Ferdows Faghir

The second photo of this post was made during a short trip to Berlin last summer. I wandered into Mauerpark, where I came across the live karaoke pit, and instinctively took a photo. Images like this are usually made for myself — as a way of remembering moments, places, and atmospheres. I don’t often think of them as “work” in the formal sense. My girlfriend encouraged me to submit this image to a photo competition. And now, here we are. The photograph has been selected for the group exhibition Images of the City at Stadtbücherei Bilk in Düsseldorf, as part of the UnmuteArt project. Sponsored by the City of Düsseldorf and co-funded by the European Union. Opening: Thursday, January 15 at 18:30 On view until: Sunday, February 22 Free entry Friedrichstraße 127, Düsseldorf Hope to see you there！😌

A little recap of 2025 After graduating in 2022, I started doing commissions and began my journey in teaching. I made a lot of mistakes and seriously doubted my skills as a teacher. Along the way, I also lost the joy of working with the Afghan Box Camera; it started to feel like a gimmick. I’ve been photographing with my self-built box camera since 2019, and around 2021 I really started to master the technique. At some point, I felt like a one-trick pony. People loved seeing me at events with the Box Camera, but I had lost my own joy in it. I found that joy again when I built my second box camera and made peace with being the Afghan Box Camera guy. 2025 became the year I truly reconnected with the process and did many sessions with my box camera. At the same time, I started working in a photo studio, where I could experiment with light and try new things. This brings me to something new: @lesenzstudios — a studio I’ll be running and photographing in myself from now on. Besides the photo of @ribeirosfate with his harp, all the images in this selection were made at @lesenzstudios . The studio will be fully up and running soon, so keep an eye on the account for updates. I want to thank everyone who believed in me and all the beautiful collaborations over the past year. Hopefully many more to come 🤍

Museumdocent in de spotlight: Ferdows Faghir Deze week zetten we Ferdows Faghir in de spotlight - fotograaf, en als museumdocent een van de educatieve partners van het Nederlands Fotomuseum. Na zijn vlucht uit Afghanistan in de vroege jaren ’90 groeide hij op in Nederland. Als eerste generatie immigrant behoort hij tot de gemeenschappen die hij fotografeert en wil hij hun verhalen vanuit een menselijk perspectief tonen. Zijn Afghaanse achtergrond en liefde voor analoge fotografie brachten hem bij de Kamra-e-Faoree, de traditionele Afghaanse boxcamera. Hij bouwde zijn eigen camera en portretteert hiermee de Afghaanse gemeenschap in Nederland. In een steeds digitalere wereld richt hij zich op het bewaren en verfijnen van dit ambacht. 🇬🇧 This week, we shine a light on Ferdows Faghir — photographer and, as a museum educator, one of the educational partners of the Nederlands Fotomuseum. After fleeing Afghanistan in the early 1990s, he grew up in the Netherlands. As a first-generation immigrant, Ferdows belongs to the very communities he photographs. Through his work, he tells their stories from a deeply human perspective. His Afghan background and love for analogue photography led him to the Kamra-e-Faoree, the traditional Afghan box camera. Ferdows built his own camera and uses it to portray the Afghan diaspora in the Netherlands. In an increasingly digital world, he is dedicated to preserving and refining this traditional craft. ©️ @lacameradelina #fotograafindespotlight #museumdocent #nederlandsfotomuseum #analogefotografie #afghaansefotograaf #afghaansediaspora #documentairefotografie #verhalendefotografie #menselijkverhaal #portretfotografie #fotografieambacht #cultureelerfgoed #educatiekunst #fotografiecultuur #verhaleninbeeld #rotterdamsefotograaf

Last Friday, I exhibited new work in the Thomaskerk in Amsterdam, together with the @amalnacollective founded by @by.roosmeijer . We presented a project that is very close to my heart. I collaborated with refugees from an asylum seekers’ centre. I made black-and-white portraits with my Afghan box camera, while Roos asked them a simple, powerful question: what does hope mean to you? Their answers became part of a moving slideshow where their own voices accompanied the images. Due to strict regulations, these portraits cannot be shared online. I have come to appreciate the beauty of work that exists only in a specific place, at a specific moment. This work feels personal because it connects to my own history. I came to the Netherlands as a five-year-old with my parents. Just like Roos, there were people back then who welcomed us and gave us a home. This project is my small way to give back. After all, I am not very different from them, only that I have been living here for 28 years now. I hope refugees can share their stories from their own perspective — honest, human, and in their own voice. 📷 @farouk.ebaiss

This Saturday, November 15, I’ll be at @2439fair in Paris with my self-built box camera, making direct positive prints — photographed, developed, and printed on the spot. The fair runs alongside Paris Photo at Pavillon Wagram, showcasing vintage and modern photography from around the world. 📅 November 15, 2025 🕙 10:00 – 17:00 📍 Pavillon Wagram, 47 Avenue de Wagram, Paris 17th 💶 €30 per portrait

Join us for an evening of interdisciplinary art for social change, and hope as resistance. You’ll be moved by stories of injustice and inspired by those who dedicate themselves to fighting it — through music, photography, dance, fashion and spoken word. See you on November 28 in De Thomaskerk 🌝 Get your tickets now through the link in our bio! 📽️ by @qusainaim

Excited to be back at Dialogue Vintage Photography Fair this Saturday, 20 September 2025! 📸 I’ll be making portraits with my self-built Afghan Box Camera (kamra-e-faoree – کمره فوری), the very same type of camera that was used in Afghanistan for Taskira (ID photos) until 2013. Each portrait is developed instantly inside the camera, and you’ll have a unique print in your hands within 10 minutes. No reservations → first come, first served. The portraits in my feed are from last year and the year before at Dialogue, giving you a taste of what’s coming! 🎟️ I’ve got 8 tickets to give away from Dialogue — share this post in your story and tag me for a chance to win a ticket for this Saturday! 📍 CEC, Amsterdam-Zuidoost 🕚 Open from 11:00 to 17:00 💶 €25 per portrait on baryta paper

This weekend (August 2 & 3) is your last chance to have your portrait taken with my Afghan Box Camera at the Kwaku Festival in Amsterdam! I’ll be at the mini museum, where the iconic photo of Tupac and Biggie is also on display. The photo was taken by Dana Lixenberg, a photographer I’m a huge fan of. I’ll be making portraits with my self-built box camera inside the container from 3 PM to 9 PM. The best part? It’s completely free — the Nederlands Fotomuseum is covering the cost of the prints. First come, first served. See you there! 📍 Location: Kwaku Festival, Amsterdam 🕒 Time: 3 PM – 9 PM 💸 Price: Free

I’d like to invite you to my exhibition at Rotterdam Central Station, where from July 15 to 19 a collection of portraits will be on view. I created this series for the initiator of Cultuur Concreet – a foundation that supports local residents in realizing cultural projects within their own neighborhoods. I made these portraits with a lot of joy and care. Using my trusted Pentax 67 and Kodak color film, I visited each person in their own environment. Every portrait started with a conversation to get to know them better. The result is a series that feels very personal to me. In each portrait, I see something of myself – and I hope viewers will sense that too. Although the exhibition opens on July 15, I’ll be there in person on Saturday July 19 at 14:00 to talk about the work I created. I’ll also bring my self-built box camera for anyone who would like to have their portrait taken on the spot. Hope to see you there. — 📍 Tussenspoor – Cultuur Concreet Next to the HEMA, Rotterdam Central Station 🗓️ July 15–19 🕑 Meet me: Saturday July 19 at 14:00

Finally posting this on my IG, this is a project which is really close to my heart. @ribeirosfate and me go way back to the SoundCloud days back in the 2010s. He would come over to my bedroom studio back at my parents’ place in Capelle and me and him would flip samples and make obscure beats until both of us were content. I cherish those days, and my closest friends in life are from this era. A while back, Rani called me and asked me if I could shoot his album cover. Rani made the transition from making beats and DJ’ing in clubs and festivals to playing the harp. His big inspiration is Alice Coltrane, who was a pioneer in jazz harp. I’ve been following Rani’s journey for a while now through socials, and I’m proud to have a friend that can transition into such a dedicated instrument so smoothly. It truly felt like an honour to photograph his album cover and do the stills for the short promo film he made as a teaser for the album. Go listen to the album on streaming platforms if you haven’t yet, and be prepared to be teleported to another realm. The photos for the album cover are shot in the studio and made with my self-built Afghan Box Camera, the rest is shot on my Pentax 6x7 and the last picture is on the Fuji X100s. Big love to @ribeirosfate for trusting me with this 😌🙏

For the past three weekends, I’ve been making portraits with my Afghan Box Camera at the Vestingmuseum during the Naarden Photo Festival (June 13 – July 6). You could find me right next to the entrance, in the museum café, just across from the impressive work of Marwan Magroun and Rox Klijn – both absolutely worth seeing. Using direct positive paper, each portrait is exposed and developed on the spot, resulting in a unique, handmade print. This weekend (July 5 & 6) will be the last chance to stop by and have your portrait taken. A print costs €25. I’ve shared a small selection of the many portraits I made during the festival. My apologies to those not included, but I want to thank everyone who came by. I’ve had inspiring conversations with visitors from all over the country, from seasoned professionals to curious amateurs. Encounters like these remind me why I love this craft. They give me the energy to keep improving the process, and joy in practicing it. Every portrait is a collaboration, and the strongest images often emerge when there’s real connection and cooperation with the person in front of the camera. That energy, that mutual focus, is something you can feel in the final image. Thank you all for being part of that process. I hope to see you there this weekend! Location: Vestingmuseum Naarden Date: July 5 & 6 Time: 10:30 AM – 5:00 PM (no reservation needed)

Ferdows – Portretten met de Afghaanse Box Camera @ferdows is kunstenaar en fotograaf met een liefde voor het ambacht. Tijdens het FotoFestival Naarden maakt hij portretten met zijn zelfgebouwde Afghaanse Box Camera: een analoge camera en donkere kamer in één. Deze methode is gebaseerd op de werkwijze van straatfotografen in Afghanistan, waar dit type camera tot ongeveer tien jaar geleden nog werd gebruikt. Het proces is traag, tastbaar en persoonlijk – en eindigt met een portret op barietpapier dat je direct in handen krijgt. Zie onze website voor alle details: tijdens de weekenden, in het @vestingmuseum.nl (een print kost 25€).