Slice of Life

“What i like about photographs is that they capture a moment that’s gone forever, impossible to reproduce.” ― Karl Lagerfeld.

Me too. I would just have preferred if it could have been said by someone else than him. ;-) Any other interesting quote you like?

3 July 2014: Improvised concert with Skateistan team (check their very inspiring project here), in Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan

Contrasted Bubble

After a long week, quiet evening at home, in Kunduz, with the AC on, trying to minimize the effects of the 44°C outside. The wifi provides me with a slow but surprisingly stable access to the world and to Moby's new song, Scarlet's latest movie and answers to my numerous questions.

Perfect moment in music, in my bubble, only interrupted at regular intervals by the sound of fighting a few kilometers away. My old new friend Skunk Anansie resumes singing and the weekend continues. Weird life.

26.06.2014: Afghans "encouraging" themselves to start dancing. Kunduz, Afghanistan.26.06.2014: Afghan musiciens. Kunduz, Afghanistan

Back to Work

43°C in Mazar-e-Sharif and a country holding its breath before tomorrow and the second round of the presidential elections.

The season 2 of "Orange is the new black" is cheap, not only because they over-used scenes with naked women but mostly because they decided to totally ignore the spirit of the book and to write their own vision of prison, using tons of clichés. Sad, the first one was nice.

Every single traveler stuck more than 2 hours at an airport should have a "Priority Pass" card. 22 euros and you get free drinks, food and internet access, while enjoying a nice sofa in silence. Totally worthy...

31 May 2014: Place des Martyrs, Beirut, Lebanon

The Last Seconds ...

Challenge of the evening: Watching an action movie on HBO via an Indian satellite dish. All the explosion scenes are cut and so are the insults or any bloody/vaguely titillating moment. I wonder if Pulp Fiction broadcast is then longer than a commercial break...

17 May 2014: Footbal night at Public Pub, Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Atlético Madrid is about to become Spanish League champion

The Cost of Life

Up to 500 people died last Friday due to a landslide in Badakhshan province, Afghanistan. After two days looking for survivors, the local Governor declared "We cannot continue the search and rescue operation anymore, as the houses are under meters of mud. We will offer prayers for the victims and make the area a mass grave".

A few thousands of kilometers from there, hundreds of people have been working since March 8th, to find, in the middle of the ocean, missing flight MH370 and its 227 passengers and 12 crew members. It represents, according to the estimations, more than USD100 million spent for the operation (and therefore more than ICRC's budget  in Afghanistan for 2013).

How much are we ready to invest to find the mortal remains of relatives? Is there a limit to everything, a maximum cost to truth? I wonder...

02 May 2013: Lucia, Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan

Walk under the Rain

Weekend in Dushambe, Tajikistan. Between sleeping hours to catch up on, vodka as inter-bites, restaurants transformed into club and long relaxing walks under the rain. Quiet.

25 April 2014: Ismoil Somoni statue, Dushanbe, Tajikistan

Field Trip

First field trip to Badakhshan province, in the North East of Afghanistan. The region could be a paradise for tourists, nature lovers and trekkers (as it was the case 50 years ago), if it was not experiencing daily security incidents. One day... inch'allah.

16 April 2014: Butchers at Taloqan's market, Takhar province, Afghanistan

15 April 2014: Called Zarang, Tuk-tuk are frequently used in Afghanistan, as a taxi or to transport materials. Badakshan province, Afghanistan

In the Ghetto

Without me even noticing it, almost 4 months past since my arrival in Afghanistan. Last weekend, despite the insecurity and the threats, millions of Afghans went voting for a new president. Winter is over, my pullovers returned to my trunk (a place they should never have left) and the ice cream vendors started squatting Mazar's streets, filling them with annoying music, announcing their presence. A new routine in my life...

12 April 2014: Farewell dinner for the departure of some colleagues. Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan.

Alternative Path

A bit frustrated with the impossibility of taking proper pictures outside lately, I got a few ideas for a new project. I am now looking forward to working on it, over the next years. And because she was a source of inspiration, all my thoughts are going to Anja Niedringhaus' friends and family, after she was killed this morning in Afghanistan.

05 April 2014: Pierre-Yves, in front of "his" bouldering wall. Passionate about climbing, he built his own wall to practice during his mission in Afghanistan. Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan

In Motion

In a few days, I am going to move to a new house. Few months ago, I realized that, in the past 5 years, I had never slept for more than 30 successive days in the same bed. It is not going to change soon... and I do not want it to.

01 March 2014: R&G wedding, Divonne-les-Bains, France

P.S: Albert, I promise that the next one is going to be in color, just for you ;-)

Reel Life (Evolution II) [Man with a Movie Camera] by The Cinematic Orchestra

Swiss Brackets

Sushis, a big TV to re-watch Gravity in HD and "Jose James", whispering in my ears through my favorite headphones (QC15), kindly replaced by Bose three years after their purchased (guys... I could French kiss you for that). A great wedding, other sushis with precious friends, an Italian smile and a week and brain out of gravity, far from everything.

In 40 hours, I will be reading documents, catching-up with emails and talking with my colleagues, preparing an important month for Afghanistan. As if I had never left, except this quiet music in my mind. I love my life.

01 March 2014: R&G wedding guests trying to start fireworks, Divonne-les-Bains, France

Arctic Portrait

-19°C outside, heavy snow falls and all the roads are blocked. Perfect moment to take 5 minutes for some fun, hoping the camera won't freeze (like the water in the toilets). I love Afghanistan.

06 February 2014: Prof. Mehrabuddin, Kunduz, Afghanistan

Another World

My glass is (re)filled with bubbles and my plate with seafood and sushis. Around me, posh girls or wannabes are pretending to have fun while I do, observing them, wondering how many hours it took them to put such a quantity of makeup on their face.Later, another place and a DJ making a break, while imams in town are calling for prayer. Same crowd than before, facing proud skyscrapers and another round of bubbles, while I’m enjoying the music, wondering why I feel so in peace with myself.

23 January 2014: People taking pictures of the Dubai Fountain show, at the bottom of the Burj Khalif, next to Dubai mall, Dubai.

The difficulty here is not to jump from one place to another, from a war zone to a party in Dubai, but rather to explain it to people who have not experienced this kind of life. In the same way that I spoke lately about the notion of normality, there is no common definition for the word “routine”. We all get used to our lives and all learn to deal with it. Like new parents are getting used to lack of sleep and develop their patience skills, you can get used to live with a certain level of insecurity and learn how to adapt to such contexts, leading you sometimes to be enjoying a glass of champagne in a club a few hours after you passed in front of a bombed restaurant.

There is nothing brave or outstanding in that. Or at least, not more than being able to have dinner a few minutes after having changed your child diapers...

24 January 2014: Club 360, in front of the Burj Al Arab, Dubai

The Proof is in the Carpet

- Do you mind if I take a picture of you?

- Could you take one step back?

- Just look at me.

- Thanks. Tashakur!

18 January 2014: Mr. Rohullah, (proud) carpet seller in Mazar-e Sharif, Afghanistan

Goodbye my friend...

2013 started with champaigne in Cameroun, following an evacuation from CAR and finished in Afghanistan, talking around a shisha. Summarizing it faithfully would be impossible, except maybe with these 3 words: What A Year!!

I wish you all a fantastic year 2014, full of great surprises, happiness, stability and lots of fun. Please take care of yourself and keep saving the world, however you can ;-)

14 January 2014: Workers in Mazar-e Sharif streets, Afghanistan

Daydream

Some places are part of our unconsciousness. Documentaries we saw when we were children, books we read, movies we watched, picture we admired or stories we heard. So when you find yourself in the middle of such a place, for real, a weird but pleasant feeling appears. Mix between reality and dream, surprise and déjà vu. I am walking in Afghanistan, watching a buzkashi game.

20 December 2013: Buzkashi riders in Mazar-e Sharif, Afghanistan

First shot

Each mission and travel has its first shot. Rarely the best, but I hope to do better (and with better gear), if the situation allows it. Wait and see...

14 December 2013: Mr. Haji Esa, carpet seller, Kunduz, Afghanistan

Winter packing

When you have spent the past 5 years working in Africa, moving to a country with four seasons is great. Except when you need to pack winter clothes (in addition to the usual food, books and photo gear)... Gosh, I already miss my light shoes and shirts.

03 December: Backstage at "Papy Glacé" theater show, Pully, Switzerland

Balade Parisienne

A few days in Paris and I am suddenly craving for street photography. Not sure my new mission in Afghanistan will give me that opportunity... but I hope to have the chance to shoot a few nice portraits.

21 November 2013: Café "Le Centenaire", Paris, France

Meanwhile, I'm getting rid of any form of gravity in my mind, listening to the new compilation by Bonobo and Late Night Tales.

21 November 2013: Exhibition "Un moment si doux" by Raymond Depardon, at the Grand Palais, Paris, France

What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger

In the past years, I have frequently thought about the notion of acceptance and coping mechanism. Not only on myself, to minimize the risk of turning completely nuts or burnt out, but also on the local population, dealing with insecurity and lack of stability over a long period of time. I frequently wondered how Darfuri women could still go fetching water, despite the risk of getting attacked, or how people could have a discussion with me and stay stoic, few hours after they lost their son or a relative.

Reading Malcom Gladwell’s latest book, David and Goliath (perfect summer reading), I found an interesting quote from Cambridge University psychologist J T. MacCurdy, about his experience being in London during the Blitz: “We are all of us not merely liable to fear, we are also prone to be afraid of being afraid, and the conquering of fear produces exhilaration.…When we have been afraid that we may panic in an air-raid, and, when it has happened, we have exhibited to others nothing but a calm exterior and we are now safe, the contrast between the previous apprehension and the present relief and feeling of security promotes a self-confidence that is the very father and mother of courage.”

01 November 2013: Reyes, at Hemingway's, Bangkok, Thailand

MacCurdy makes a distinction between people being directly killed, closed witness (near misses) and remote witness (remote misses). The “near misses” feel the blast, see the explosion and the carnage and are maybe even hit themselves. On the other end, the “remote misses” listen to the sirens, hear the explosions but are left uninjured and are not a direct eye witness of the carnage.

According the his studies, while the second group, the “near misses”, has to deal with a trauma and a psychological shock that might change his life for the worst, the “remote misses” might, in the contrary, develop a feeling of self-confidence, gaining in courage (explaining partially why the population of London did not flee town after the first attacks and even felt stronger). Although Gladwell goes even further and speak about a feeling of invincibility, I suspect a summarization a bit too extreme and I am not sure to agree on that, as I don’t consider that feeling invulnerable is something positive in a war zone. But I definitely think that what doesn’t kill us could make us stronger and that there is something to learn from the population of London during the war.

But right now, I need to keep my promise not to think about work and to just enjoy the swimming pool and the food ;-)