"It is one thing to photograph people. It is another to make others care about them by revealing the core of their humanness." Paul Strand

This is one reason I love taking photos, losing myself in another's photographs..... Behind the lens, I feel as if I have entered another dimension of life, everything is significant, each moment permeated with beauty and carries the weight  of the artist's soul.

I came across this project, Wakhan, An Other Afghanistan.  It was love at first sight.  These are pictures taken of people who have never seen a photograph before!

The Wakhan corridor located in the northeastern corner of Afghanistan, is a less-traveled region by foreigners. French photographers Fabrice Nadjari and Cedric Houin (aka Varial) decided to journey off to the remote district because of their growing fascination with the country, further heightened by a New York Times article about the area. Being that the land is so rarely visited, the duo's photo series titled Wakhan, An Other Afghanistan is incredibly fascinating.

The rural area, which holds about 12,000 residents on its 140-mile strip of land, is bordered by Tajikistan, Pakistan, and China, making for an eclectic blend of cultural influences. The photographers document the Wakhis' diverse portraits against their natural landscapes.  Nadjari and Varial took Polaroids of the people and then followed by taking shots of the villagers, many of whom had never even seen a photograph, holding their Polaroid portraits. The photographers sought to capture images, but also leave the people with souvenirs.

This series, while beautifully shot, serves a greater purpose in shining a light on a lesser known people and their land. While they may live in Afghanistan, which the rest of the world associates with war and the Taliban, the Wakhan Corridor is far from the friction. 

Taken from the article  Polaroids of Afghanis Who Have Never Seen a Photograph

 Click on link to see full article and photographs  Wakhan Project

Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving.  What you have caught on film is captured forever.... it remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything.  Aaron Siskind