INSIDE (31.01.12)

Playing around with your camera, you sometimes get a nice shot. Even if it's a completely useless one. Illustrating nothing at all. Or maybe in this case a bit my actual feelings. The writing apparently says "acrobatics". Indicating an activity they do here at the MMCC centre with children. I am inside. I am with the kids not caring that much (bubble!) and I can imagine there is a world outside, but I'm not seeing it. Yet. I know this feeling from previews experiences. I am nervous. I don't know if I'll find a subject. Don't know if I will be able to shoot like I wish. To get an access. To have a different understanding of things. And I'm still waiting to start teaching photography for real. Wich should happen in days. But at the moment I am here. Waiting. Knowing there is something on the outside.

Publish Post

both pictures Kabul 2012 © Reto Albertalli / phovea

KABUL LANDING (27.01.12)

Arrived in Kabul today. It snowed. But the sun shines and the light is awesome (!!!). As the last time it's impressing, driving through by cab. I know you get used quickly to the kalashnikovs, the hummies, the burkas and the poverty...  But arriving fresh is still impressing. And people here at the centre are really very very nice. It's cold in the evening. A little gas heater next to my cold bed. Allready scared thinking about the daily showers. Brrrrrrr. Now ready to hibernate for the night and tomorrow I'll meet my student kids... Think it's gonna be great here... Great feeling when everything has to be done. Everything is unknown...

EN ROUTE TO (26.01.12)

What's an online log for? Especially when you got only a couple of visitors a day... Since I'm a bit bored in my hotel room in Dubai. Since they did give me my entry visa (hurray)!!! And since I really cannot post-produce all the pics I still have to deliver, without any breaks... And since the bunch of people who cares back home are expecting a bit of sharing of this experience... I'm now deciding to bring Retangolo back to life. It's also time to turn a page and start from blank, in terms of photography. It's a time for thinking :)))

I have been through all this here in Dubai two months ago. I was much more stressed. I wasn't shure to get my entry visa (wich I wans't this time neither) and most of all my head was full of all the imagery from Afghanistan. I went basically for a workshop to some "com" people of the ICRC in Mazar-I-Sharif. A great occasion for seeing my good friend Pablo in his element. Doing his important job at the International Red Cross. Last time everything was organized. Flights. Jeeps. Accomodation. A dream experience!
I discovered Afghanistan beeing another victim of our medial distortions and remembered a contact in Kabul, a person gave me back in Palestine a couple of years ago as I was volunteering as a photo teacher (awesome period. some of my best souvenirs ever). So during a short stay in Kabul I visited this centre and proposed to come back and work with some kids on photography, multimedia and storytelling. As it often is... without really understanding how... tomorrow by this time I'll be in Kabul meeting everyone at the Afghan MMCC... I'm really excited. It's going to be a great experience. And I will put all my energy in working with the kids and of course... I need to produce a good project for myself. Wich means putting a lot of pressure on myself.
Now back to postproduction so that tomorrow I can send everything from post office here before taking off... I'm very very excited. Happy :)