Afghanistan

During his first visit to Afghanistan in 2004 Jason witnessed the country's first ever democratic election and fell somewhat in love with the rugged country and its tenacious population.

In early summer 2007 Jason relocated to Kabul, Afghanistan and was soon embedded with British forces in Helmand, Afghanistan’s most volatile province. He joined the men of the 1st Battalion Royal Anglians in the Sangin valley and at the Kajaki dam. Over the next four and half years Jason was regularly alongside British troops in the southern provinces of the country. He documented the fighting patrols they conduct on a daily basis to disrupt Taliban activity and deny the enemy the chance to strengthen their hold on the local population. He covered many operations including airborne assaults with the Parachute Regiment, long range desert patrols with 16 Brigade's BRF (Brigade Reconnaissance Force) and during 2011 a series of operations with 1PWRR (Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment) accompanied by elements of the 3SCOTS (The Black Watch). During one of these actions Jason was with a small group of soldiers clearing a compound when an IED exploded severely wounding a soldier a few meters away from him. The soldier lost both his legs to the blast and was CASEVAC'd under fire. Many months after the incident Jason was able to visit the soldier in hospital in the UK and the images of him are published with his express permission.

Other assignments took the photographer to Paktika province on the Pakistan border to join US forces in their operations against insurgent forces and to Tora Bora Osama Bin Laden’s old mountain hideout. He also covered subjects related to education and healthcare including the work of an NGO who provide cardiac surgery to Afghan children. General reportage and commercial assignments led Jason to travel widely throughout the country returning many times to places like Bamiyan, Herat, Mazar e Sharif, Jalalabad and the Panjshir valley and he worked in some 15 provinces in total.

Most recently Jason traveled along Highway One with Afghan NDS Special Forces for both an assignment about the road, generally reckoned to be the most dangerous in the world and to visit a local militia who have risen up against the Taliban.

Although no longer living in Kabul Jason still travels to Afghanistan and continues to undertake editorial, corporate and travel assignments for broad range of UK, European and US newspapers and magazines.

Current work including General Reportage, Travel, Commercial, Advertising and Conflict Coverage can be found at the new website as well as tear sheets and print sales and all archived images.
www.jasonphowe.com