers in Kabul, who was kind enough to share with us some of his long practiced box camera techniques. |
| 3. |  | Afghan box camera project photographer 2011, May Javed poses for a box camera photograph being taken by Qalam Nabi Digital image Afghan Box Camera Project Courtesy of the Afghan Box Camera Project - www.afghanboxcamera.com |
| 4. |  | Afghan box camera project photographer 2011, May The projected image of Javed on the focusing plate inside of the box camera of Qalam Nabi Digital image Afghan Box Camera Project Courtesy of the Afghan Box Camera Project - www.afghanboxcamera.com |
| 5. |  | Afghan box camera project photographer 2011, May A box camera image of Javed taken by Qalam Nabi RC paper, box camera photograph Afghan Box Camera Project Courtesy of the Afghan Box Camera Project - www.afghanboxcamera.com |
| 6. |  | Afghan box camera project photographer 2011, May Rohullah focusing his box camera Digital image Afghan Box Camera Project Courtesy of the Afghan Box Camera Project - www.afghanboxcamera.com Rohullah, one of the last two remaining box camera photographers in Kabul, has been in the trade for over forty years. Here he is in the process of copying a digital passport photo. Copying passport photographs with a box camera is quite common. |
| 7. |  | Afghan box camera project photographer 2011, May Rohullah exposing his box camera Digital image Afghan Box Camera Project Courtesy of the Afghan Box Camera Project - www.afghanboxcamera.com Whisking the lens cap away by hand, Rohullah exposes the paper inside of the camera. |
| 8. |  | Afghan box camera project photographer 2011, May A negative image on a wooden holder of Rohullah's box camera Digital image Afghan Box Camera Project Courtesy of the Afghan Box Camera Project - www.afghanboxcamera.com Negatives are placed on a holder in front of the camera in order to re-photograph them. Rohullah's son, sitting in the background, will not be following in his father's footsteps as box camera photography is likely to disappear in Afghanistan soon. |
| 9. |  | Afghan box camera project photographer 2011, May Rohullah fixes the images Digital image Afghan Box Camera Project Courtesy of the Afghan Box Camera Project - www.afghanboxcamera.com The fixer and developer solutions are positioned in trays inside the box camera. |
| 10. |  | Afghan box camera project photographer 2011, May Rohullah cuts the photos Digital image Afghan Box Camera Project Courtesy of the Afghan Box Camera Project - www.afghanboxcamera.com A handy drawer is found on the side of the camera for keeping photos. |
| 11. |  | Rohullah 2011, May Box camera portrait by Rohullah RC paper, box camera photograph Afghan Box Camera Project Courtesy of the Afghan Box Camera Project - www.afghanboxcamera.com |
| 12. |  | Rohullah 2011, May Box camera portrait by Rohullah RC paper, box camera photograph Afghan Box Camera Project Courtesy of the Afghan Box Camera Project - www.afghanboxcamera.com |
| 13. |  | Rohullah 2011, May Box camera portrait by Rohullah RC paper, box camera photograph Afghan Box Camera Project Courtesy of the Afghan Box Camera Project - www.afghanboxcamera.com |
| 14. |  | Afghan box camera project photographer 2011, April Baba Sher's box camera Digital image Afghan Box Camera Project Courtesy of the Afghan Box Camera Project - www.afghanboxcamera.com A box camera belonging to the oldest surviving box camera photographer we met in Kabul. |
| 15. |  | Afghan box camera project photographer 2011, April The front of Baba Sher's box camera Digital image Afghan Box Camera Project Courtesy of the Afghan Box Camera Project - www.afghanboxcamera.com The lens-hole of the camera is adorned by a compact disc for extra effect. Two rings of nails decorate the inner and outer circles of the disc. |
| 16. |  | Afghan box camera project photographer 2011, April The focusing plate inside of Baba Sher's box camera Digital image Afghan Box Camera Project Courtesy of the Afghan Box Camera Project - www.afghanboxcamera.com |
| 17. |  | Afghan box camera project photographer 2011, April Muhammad Sohail Noori's box camera Digital image Afghan Box Camera Project Courtesy of the Afghan Box Camera Project - www.afghanboxcamera.com |
| 18. |  | Afghan box camera project photographer 2011, April Lilac box camera, from the front Digital image Afghan Box Camera Project Courtesy of the Afghan Box Camera Project - www.afghanboxcamera.com One of the more aesthetically extravagant box cameras we came across. |
| 19. |  | Afghan box camera project photographer 2011, April Lilac box camera, from the back Digital image Afghan Box Camera Project Courtesy of the Afghan Box Camera Project - www.afghanboxcamera.com |
| 20. |  | Afghan box camera project photographer 2011, April Zekria's box camera lens Digital image Afghan Box Camera Project Courtesy of the Afghan Box Camera Project - www.afghanboxcamera.com The lens used on this box camera is from Russia by Conga. |
| 21. |  | Afghan box camera project photographer 2011, April Inside Mia Muhammad's box camera Digital image Afghan Box Camera Project Courtesy of the Afghan Box Camera Project - www.afghanboxcamera.com The inside of Mia's camera corroded by years' of exposure to photographic chemicals. Developer on the left and fixer on the right side. |
| 22. |  | Afghan box camera project photographer 2011, April The view through Mirways Hakeemy's box camera Digital image Afghan Box Camera Project Courtesy of the Afghan Box Camera Project - www.afghanboxcamera.com At the far end of the camera you can see a photographic paper holder made of stiffened card and weathered newspaper. The holder can be revolved into a horizontal position to take group portraits. |
| 23. |  | Afghan box camera project photographer 2011, April Mia's Muhammad's paper box Digital image Afghan Box Camera Project Courtesy of the Afghan Box Camera Project - www.afghanboxcamera.com The wear and tear on Mia's photographic paper box, kept in a light tight box inside the camera, is testimony not only to the corrosive power of the chemicals splashing around his camera, but to the fact that business for him was good for years. |
| 24. |  | Afghan box camera project photographer 2011, May Tinting a box camera negative Digital image Afghan Box Camera Project Courtesy of the Afghan Box Camera Project - www.afghanboxcamera.com Qalam Nabi tints one of his negatives to balance the contrast. |
| 25. |  | Afghan box camera project photographer 2011, May Copying an old passport photo with a box camera Digital image Afghan Box Camera Project Courtesy of the Afghan Box Camera Project - www.afghanboxcamera.com These copies were taken by Kabul photographer Qalam Nabi in Kabul. A woman by the name of Shogul asked Nabi to make copies of an ID photo of her deceased husband. |
| 26. |  | Afghan box camera project photographer 2011, May Asad Ullah and his brother Muhammad Usman Gelatin silver print Afghan Box Camera Project Courtesy of the Afghan Box Camera Project - www.afghanboxcamera.com The two brothers both own photographic studios in the same area of Kabul. The charismatic Asad and his older brother Muhammad with his great wealth of knowledge helped us greatly to understand the history of the box camera. |
| 27. |  | Afghan box camera project photographer 2011, May Ahmadin Taufiq Digital image Afghan Box Camera Project Courtesy of the Afghan Box Camera Project - www.afghanboxcamera.com Ahmadin Taufiq was an entrepreneur in the 1950s and '60s importing photographic equipment from Europe to Afghanistan. He, together with his business partner Afandi, were in part responsible for the former popularity of the Afghan box camera in the country |
| 28. |  | Afghan box camera project photographer 2011, May Baba Sher, the oldest photographer in town Digital image Afghan Box Camera Project Courtesy of the Afghan Box Camera Project - www.afghanboxcamera.com Baba Sher does't work as photographer any more but still looks over the business in his shop in the south of Kabul. He is the oldest living photographer in the capital. According to him, over 100 years of age. He taught many Kabuli photographers the trade of box camera photography. |
| 29. |  | Abdul Samad 1950s (ca) Box camera portrait FB paper, box camera photograph Afghan Box Camera Project Courtesy of the Afghan Box Camera Project - www.afghanboxcamera.com This is one of the oldest box camera photographs we found. |
| 30. |  | Abdul Samad 1950s (ca) Box camera portrait FB paper, box camera photograph Afghan Box Camera Project Courtesy of the Afghan Box Camera Project - www.afghanboxcamera.com This is one of the oldest box camera photographs we found. |
| 31. |  | Afghan box camera project photographer 2011, May Assad Ullah looking through his work Digital image Afghan Box Camera Project Courtesy of the Afghan Box Camera Project - www.afghanboxcamera.com From working as a box camera photography in his youth, Asad Ullah has seen many changes during his career. One of his main occupations nowadays is touching up portraits on Photoshop. |
| 32. |  | Afghan box camera project photographer 2011, May (taken, date of original unknown) Portrait - Before and After Photoshop Box camera photograph/Digital reproduction Afghan Box Camera Project Courtesy of the Afghan Box Camera Project - www.afghanboxcamera.com A box camera image photoshopped by Asad Ullah. Asad has many requests to retouch old family photographs of deceased relatives. |
| 33. |  | Afghan box camera project photographer 2011, June Ahmadin Taufiq's Photo Studio Digital image Afghan Box Camera Project Courtesy of the Afghan Box Camera Project - www.afghanboxcamera.com Adorned with a myriad of images from Indian movie stars to baby pictures and hand coloured photos of clients, friends and family, Ahmadin's photo studio in Kabul is now run by his youngest son Jalal. |
| 34. |  | Afghan box camera project photographer 2011, May Ahmad Ansari's photo studio in Mazar-e-Sharif Digital image Afghan Box Camera Project Courtesy of the Afghan Box Camera Project - www.afghanboxcamera.com Ahmad's eldest son Fardin (center) is already learning how to use Photoshop. |
| 35. |  | Afghan box camera project photographer 2011, May Ahmad Ansari positioning his 'Indian' camera Digital image Afghan Box Camera Project Courtesy of the Afghan Box Camera Project - www.afghanboxcamera.com Ahmad still occasionally uses a large format camera - known in Afghanistan as an 'Indian' camera - to take black and white portraits which he hand colours. |
| 36. |  | Afghan box camera project photographer 2011, May Ahmad Ansari hand colouring a large format photograph. Digital image Afghan Box Camera Project Courtesy of the Afghan Box Camera Project - www.afghanboxcamera.com |
| 37. |  | Afghan box camera project photographer 1970s (ca, original) Hand-coloured large format portrait Digital reproduction from a black and white print on pearl paper Afghan Box Camera Project Courtesy of the Afghan Box Camera Project - www.afghanboxcamera.com We came across the Tagin Studio, a small photo studio in Mazar-e-Sharif in the north of Afghanistan, displaying stunning hand-coloured photographs on the inside of the shop. |
| 38. |  | Afghan box camera project photographer 2011, May Qalam Nabi carrying his box camera and tripod Digital image Afghan Box Camera Project Courtesy of the Afghan Box Camera Project - www.afghanboxcamera.com At the end of every workday, Qalam Nabi packs up his camera and puts it in storage on the street where he has his pitch. |
| 39. |  | Afghan box camera project photographer 2011, May A portrait of Elias Taufiq in the Taufiq Studio Digital image Afghan Box Camera Project Courtesy of the Afghan Box Camera Project - www.afghanboxcamera.com |
| 40. |  | Afghan box camera project photographer 2011, April Inside the box camera of Abdul Satar Digital image Afghan Box Camera Project Courtesy of the Afghan Box Camera Project - www.afghanboxcamera.com The 'box' of the box camera doubles as a storage space for work tools and accoutrements. |