Baraka – plate52

Jahra Road, Kuwait/Iraq border

“This shoot took place just five weeks after the Gulf War had ended. Given that time frame it was initially thought that it might be difficult to access this sensitive area. “It was really easy once we got there. The [Kuwaiti] government was very supportive. They wanted to show the devastation of the countryside and have it publicized. They provided a helicopter and all the helicopter time we wanted; we were able to fly around for three days (they were actually American helicopters and pilots working there as contractors).”“I am very happy with this image because I feel I did the very best I could with it, capturing the best image of that location from where we were. The straight vertical line in the right side of the frame really anchors the composition, and the placement of the forked road in the frame really works for me. It’s one of those images that works from a distance as an abstract, and close up with the details.”