Tornado Alley (PROG)

[StephanieVanbryce]

A small channel can be seen on the far side of the river which will irrigate fields further down the valley. Women are washing clothes by the river, and a man on a donkey waves to a man plowing with two cows. When this image was taken I was thinking about the similarity between the colors and proportions of this scene and those of tribal rugs, not just Afghan rugs but carpets from Iran, Turkey, and the Caucasus.

This picture was taken on a large format film with an old fashioned box camera on a tripod. For many static subjects, especially for black and white prints, this is an excellent tool, because it can produce images of superior clarity. Black and white photographs are like etchings and engravings; detail, line, and texture are very important. But, extremely sharp images are no more essential for color photographs than very fine brush work is necessary in every painting. I found that I am most interested in capturing elusive moments, more intimate scenes with figures in motion, and for this the 35 mm camera is better suited.


The Kunduz Valley

Kunduz Province, Afghanistan, January 1975