Bamian

Photographer's Note

Good Morning TE!!
No, it is not a view on my small garden taken from my window…
This photo was taken just after visiting the giant Buddhas (more like the ruins of them…) of Bamian that you all have heard about… right?.... OK. I decided to climb to the top of the mountain to get a sense of the view on Bamian city (capital of the Hazara people, a minority ethnic group in Afghanistan) and valley. To get to the top, there is a tiny corridor delineated with white stones (indicating this part has been mine cleared) showing the way. As you walk there you’ll find a lot of souvenirs from the last decades, bullets from as many weapons you can imagine, pieces of shrapnel, etc. I found this little pile, surrounded by white stones, like a sort of absurd totem. As you can see most of the bullets are still unused, you find lots of them all over the place, in the fields… This has become part of ordinary landscape in Afghanistan. I had to get slightly out of the mine cleared area to get this shot, so don’t tell my mother please… After sometimes living here you don’t pay too much attention to them but I thought you might be “interested” to know what Afghanistan looks like, outside the “white stones areas”…

Cheers,

Vincent

robertosalguero, gabrielpat, euryan, worldcitizen, eversmile, manub, kajspice ha contrassegnato questa nota come utile

Critiques | Translate

gabrielpat (7163) 2006-10-29 3:47

Une belle compo,plans parfaits;Très évocateur.
merci.

robertosalguero (292) 2006-10-29 3:49

Sad reality in many countries. Wars are not good because of the lives destroyed. The picture is good. It raises awarenes of this reality. Good colors and perspective to show this beautiful place. Cheers from Canada.

Roberto

ben4321 (9875) 2006-10-29 4:47

Afghanistan is a country that I have long wanted to visit, ever since I was a young boy reading stories of the Great Game.
Your photograph shows the modern reality of this sad country; beauty and brutality coexisting in an unforgiving landscape.
A powerful image.
As we're also here to critique each other's photography, I'm afraid that the noticeable tilted horizon bothers me a bit.
Cheers,
Ben

euryan (8442) 2006-10-29 10:37

Very interesting "landscape photo" Vincent. The valley below looks so peaceful and beautiful, but this pile of bullets tells us that it may not be as peaceful as it seems. It's a sad reminder of their country’s war torn past, present, and future (probably). Your note is very good as usual, but please; promise me you won't end up like Robert Capa! Oh, and thanks for the tip. If ever visit this place I be sure and leave my "Massoud Rocks!" t-shirt in my suitcase.
Regards,
Ryan
P.S. About the photo I deleted. It was kind of a rash decision. I noticed a few things about the B&W that were bothering me, and since nobody had commented yet, I thought it would be OK to delete it. I'm really sorry if you where in the middle of writing something. The new and improved version might show up again later.

worldcitizen (14270) 2006-10-29 12:16

Hello Vincent,
I like your unique POV of this valley. I have seen photos facing the destroyed Buddhas, but never one like this. All of the ammunition in the foreground is not only good in a photographic sense, but it conveys recent history in a powerful way. The valley itself is beautiful, with the vegetation between the sand and hills. BTW, your notes are always great! Maybe you also have hidden talent as a writer. ;-)

eversmile (11636) 2006-10-30 11:13

I can't say that I like the picture for its beauty or technical qualities but it's really impressive (the view you have chosen, offers a strong combination of quietness and violence) and your note add a lot more to this shocking reality.