Photo: Candy Maker in Herat, Afghanistan

Last year I was working in Kabul and had a friend who was helping resettle refugees in Herat, so I decided to take a trip out there. Herat sits near the border with Iran and you can see the Iranian influence in the food, architecture, and some of the women's clothing. I enjoyed being in Herat because it is generally safer than places like Kabul and Kandahar, and I felt relatively comfortable walking around with a camera. Sure, I got some curious looks from people not used to tourists, but I'm not even sure it occurred to most people that I was indeed a tourist.

One of my goals in Herat was to buy a rug for a friend of mine, so my host and I hit the streets one Friday and started shopping for rugs in Herat's main marketplace. Who knows how old this marketplace is with its narrow streets and mud-built structures. One gets the feeling that it is ancient, especially because one of Alexander the Great's fortresses sits nearby. In fact, I was told that this fortress is the oldest military structure still in use by a military (artillery cannons are still perched on top). Wandering these streets takes you back at least a century.

As we walked around I took a peek inside this mud brick room and instantly the bells in my head started chiming. This candy maker was busy tossing hard candies, making them smooth. He made a big smile, seeming to read my mind as he invited me to come in and take photos. I spent a few minutes wandering around, examining the light and then a few more minutes framing and shooting. Nobody in the room seemed to mind. They were all quite friendly and i think they were about as curious about us as we were of them, as you can tell by the guy in the alleyway looking in at me as he walked by.