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Stalemate in Afghanistan

The pain of war has become too much for these men. Wrapped in blankets, they have retreated into themselves. Vulnerable and haunted by demons, they are the uncounted casualties of decades of war.

The Eye of the Beholder

The Taj Mahal in Agra, India, and the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, are two of the world's most iconic buildings. They both evoke passionate emotions, even love, despite being on opposite ends of the historical and architectural spectrum.

Built with translucent white marble and inlaid with gems from China, Tibet, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, and the Arabian peninsula

In both buildings shape, size, scale, proportion, texture, color, and light work together to spectacular effect, but very simple structures can also be designed to bring aesthetic pleasure.

On the Road

Stories about roads and journeys are as old as humankind. One of the earliest "on the road" stories was Homer's Odyssey, from 800 B.C.E., the story of Odysseus' journey home after the Trojan Wars.

Afghanistan's Ancient Absolutes

I traveled with the Afghan Mujahadeen in 1979, who were determined to resist, undermine, and overthrow the Marxist puppet central government. This was before the Soviets invaded. I photographed men girding for war and women selling jewelry to buy ammunition.

We traveled as much as thirty miles a day subsisting on tea and bread with an occasional bonus of goat cheese or yogurt. The only drinking water was what we scooped out of an irrigation ditch.

Brothers and Sisters

The relationship between and among siblings has been the subject of literature for millennia. From Old Testament stories of Cain and Abel to Shakespeare's plays, modern novels, folktales, proverbs, and poems, the topic of brothers and sisters has been a universal theme, relevant because most people on the planet have siblings.

A Matter of Faith

I have seen many manifestations of faith during my travels over the past three decades. Some have been spontaneous, some have been part of a liturgy, some have been prescribed rituals, some have been in magnificent buildings, others have been outside under a tree. Some people's faith is embedded in the way they live their lives.

Yemen at the Crossroads

Strategically located at the crossroads of Africa, the Middle East and Asia, ancient Yemen became wealthy from the spice trade. It was so rich the Romans called the land Arabia Felix, Happy Arabia. Augustus Ceasar tried, but failed, to annex it. Today it is the poorest country in the Arab world.

Proverbs and Poems from Afghanistan

If literacy rates were measured by a nation's proverbs and poetry, Afghanistan would be one of the most literate countries on earth. These two forms of the oral tradition have been embraced for centuries and reveal the heart and soul of the Afghan people.

Only the Educated are Free

I've been working in Afghanistan for thirty years. I covered the Russian invasion and withdrawal, the civil wars, the rise and fall of the Taliban.

It seems that each time I return, control of a province or a city has changed hands. It was working in Afghanistan which taught me a lot about being a photographer.