Kabul Korrespondence

If my photojournalism class is the bull, then my students will be the kings and queens of Pamplona.

In the first week, my assistant Fardin and I have bombarded the students with the full arsenal of camera operation techniques and photographic theory. These enthusiasts have digested it all at an amazing pace and keep asking questions about subjects I have planned for next week class! From custom functions to white balance, they have not only grasped the concepts and put them them into practice, but they have understood it all in their second, third and sometimes forth language: English!

We also had the satisfying news that my shipment of cameras equipment arrived from Australia. After only 17 days in customs, finally Afghan bureaucracy operating at its best released the cargo. So armed with new Canon cameras, an assortment of lenses, flashes, camera bags and accessories my students have only one thing stopping them........electricity.

Yes, Kabul power supply fluctuates more than G.W. Bush's theory on the current Iraq situation. The results are regular power blackouts that blow up computers, we currently have only two computers working for a class of 12 students. They start Photoshop tutorials next week and I am trying to scrape together some parts to repair the old computers, so they will be able to learn this valuable tool of the photo-trade.

Besides this, the future looks bright for our photojournalism (P.J.) students. After the white Christmas tomorrow and their Muslim holiday "Eid", they will get straight back into it with advanced photography and I will give them their first assignment!

So stayed tuned, have a relaxed festive season and see you all in 2007. Where you might notice there will be some new kids on the P.J. block.

photos by Fardin and Noorbakhsh