التصوير الحرفي .. صانعوا السجاد الافغان .. مجلة فن التصوير اللبنانية _ ع٤٥

Artisan photography Afghan carpet makers

In order to photograph some complex craft work, especially manual work, one must think carefully and focus on the nature of the work, and on the workers themselves, before starting the capture process.

All over the world you find handicraftsmen who pass on the skills involved generation after generation, just as all the traditional tools, materials and methods used in many crafts are still used for centuries and have not changed, and go to see traditional rural craftsmen at work in Afghanistan, It provides us with a similar image to what we imagine.
However, the photographer cannot face all kinds of handicrafts in the same way: different photographic activities require different photographic encounters, and to make a successful record, it is necessary to respond to the materials in a precise and thoughtful manner.
As with all aspects of Afghan life, traditional handicrafts are threatened by modern dilemmas there, and the overwhelming activity of antiquity and the meaning of carpet-weaving has become diffused, as the war has dispersed this industry practiced by ancient families. It is worth noting that the camera is distinctive, as long as the photography of the process of making a carpet and its social background is a topic appropriate to the purpose of recording permanent images of one of the fleeting arts accurately.

Judah Bassaw is an American photographer who has covered a wide range of stories throughout
The world, but he soon became passionate about aspects of Afghan life, and carpet makers in particular.

Behind the walls of handicrafts, Jodha found friendly, warm-hearted people who were just too happy to turn their work into subjects for his photography.
This, the process of making carpets includes all family members of the business, and Gouda has adopted precision and care
To take photographs emphasizing this social element of the process, this differs from handicrafts in other countries, where the craftsman works alone, or with only one assistant, in many types of handicrafts.

And for all these shots, Jodha worked with either a 24 or a 105 mm lens. His reliance on the available light made the images natural and expressive, but with the relatively slow film - Kodachrome 64 - he found that he had to test slow shutter speeds from 1/15 to 1/60 of a second. This also meant that he dealt with a limited depth of field, always feeling good. He has to focus carefully on the most critical areas of the scene. For example, with portrait shots, he focused on the eyes—usually the most important photographic feature of a face—and for other shots, my hand was a factor,
Or the blade of one of the tools that the latter works with, Jodha gave that point to focus on. With the limited depth of field that resulted from the use of slow film under weak lights, the essential necessity called for a focus based on precision and care.

Judah always finds that direct recording confrontation is more revealing and expressive than hidden photography in a work of this nature.
And though only a few of his subjects were aware of all the preparations and arrangements he was making, they were still quite ready to please this strange visitor.