“I’ve always thought of myself as more of an archaeologist than a photographer,” writes
Nigerian-British documentarian Simon Norfolk (b. 1963). “We’re all used to the idea that
history alters landscape, but it was not until I placed a camera on an ordinary Afghan
landscape, repeatedly, every month over the course of a whole year that I appreciated how
a terrain swells and falls on a human scale.” Time Taken follows the story of Afghanistan’s
central highlands throughout the seasons, as summer fades towards autumn and winter.
Norfolk wanted to counter conflict-filled press representations of the region. By contrast,
his images of Bamiyan province turn attention to growth and renewal. Farming is a central
focus; the land is carefully crafted, prepared, harvested. “It intrigues me that the camera
can appraise these landscapes with a year-long, unblinking honesty that humans are
often in too much of a hurry to perceive.”
simonnorfolk.com | @simonnorfolkstudio






All images courtesy of Simon Norfolk.