Afghanistan Blueys: One Soldier’s Polaroids

4 minute read

How can we look at images from Afghanistan with a fresh set of eyes? Try the work of someone who’s never picked up a camera before.

That logic guides Afghanistan Blueys, a collaborative project between British brothers Tim and Matt Bowditch, which documents daily life during the war in Afghanistan. The latter brother is both the photographer and the soldier, having served in the war-torn country as a member of the Royal Marines. “Blueys” are the nickname given to any notes sent by soldiers to friends and family that are written on military-mandated blue paper.

The project began with a Christmas present. Tim gave his brother a Polaroid camera in 2010, after learning that Matt, an aspiring professional trombonist who had landed a spot in the Royal Marines band, was asked to put down his horn temporarily and serve in a commando brigade in Afghanistan.

“When Matt was going out to war,” Tim says, “I said to him, ‘I don’t need to see any imagery of bodies and things. We kind of expect it. We’ve seen it a thousand times before.'”

Instead, Tim asked his brother for “slow” kinds of images, those documenting the routines of military service in lieu of the graphic, glamorous—as Matt puts it—views of violence that saturate coverage of the war in Afghanistan. The photos depict spontaneous moments as well as carefully constructed scenes. One in particular, that of a phone and a chair slightly posed askance from the desk in front of it, stands out to Tim.

“It’s quite a brave photograph to take if you haven’t had any formal training in photography,” says Tim of the image, of which Matt shot several frames, adjusting the composition until he was satisfied. The photographer himself looks at it differently: “That’s a lifeline to your family, and it’s the only way you can call home, so I thought it might be nice to get a photo of it.”

Matt began shooting a photo each day to document the experience, but he quickly found that trusting his instincts and shooting selectively produced better work. When he sent the first batch of polaroids to his brother this April, many of which he took from the machine gun turret of the vehicles he drove during breaks in action, the project took on new importance as a sort of documentary work.

Tim scanned the images, which often came accompanied by a note scribbled by his brother, and sent the shots he liked best back to his brother by email.

“If he liked an image, I’d make sure I’d be looking to shoot that kind of image again,” Matt explains, noting the expectations that came with receiving the Polaroid camera as a gift. “I didn’t want to waste his time or his money, so it was quite important for me to get this right.”

Tim says that the strength of the images is often the first thing to be noticed when he presents edits of Matt’s photography to others. The two hope to self-publish a book of the pictures, and Matt, who has since returned to the U.K., intends to either continue Afghanistan Blueys or pursue another photo project if he is redeployed. Both brothers emphasize the importance of highlighting the everyday life of soldiers, but for Matt, the experience has added meaning.

“It was something good to do, and it kept you occupied,” he says. “Say you were missing your family or something—it gave you something to concentrate on.”

Letter from Matt to Tim.Matt Bowditch
A soldier tightens up wheel nuts on the Mastiff Ambulance. "We did a lot of vehicle maintenance out there so I wanted to get a shot of some of it." Caption commentary courtesy of Matt Bowditch.Matt Bowditch
Rations. "An example of the rations that would sustain us for 24 hours whilst out on a convoy."Matt Bowditch
Matt's friends play volleyball during downtime."It seems alien to have such a normal activity in such a hostile country." Matt Bowditch
A view of the military base Camp Bastion. "A shot to show the vastness and aridness in parts of Bastion."Matt Bowditch
A military container-carrying vehicle. "These vehicles would carry vital supplies to the bases around Helmand. We were responsible for providing medical support should anything go wrong. I liked the colors."Matt Bowditch
A watchtower. "These overlooked the perimeter fence of Bastion and provided protection. I like the way the sky looks moody and the overall composition of the shot."Matt Bowditch
Airfield lights. "You can see these on every airfield in the world, but I thought it was very interesting how they seemingly spring up out of the desert." Matt Bowditch
Matt's weapon. "I stripped my weapon a lot in order to clean it and make sure it would work if required. Laying it out in this way is normal practice to make sure nothing goes missing."Matt Bowditch
Matt's friend boxes. "This is at the back of our tent. Initially there was nothing there, but slowly we introduced new things in order to cure boredom and make it more comfortable."Matt Bowditch
A bus stop on the American Camp Leatherneck. "I like the presence of the mundane in a conflict zone."Matt Bowditch
A road around Camp Bastion. "It was so alien that there could be such a well-developed road on a camp in the middle of the desert. I like the way it stretches nowhere." Matt Bowditch
A corridor in tented accommodation. "Walked through here many times a day, liked the way it looked like a tunnel so decided to shoot it."Matt Bowditch
Matt's tools. "We used these tools a lot to maintain the Mastiff Ambulance. They are kept in a locked ISO container. They were all numbered and laid out in order."Matt Bowditch
Matt's friend in the Mastiff. "We spent a lot of time in the cab, he was my commander on a few convoys. We shared a lot of laughs and conversations in the cab to pass the long periods of time." Matt Bowditch
A view of the convoy. "This is a typical example of my view of the convoy from the driver’s seat. It also shows the juxtaposition of the Afghan landscape being interrupted by our vehicles."Matt Bowditch
The convoy in the distance. "It shows how large the convoys were. It also shows the vast amount of vehicle tracks on the desert floor which you try to stay in." Matt Bowditch
The convoy line. "To show how the convoys were like a living snake traveling through the desert." Matt Bowditch
Matt's friend in the cab of the Mastiff. "Taken whilst kneeling on top cover, it shows the driver and commander. We spent a lot of time together in the vehicle." Matt Bowditch
Military attack dog with handler. "We paid $10 each to get attacked by these dogs. The money went to charity, and it was something fun to do whilst on some downtime." Matt Bowditch
Matt's friend plays basketball. "We used this area a lot on our downtime, doing exercise or playing sport. I liked the contrast of colors." Matt Bowditch
Shooting ranges. "We had to re-zero our weapons on arrival. I just liked the composition of the shot—some soldiers are kneeling, some standing, all concentrating on one thing."Matt Bowditch
An Afghan mud hut. "We passed countless dwellings whilst out on the convoys. It shows how primitive, yet strangely beautiful their homes are. Normally animals sleep inside as they are their most valuable possessions." Matt Bowditch
American aircraft on the flight line. "I like the contrast of colors. You never went two minutes without hearing an aircraft, so it was important to document the experience."Matt Bowditch
Letter from Matt to Tim.Matt Bowditch

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