This Afghan Photographer’s Camera is 100 Years Old

Travel vlogger Drew Binsky was wandering the streets of Kabul, Afghanistan, recently when he came across an older photographer named Haji. In this 9-minute vlog, Binsky tells the story of Haji and how he has been shooting for 65 years using a 100-year-old box camera.

After meeting Haji, Binsky visited the photographer at his house and was invited to sit down in front of the ancient camera for a portrait.

Binsky also receives an inside look at how Haji’s photo process works. The camera is both a capture device and a darkroom — once a photo is exposed, Haji sticks his arm into the camera body, picks up the exposed paper, and puts it through chemical baths inside the same chamber.

According to Haji, the camera he uses may be the very last of its kind in use in Afghanistan.