Hipstamatic. Instagram. Kamra-e-faoree (what?)
Written by John MacphersonKamra-e-faoree. Heard of them?
They are about as far as you can get from an iPhone. No shutter, no electrics. And no film either. These are simply large boxes with lenses, inside which is a piece of photographic paper which is ‘developed’ internally and from this paper ‘negative’ a positive print is produced.
The Afghan Box Camera Project is an inspired effort by Lukas Birk and Sean Foley, to preserve this wonderful photographic process, once much more common, now only to be found in Afghanistan.
The whole site is full of fascinating images, great portraits and is a wonderful reminder of the importance of photography. Of particular interest is the About Photography in Afghanistan section which is a veritable treasure trove of information.
It’s well worth looking at the Gallery and scrolling down to ‘Photographers, Photojournalists and More’ where such luminaries as John Vink and other tough-looking Leica-toting hombres can be found, photographed by the people whom they themselves were there to record. The view from the other end of the telescope.
It’s a fascinating project, and well worth your time investigating. There’s even instructions to build your own kamra-e-faoree!
Author — John Macpherson
John MacPherson was born and lives in the Scottish Highlands. He trained as a welder in the Glasgow shipyards, before completing an apprenticeship as a carpenter, and then qualified as a Social Worker in Disability Services. Along the way he has cooked on canal barges, trained as an Alpine Ski Leader & worked as an Instructor for Skiers with disabilities, been a canoe instructor, and tutor of night classes in carpentry, stained glass design and manufacture, and archery. He has travelled extensively on various continents, undertaking solo trips by bicycle, or motorcycle. He has had narrow escapes from an ambush by terrorists, been hit by lightning, caught in an erupting volcano, trapped in a mobile home by a tornado, kidnapped by a dog's hairdresser, rammed by a basking shark and was once bitten by a wild otter. He has combined all this with professional photography, which he has practised for over 35 years. He teaches photography and acts as a photography guide & tutor in the UK and abroad. His biggest challenge is keeping his 30 year old Land Rover 110 on the road. He loves telling and hearing stories.
Discussion (1 Comment)
Fantastic!